CHARLSTON – Delegate Isaac Sponaugle pulled ahead as the final precinct numbers rolled in, apparently giving him the Democratic nomination in the state Attorney General race.
Sponaugle, who trailed Beckley attorney Sam Brown Petsonk by nearly 800 votes at midnight with 98 percent of statewide precincts reporting. By morning, Sponaugle had a 706-vote lead with all precincts reporting. He led 84,289 to 83,583.
Petsonk, however, hasn’t conceded the race yet because of absentee ballots that still need to be counted. Also, county canvassing could change some vote totals.
“All the mail-in ballots postmarked yesterday have yet to be counted," Petsonk said in a statement. "There are over 20,000 outstanding absentee ballots – fully valid, regular ballots. We know that I won 60 percent of the vote or more in most southern counties, and that much or more in many of the largest counties.
"So, it is far too soon to call this race and, if the current trends hold, when the full vote is counted next Monday, I am still the likely victor.”
Incumbent AG Patrick Morrisey ran unopposed in the Republican primary. He is seeking a third term.
"It was a good race," Sponaugle said, noting that he feels confident he'll finish on top despite the absentee ballots and canvassing. "But, now I'm going to get right back on the horse. With the primary pushed back (because of the Coronavirus pandemic), the general election will be here before you know it."
Sponaugle said his plan is to highlight Morrisey's record while in office "and stay on him about it."
The Affordable Care Act lawsuit he's involved in is going up to the Supreme Court soon," Sponaugle told The West Virginia Record. "He’s trying to take away protection for pre-existing conditions from hard-working West Virginians and raise their health insurance premiums. This will cost the state over $1 billion in federal dollars.
"He’s trying to cripple the state. In addition to the Big Pharma lawsuits and making settlements with them for pennies on the dollar, his household has made a substantial amount of money over West Virginia settlements."
In other races across the state, Senate President Mitch Carmichael (R-Jackson) lost in his primary to teacher Amy Nichole Grady. Grady pulled in 6,402 votes in the 4th District, compared to Carmichael's 5,726.
"She (Grady) ran a great campaign, and I wish her the best," Carmichael said. "We have elections, we express our opinions and we move forward. I feel like I’ve made my mark on the state during my time as Senate President and as a senator.
"We made some tough decisions, and that results in a lot of consternation within the electorate."
Controversial Delegate Eric Porterfield (R-Mercer) finished fifth out of five Republicans in his 27th District primary. Three advance to the general election. Porterfield, who lost his vision in a bar fight years ago, drew ire during during his two years in the House by suggesting he'd drown his children if he learned they were gay. He also labeled LGBTQ groups as "the most socialist" in the country and called them the "modern-day Ku Klux Klan."
In another House race, former Majority Leader Daryl Cowles (R-Morgan) lost by 125 notes in the 58th District primary.