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West Virginia Attorney General election, 2024 (May 14 Republican primary)
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← 2020
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| West Virginia Attorney General |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: January 27, 2024 |
| Primary: May 14, 2024 General: November 5, 2024 Pre-election incumbent(s): Patrick Morrisey (R) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voting in West Virginia |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2024 Impact of term limits in 2024 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024 |
| West Virginia executive elections |
| Governor Attorney General |
John B. McCuskey (R) won the Republican primary for West Virginia Attorney General on May 14, 2024. McCuskey defeated Mike Stuart (R) 60.2% to 39.8%. Incumbent Patrick Morrisey (R) ran for governor, leaving the office open.
Both McCuskey and Stuart ran on their record in elected office. Both candidates said they would prioritize suing the federal government to overturn policies they said challenged West Virginia values. Both also said they would encourage other departments in the state government to obtain legal services from the attorney general's office rather than private counsel.[1][2][3]
McCuskey was, at the time of the primary, the state auditor and a former state legislator. McCuskey said he was "an experienced leader with a proven record of fighting for West Virginians and their conservative values," saying he promoted transparency and streamlined the state's property tax system as auditor.[4][1] McCuskey said he would work with West Virginia University to recruit local law school graduates to work in the attorney general's office and build "a coalition of in-state firms that are both conservative and like-minded as we are" to provide outside counsel to the state when necessary.[2]
Stuart was, at the time of the primary, a state senator and former federal prosecutor. Stuart said he was a "proven conservative fighter for West Virginia."[5] Stuart said his record included serving as a U.S. Attorney under President Donald Trump (R) and winning election to a state senate district with a history of electing Democrats.[5] Stuart said he would advocate for a change in state law to allow the attorney general's office, rather than county prosecutors, to prosecute specific crimes. Stuart said he wanted "a full-service, serious law firm as the attorney general of the State of West Virginia."[6]
As of 2024, no Democrat had won a statewide election in West Virginia since 2018. Incumbent Patrick Morrisey (R) won re-election 64%–36% in 2020.
Ten states held elections for attorney general in 2024. As of February 2024, there were 27 Republican attorneys general, 22 Democratic attorneys general, and one independent attorney general.
This page focuses on West Virginia's Republican Party Attorney General primary. For more in-depth information on West Virginia's Democratic Attorney General primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- West Virginia Attorney General election, 2024 (May 14 Democratic primary)
- West Virginia Attorney General election, 2024
Candidates and election results
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Attorney General of West Virginia
John B. McCuskey defeated Mike Stuart in the Republican primary for Attorney General of West Virginia on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | John B. McCuskey | 59.8 | 117,263 |
 | Mike Stuart | 40.2 | 78,745 | |
| Total votes: 196,008 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Ryan Weld (R)
Voting information
- See also: Voting in West Virginia
Candidate comparison
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- West Virginia State Auditor (Assumed office: 2017)
- West Virginia House of Delegates, District 35 (2012–2016)
Biography: McCuskey obtained his bachelor's degree from The George Washington University and graduated from West Virginia University College of Law. Before entering elected politics, McCuskey worked in the U.S. Department of Defense in the general counsels' offices for the Army and the department itself. As of the 2024 election, McCuskey was a small business owner.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Attorney General of West Virginia in 2024.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- West Virginia State Senate, District 7 (Assumed office: 2022)
Biography: Stuart graduated from West Virginia University with bachelor's degrees in business administration and political science and obtained his law degree from Boston University. Stuart's professional experience includes working as an accountant and practicing law, including as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia under President Donald Trump (R). As of the 2024 election, Stuart was an attorney with Dinsmore and Shohl.
Show sources
Sources: Mike Stuart campaign website, "Home page," accessed February 7, 2024, The Intelligencer, "Stuart Pledges To Make W.Va. Attorney General’s Office the State’s Full-Service Law Firm If Elected," December 4, 2023; Mike Stuart campaign website, "Meet Mike," accessed February 7, 2024, West Virginia Legislature, "Mike Stuart," accessed February 7, 2024, The Intelligencer, "Stuart Pledges To Make W.Va. Attorney General’s Office the State’s Full-Service Law Firm If Elected," December 4, 2023
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Attorney General of West Virginia in 2024.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign advertisements
This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.
John B. McCuskey
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for John B. McCuskey while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Mike Stuart
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Mike Stuart while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Endorsements
Click the links below to see official endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites for any candidates that make that information available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.
Election competitiveness
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.
Election spending
Campaign finance
Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the West Virginia Secretary of State. Click here to access those reports.
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[7][8][9]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
Election context
Ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for attorney general candidates in West Virginia in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in West Virginia, click here.
| Filing requirements for West Virginia Attorney General candidates, 2024 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source | ||
| Ballot-qualified party | N/A | $1,353.44 | 1/27/2024 | Source | ||
| Unaffiliated | 7,641[10] | $1,353.44 | 8/1/2024 | Source | ||
West Virginia Attorney General election history
2020
General election
General election for Attorney General of West Virginia
Incumbent Patrick Morrisey defeated Sam Petsonk in the general election for Attorney General of West Virginia on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Patrick Morrisey (R) | 63.8 | 487,250 |
 | Sam Petsonk (D) | 36.2 | 276,798 | |
| Total votes: 764,048 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Attorney General of West Virginia
Sam Petsonk defeated Isaac Sponaugle in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sam Petsonk | 50.1 | 86,490 |
 | Isaac Sponaugle | 49.9 | 86,263 | |
| Total votes: 172,753 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Attorney General of West Virginia
Incumbent Patrick Morrisey advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Patrick Morrisey | 100.0 | 175,292 |
| Total votes: 175,292 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
The general election for Attorney Generalwas held on November 8, 2016.
Incumbent Patrick Morrisey defeated Doug Reynolds, Karl Kolenich, and Michael Sharley in the West Virginia attorney general election.
| West Virginia Attorney General, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Patrick Morrisey Incumbent |
51.63% | 358,424 | |
| Democratic | Doug Reynolds | 41.95% | 291,232 | |
| Libertarian | Karl Kolenich | 3.46% | 24,023 | |
| Mountain Party | Michael Sharley | 2.95% | 20,475 | |
| Total Votes | 694,154 | |||
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State | ||||
2012
Challenger Patrick Morrisey (R) defeated incumbent Darrell McGraw (D) in the November 6, 2012 general election.
| Attorney General of West Virginia General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Darrell McGraw Incumbent | 48.8% | 267,135 | |
| Republican | Patrick Morrisey |
51.2% | 280,695 | |
| Total Votes | 547,830 | |||
| Election results West Virginia Secretary of State Election Results Center | ||||
Full history
To view the electoral history dating back to 2000 for the office of West Virginia Attorney General, click [show] to expand the section. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2008 On November 4, 2008, Darrell V. McGraw, Jr. won re-election to the office of West Virginia Attorney General. He defeated Daniel W. Greear (R) in the general election.
2004 On November 2, 2004, Darrell V. McGraw, Jr. won re-election to the office of West Virginia Attorney General. He defeated Hiram Lewis, IV (R) in the general election.
2000 On November 7, 2000, Darrell V. McGraw, Jr. won re-election to the office of West Virginia Attorney General. He ran unopposed in the general election.
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Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for West Virginia, 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District | Incumbent | Party | PVI |
| West Virginia's 1st | Carol Miller |  Republican |
R+23 |
| West Virginia's 2nd | Alexander Mooney | Republican |
R+22 |
2020 presidential results by 2024 congressional district lines
| 2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2024 district lines, West Virginia[11] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Joe Biden 
|
Donald Trump
| ||
| West Virginia's 1st | 28.8% | 69.7% | ||
| West Virginia's 2nd | 30.6% | 67.6% | ||
2012-2020
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2020 presidential election, 100.0% of West Virginians lived in one of the state's 55 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020. Overall, West Virginia was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in West Virginia following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| West Virginia county-level statistics, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 55 | 100.0% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 0 | 0.0% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 55 | 100.0% | |||||
Historical voting trends
West Virginia presidential election results (1900-2020)
- 15 Democratic wins
- 16 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | D | D | D | R | D | D | R | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in West Virginia.
| U.S. Senate election results in West Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Winner | Runner up |
| 2020 | 70.3% |
27.0%
|
| 2018 | 49.6% |
46.3%
|
| 2014 | 62.1% |
34.5%
|
| 2012 | 60.8% |
36.5%
|
| 2010 | 53.5% |
43.4%
|
| Average | 59.3 | 37.5 |
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of West Virginia
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in West Virginia.
| Gubernatorial election results in West Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Winner | Runner up |
| 2020 | 63.5% |
30.2%
|
| 2016 | 49.1% |
42.3%
|
| 2012 | 50.5% |
45.7%
|
| 2011 | 49.6% |
47.1%
|
| 2008 | 69.8% |
25.7%
|
| Average | 56.5 | 38.2 |
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of West Virginia's congressional delegation as of May 2024.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from West Virginia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 2 | 4 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in West Virginia's top three state executive offices as of May 2024.
| State executive officials in West Virginia, May 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Office | Officeholder |
| Governor | Jim Justice
|
| Secretary of State | Mac Warner
|
| Attorney General | Patrick Morrisey
|
State legislature
West Virginia State Senate
| Party | As of February 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 3 | |
| Republican Party | 31 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 34 | |
West Virginia House of Delegates
| Party | As of February 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 89 | |
| Independent | 0 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Trifecta control
The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.
West Virginia Party Control: 1992-2024
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas • Seven years of Republican trifectas
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D[12] | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
The table below details demographic data in West Virginia and compares it to the broader United States as of 2022.
| Demographic Data for West Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | United States | |
| Population | 1,793,716 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 24,041 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 91.4% | 65.9% |
| Black/African American | 3.4% | 12.5% |
| Asian | 0.8% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.2% |
| Other (single race) | 0.5% | 6% |
| Multiple | 3.7% | 8.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 1.8% | 18.7% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 88.4% | 89.1% |
| College graduation rate | 22.7% | 34.3% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $55,217 | $75,149 |
| Persons below poverty level | 11.9% | 8.8% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2017-2022). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
2024 battleground elections
- See also: Battlegrounds
This was a battleground election. Other 2024 battleground elections included:
- North Carolina's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Republican primary)
- Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District election, 2024
- United States Senate election in California, 2024 (March 5 top-two primary)
See also
| West Virginia | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 John B. McCuskey campaign website, "Meet J.B.," accessed February 8, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Inter-Mountain, "State Auditor McCuskey makes case for Attorney General nomination," January 22, 2024
- ↑ The Intelligencer, "Stuart Pledges To Make W.Va. Attorney General’s Office the State’s Full-Service Law Firm If Elected," December 4, 2023
- ↑ John B. McCuskey campaign website, "Home page," accessed February 8, 2024
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mike Stuart campaign website, "Home page," accessed February 8, 2024
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedStuartDec8 - ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
- ↑ Calculated as 1% of the votes cast in the 2020 general election for attorney general.
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed December 15, 2023
- ↑ Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration to Republican on August 4, 2017.
Footnotes
 |
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|---|---|
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