McCuskey wins West Virginia attorney general seat

J.B. McCuskey, speaking during a West Virginia Senate Banking and Insurance Meeting on Feb. 13, 2023, will be the state's next attorney general. (Will Price | West Virginia Legislative Photography)

State auditor J.B. McCuskey will be the state's next attorney general. McCuskey, a Republican, had 68% of the votes over Democrat Teresa Toriseva's 32%, by 8:50 p.m. Tuesday night, when the Associated Press called the race.

McCuskey is a Charleston attorney. He was first elected state auditor in 2016 and reelected in 2020. Prior to being auditor, McCuskey served two terms in the state House of Delegates.

Toriseva is an attorney in Wheeling.

McCuskey will fill the position held by current Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, a candidate for West Virginia governor.

Speaking to West Virginia Watch after his primary win over Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, McCuskey said Morrisey did a "fantastic job defending the will of our Legislature and the will of our people."

"I intend to continue to attract world-class talent that is able to go to the Supreme Court, go to the Fourth Circuit and win cases that defend not only what our Legislature does, but what the people of West Virginia want," McCuskey said. He added that he would "defend West Virginia values and the West Virginia economy to the end of the earth."

According to the campaign finance reports, as of mid-October, McCuskey had outraised Toriseva $1.4 million to her $35,000.