CHARLESTON – A Democrat has jumped into the West Virginia Attorney General race.
Wheeling attorney Teresa Toriseva announced her candidacy January 23.
“I love being a courtroom lawyer for people,” Toriseva said in a press release announcing her campaign. “I bring real courtroom experience battling big banks and giant corporations for working people. I have also fought for over 10 years to protect public safety by protecting the wages of firefighters, police officers and other first responders from Weirton to Beckley and Huntington to Martinsburg.
“My favorite part about being an attorney is being in the courtroom fighting for people. I stand ready to fight for equal rights for all West Virginians.”
Republican state auditor J.B. McCuskey is the only candidate who has filed paperwork for the position being vacated by Patrick Morrisey, who is seeking a Republican gubernatorial nomination. McCuskey filed his papers January 22.
During an appearance on MetroNews’ Talkline radio program, Toriseva said she faces a challenge having that D after her name on the ballot.
“I am vice chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party, and I’m proud to be a Democrat,” she told host Hoppy Kercheval. “There is a lot of excitement among Democrats. West Virginia, in my opinion, is neither Democratic nor Republican, but leaning toward Independent.
"I’m running for Attorney General because West Virginians deserve a lawyer who will work as hard as they do and who is dedicated to justice, fairness and the well-being of every citizen. My priorities include fighting the opioid crisis, which has ravaged our communities, by holding big pharmaceutical companies accountable for the harm they've done.
"My aim is to bring transparency, integrity, and a relentless pursuit of justice to the office of Attorney General. I'm running to be the people's lawyer."
Toriseva said, as AG, she would give the people of West Virginia "a voice and a choice."
"I want to bring my courtroom experience to the role," she said. "The Attorney General represents the State of West Virginia. People expect the AG to be their voice, their lawyer, for the people."
Kercheval noted current AG Morrisey has become involved in several issues nationally, such as filing actions against the current Biden administration and in some hot-button issues such as the NCAA transfer rule. Toriseva said she thinks he focus would be more local as AG.
"My focus would be statewide, and those choices would be made on an individual basis," she said of joining national debates on such issues. "I don’t think my focus would be the same. It would be more internal to the needs of the people of West Virginia.
"There are a lot of people whose voices are not being heard. And I think it’s important for them to be heard. You work for everybody. For me, those decisions in getting involved in the political fights have to be made very carefully. And, let's be honest, that's what they are. You represent everyone once elected."
Toriseva said she and other Democrats could take notes from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who just won a second term as a Democrat in another very Conservative state.
“Remember who you’re talking to, and that’s everybody,” Toriseva told Kercheval. “We deal with the problems of everybody. I see that the Democratic Party has work to do to teach people what we stand for.
“But, I would encourage people to look at my record of 30 years in the legal community. It’s real results, and that is what we stand for.”
And she says she’s ready to get results for the entire state.
“The legal work is substantial, and the Attorney General’s role is so important as an independent constitutional officer,” she said. “And I’m ready for that challenge.”
Toriseva grew up in Cameron, graduated from Wheeling Jesuit University and the West Virginia University College of Law. After law school, she spent 10 years practicing law in Charleston before returning to Wheeling to raise her family and start her own law firm.
She has been appointed Special Assistant Attorney General multiple times to fight for the people of West Virginia against giant corporations. This has resulted in recovering millions of dollars for West Virginia taxpayers.
Sam Petsonk will serve as Toriseva’s campaign treasurer.
McCuskey originally planned to wage his own run for governor, but he dropped out of that race in July to focus on the AG position.
Fellow Republican Mike Stuart, a state Senator and former U.S. Attorney, hasn’t officially filed his paperwork to run for AG. The filing deadline is January 27.
In October, Stuart called out McCuskey for “substantial contributions” from personal injury attorneys to his campaign. Stuart was critical of contributions made to McCuskey’s campaign by “Democrat personal injury attorneys.”
Ryan Weld, another Republican state Senator, also had announced plans to run for AG. But in November, he announced he was going to seek re-election to the state Senate.
