CHARLESTON - Republican state Attorney General challenger Patrick Morrisey kicked off his fall ad campaign with a radio spot that begin airing last week.
In a statement, Morrisey, who is facing longtime Attorney General Darrell McGraw in the state's Nov. 6 general election, said the 60-second radio ad is running in various markets statewide.
The spot focuses on Morrisey's experience and qualifications.
"Patrick Morrisey is an attorney with a working class background. He has over 20 years of strong legal and policy experience," according to the radio ad, titled "Morrisey Stands with Coal."
The Eastern Panhandle attorney says in the spot he won't be afraid to take on the federal Environment Protection Agency and big government regulations that have hindered the state's coal industry.
"In his career, Patrick Morrisey has successfully challenged big government and job-killing regulations. He'll do it again as West Virginia's next attorney general."
In the radio ad, Morrisey says McGraw won't take on the EPA because he is one of President Barack Obama's "closest allies" in the state.
"That's not good for coal or West Virginia."
To listen to the spot, click here.
Meanwhile, a liberal political action committee called "Committee for American Fairness" began running television ads last week in support of McGraw, who has been in office for 20 years.
The third-party group became the first to air television ads in the AG race.
The state's Republican Party weighed in.
"It's no small feat to defend a 32-year office holder known for abusing taxpayer dollars, putting Medicaid dollars at risk and refusing to save our coal jobs," GOP Chair Conrad Lucas said in a statement.
"McGraw's enthusiastic support of Obama is particularly disturbing and a key point we're sure voters won't forget on November 6th."