American politician and former Republican Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, Eric Porterfield, has served the United States for two years despite his physical disability.
Eric Porterfield became blind on the morning of Dec. 10, 2006, when he was 32, after sustaining a head injury due to a physical altercation. Although he never discussed the full details and cause of the incident, according to the police officer on the case, the incident occurred outside the parking lot of a Cavanaugh’s Bar and Eatery in Schererville, Indiana, shortly after 3:00 a.m.
The police officer described Eric Porterfield as uncooperative as he refused to answer any question other than his name or provide a photo of identification. Despite the nature of the injuries, Eric refused to press any criminal charges.
Here are more details about the politician:
The Incident
Eric Porterfield got severely injured in a fight when his friend commented on a female patron and touched her without her consent, which he later apologized for as they were leaving. His friend ended up fighting with the female patron’s boyfriend, and Eric Porterfield got involved and had his eyes gouged. Eric was rushed to the emergency room, where he was diagnosed with bilateral globe perforation, meaning his eyes were pulled out.
Who Is Eric Porterfield?
Eric Earl Porterfield is an American politician and former Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates representing 27 districts, which includes part of Mercer and Raleigh counties.
Born on Nov. 17, 1974 to John and Mary Porterfield in Princeton, West Virginia, he grew up in Princeton as a very outrageous teenager. He attended Bible College at the age of 20, and is a born-again Baptist missionary.
He founded the Blind Faith Ministry in 2012. He does missionary work for the group, going to South Sudan, Venezuela, and Cuba. He is a member and holds a position at Rich Creek Baptist Church in Spanishburg.
Eric Porterfield Political Career
In 2018, he ran for a seat and succeeded incumbent Mary Gearheart, who decided to forgo reelection to seek West Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District seat.
In 2019, Eric Porterfield faced much criticism and was called to resign after calling the LGBT community terrorists.
In 2020, Eric Porterfield lost his reelection, coming in last of the Republican candidates running. He left office on Dec. 1 after his loss to Mary Gearheart.
He is the second blind person to serve in the West Virginia Legislature.
Is Eric Porterfield Married?
Eric Porterfield is married to Jessica Worell, born on Nov. 28, 1987. They live in Princeton with their two children, Beth and John Porterfield.
The Mercer Country magistrate granted him and his wife a protective order due to the boycott of OB-GYN they organized for his wife’s support of abortion rights.
Is Eric Porterfield Homophobic?
In February 2019, Eric blasted the world when he gave different hateful homophobic comments in an interview. He described the LGBT community as a modern-day Ku Klux Kan, an American group of terrorists, and called them brutal monsters.
After the interview, he faced a lot of vicious comments and was called to resign from his position. Despite the objection from within and outside his party, Eric refused to take back what he said and apologize. He claimed what he said was right, and the threats he received prove it.
Melody Potter, the Chairwoman of the West Virginia Republican Party, responded in a statement and described Eric’s comments as hurtful and hateful. But even after that, Eric refused to step down.
Why Did Eric Porterfield File a Lawsuit?
In 2008, Eric Porterfield filed a lawsuit for a parking lot brawl that blinded him 16 years ago. The lawsuit said the bar was obligated to protect its patrons inside and outside the bar. The lawsuit said the bar refused to take proper care of Eric even after five similar cases of fights had been reported there.
Lawyers for Cavanaugh’s, Christopher Cody, claimed the bar had no responsibility to protect Eric because its staff had no idea that a patron would become violent in the parking lot. Eric’s lawyer, Leon Sarkisian, said the bar owner should have been alerted to the ongoing fight.
The conclusion of the judgment said the bar couldn’t predict a bar patron blinding another bar patron. Eric lost the case of the court’s final ruling. Eric said that he was very disappointed with the court’s judgment.