CHARLESTON — Teresa Toriseva sees herself as a strong advocate for West Virginias in her campaign for attorney general.
Toriseva, an attorney with 30 years of courtroom experience, is positioning herself as a consumer protection advocate and a fighter for ordinary West Virginians, challenging current State Auditor J.B. McCuskey for the role.
Toriseva outlined her vision for the attorney general’s office, placing a heavy emphasis on transparency, outreach and expanding access to justice.
"I envision being an aggressive consumer protection advocate and watchdog," Toriseva, a Democrat, said in an interview with The West Virginia Record. "I hope to be defined as an attorney general who answers to and responds to her clients—the people of West Virginia."
Toriseva’s plans, if elected, include increasing the physical presence of the attorney general’s office across the state by establishing more satellite offices.
"Each part [of the state] is so geographically unique, and the problems to the areas are unique,” Toriseva said, highlighting the importance of face-to-face contact in regions such as the Eastern Panhandle, the Northern Panhandle and the southern coal fields.
Technology also will play a key role in her outreach efforts, she said. By leveraging digital tools, Toriseva aims to ensure West Virginians feel heard and connected to the office, no matter where they live.
Beyond outreach, Toriseva intends to be aggressive in court, particularly when it comes to investigating lawbreakers and protecting West Virginia residents.
"The Attorney General's investigation is really the only thing that can reveal the truth and protect West Virginia residents on a large scale," Toriseva said, adding that she would be "aggressive in court, aggressive investigating and aggressive in my outreach."
Toriseva noted that during Morrisey’s tenure, the office has been politicized and driven by personal ambition rather than the needs of West Virginians.
"Patrick Morrisey has run the office for Patrick Morrissey’s own political best interest without decision-making being guided by what’s actually in the best interest of the West Virginia people," Toriseva said.
As for her opponent, the Republican McCuskey, Toriseva sees little difference between him and Morrisey.
"The other candidate will produce more of the same," she said. "He is someone who is politically ambitious, and I am someone who is ambitious about helping people in West Virginia."
Toriseva also identified several pressing legal challenges facing the state, chief among them clean water, workplace safety and ensuring that regular citizens have access to the courts.
“One of the biggest issues that I see facing West Virginians is to make sure that we keep our courts open to regular people because our money matters, our jobs matter, our businesses matter, our kids matter, our issues matter, and enforcing the law matters,” she said.
Toriseva's legal experience, particularly in representing individuals in courtrooms across West Virginia and the nation, is something she believes uniquely qualifies her for the role of attorney general.
"I have 30 years of representing real people in real courtrooms … and I am unique versus my opponent in that regard," she said.
Toriseva is a longtime Wheeling resident. She is a graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University and the West Virginia University College of Law, where she earned high honors. After practicing law in Charleston for 10 years, she returned to Wheeling, where she raised her family and founded her own firm, Toriseva Law.