CHARLESTON – Former U.S. Attorney and state Senator Mike Stuart has made it official.
Stuart, a Kanawha County Republican, filed paperwork January 23 to run for West Virginia Attorney General at the state Capitol.
“President Trump chose me to defend West Virginia as the United States Attorney,” Stuart told The West Virginia Record. “I am asking the people of West Virginia to choose me to defend them against the radicals and liberals in Washington, D.C., that seek to destroy our jobs, values and families.
“There is now an actual conservative in the race.”
Stuart will face state Auditor J.B. McCuskey in the primary election. Wheeling attorney Teresa Toriseva also has announced plans to run as a Democrat for the seat, which is being vacated by current AG Patrick Morrisey as he seeks the Republican nomination for governor.
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. 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.
“There is not a more important role in state government today than the role of Attorney General,” Stuart said. “I am not running for a job, a title, or as a backup to a failed 3 percent finish in a governor’s campaign. I am not running for Attorney General as a ‘consolation prize’ or, frankly, to ‘be’ Attorney General.
“I am running to ‘do’ Attorney General because West Virginia needs someone with my unique skillset, my experience and my toughness like never before.”
Stuart said this is an important election for the state.
“At no point in West Virginia history has it been more important that we have a strong, proven conservative, with a proven record as a lawyer and top prosecutor at the highest levels,” he told The Record. “Our values, our jobs, and our way of life hang in the balance.”
He also touted his record.
“I have practiced law at the highest levels for nearly 25 years,” Stuart said. “I have been a real prosecutor on the front lines of the opioid crisis. As a member of the Trump Administration and as the United States Attorney, I worked side by side with law enforcement, first responders and always backed the blue.
“During my term as the highest ranking federal law enforcement officer in southern West Virginia, I led the historic prosecution of corruption by two members of the West Virginia State Supreme Court, the largest drug raid in West Virginia history, the biggest Medicaid fraud and elder fraud prosecutions in the history of our state and took enough fentanyl off the streets to kill more than 40 million people.”
Stuart says he’s the only true conservative running for AG. On Twitter, he proclaimed he is running against two trial attorneys.
“I’m running for Attorney General against two candidates – one Democrat and one Republican fully supported, endorsed and funded by Democrat personal injury attorneys.”
He went on to say he’s the only candidate who is “100% pro-life, pro-gun and unapologetically pro-Trump.”
“I am the only candidate that was a top federal prosecutor, a member of the Trump Administration, a United States Attorney, and endorsed by West Virginia coal,” Stuart said. “I will aggressively fight the climate crazies, woke radicals and extreme liberals to ensure we can drill, frack and mine the beautiful, bountiful energy beneath our feet.
“I will take on the two-tiered justice system that has unfairly targeted President Trump. I will fight corruption, for families and parents’ rights, and against government mandates. I won’t just talk the talk, but, as my record proves, I will walk the walk as a conservative who isn’t afraid of a big fight.”