1984 West Virginia Attorney General election
November 6, 1984
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Brown: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% McCuskey: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in West Virginia |
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The 1984 West Virginia Attorney General election took place on November 6, 1984, to elect the Attorney General of West Virginia. Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Chauncey H. Browning Jr. chose not to seek re-election to a fifth term, choosing instead to run for governor.
Charleston attorney and former Deputy Attorney General Charlie Brown beat Republican nominee John F. McCuskey 55.5% to 44.5%.[1]
Forty years later, in 2024, John F. McCuskey's son JB was elected Attorney General, and Charlie Brown's brother Sherrod lost re-election to the U.S. Senate.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Charlie Brown, Charleston attorney, former Deputy Attorney General (1978-1982), and brother of Sherrod Brown.
Eliminated in primary
- Daniel C. Staggers, Mineral County attorney, son of Harley Orrin Staggers, brother of Harley O. Staggers Jr., and future candidate for the Supreme Court of Appeals in 1996.[2]
- John "Si" Boettner, State Senator from the 8th district and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.[3]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Charlie Brown |
Dan Staggers |
John Boettner |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia Poll[4] | April, 1984 | N/A | ± 5% | 15.4% | 35.5% | 21.7% | 27.4% |
| West Virginia Poll[5] | May, 1984 | N/A | ± 5% | 19.8% | 36% | 17.8% | N/A |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charlie Brown | 120,394 | 35.99% | |
| Democratic | Daniel C. Staggers | 117,433 | 35.10% | |
| Democratic | John "Si" Boettner | 96,701 | 28.91% | |
| Total votes | 334,528 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- John F. McCuskey, former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from Harrison County (1973-1977) and father of future attorney general JB McCuskey.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John F. McCuskey | 107,405 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 107,405 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Democratic: Charlie Brown.
- Republican: John F. McCuskey.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charlie Brown | 386,442 | 55.51% | |
| Republican | John F. McCuskey | 309,763 | 44.49% | |
| Total votes | 696,205 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Results by county
| County[9] | Charlie Brown Democratic |
John McCuskey Republican |
Total votes cast | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | ||
| Barbour | 3,093 | 46.42% | 3,570 | 53.58% | 6,663 |
| Berkeley | 8,100 | 47.26% | 9,041 | 52.74% | 17,141 |
| Boone | 7,828 | 70.94% | 3,206 | 29.06% | 11,034 |
| Braxton | 3,676 | 63.28% | 2,133 | 36.72% | 5,809 |
| Brooke | 7,026 | 65.83% | 3,647 | 34.17% | 10,673 |
| Cabell | 21,598 | 59.63% | 14,624 | 40.37% | 36,222 |
| Calhoun | 1,778 | 58.45% | 1,264 | 41.55% | 3,042 |
| Clay | 2,505 | 69.45% | 1,102 | 30.55% | 3,607 |
| Doddridge | 934 | 30.01% | 2,178 | 69.99% | 3,112 |
| Fayette | 13,546 | 73.40% | 4,909 | 26.60% | 18,455 |
| Gilmer | 1,811 | 55.28% | 1,465 | 44.72% | 3,276 |
| Grant | 824 | 20.68% | 3,161 | 79.32% | 3,985 |
| Greenbrier | 7,501 | 60.45% | 4,908 | 39.55% | 12,409 |
| Hampshire | 2,545 | 49.89% | 2,556 | 50.11% | 5,101 |
| Hancock | 8,533 | 61.46% | 5,350 | 38.54% | 13,883 |
| Hardy | 2,124 | 54.29% | 1,788 | 45.71% | 3,912 |
| Harrison | 12,588 | 37.37% | 21,094 | 62.63% | 33,682 |
| Jackson | 5,824 | 52.50% | 5,269 | 47.50% | 11,093 |
| Jefferson | 4,846 | 53.70% | 4,179 | 46.30% | 9,025 |
| Kanawha | 48,237 | 55.24% | 39,083 | 44.76% | 87,320 |
| Lewis | 3,422 | 44.40% | 4,286 | 55.60% | 7,708 |
| Lincoln | 6,284 | 65.05% | 3,377 | 34.95% | 9,661 |
| Logan | 11,682 | 72.95% | 4,332 | 27.05% | 16,014 |
| Marion | 12,703 | 49.32% | 13,055 | 50.68% | 25,758 |
| Marshall | 8,991 | 56.24% | 6,996 | 43.76% | 15,987 |
| Mason | 7,061 | 58.83% | 4,942 | 41.17% | 12,003 |
| McDowell | 8,861 | 77.65% | 2,550 | 22.35% | 11,411 |
| Mercer | 12,061 | 55.23% | 9,777 | 44.77% | 21,838 |
| Mineral | 4,231 | 42.95% | 5,621 | 57.05% | 9,852 |
| Mingo | 9,179 | 76.09% | 2,885 | 23.91% | 12,064 |
| Monongalia | 14,002 | 53.91% | 11,969 | 46.09% | 25,971 |
| Monroe | 2,953 | 52.92% | 2,627 | 47.08% | 5,580 |
| Morgan | 1,599 | 38.48% | 2,556 | 61.52% | 4,155 |
| Nicholas | 5,579 | 63.67% | 3,184 | 36.33% | 8,763 |
| Ohio | 12,290 | 53.84% | 10,537 | 46.16% | 22,827 |
| Pendleton | 1,574 | 51.93% | 1,457 | 48.07% | 3,031 |
| Pleasants | 1,980 | 54.98% | 1,621 | 45.02% | 3,601 |
| Pocahontas | 2,293 | 55.63% | 1,829 | 44.37% | 4,122 |
| Preston | 4,219 | 41.93% | 5,842 | 58.07% | 10,061 |
| Putnam | 7,815 | 54.96% | 6,405 | 45.04% | 14,220 |
| Raleigh | 18,560 | 66.26% | 9,449 | 33.74% | 28,009 |
| Randolph | 5,349 | 50.37% | 5,271 | 49.63% | 10,620 |
| Ritchie | 1,574 | 35.91% | 2,809 | 64.09% | 4,383 |
| Roane | 3,146 | 51.80% | 2,927 | 48.20% | 6,073 |
| Summers | 3,400 | 64.28% | 1,889 | 35.72% | 5,289 |
| Taylor | 2,658 | 40.83% | 3,852 | 59.17% | 6,510 |
| Tucker | 1,952 | 51.22% | 1,859 | 48.78% | 3,811 |
| Tyler | 1,634 | 37.60% | 2,712 | 62.40% | 4,346 |
| Upshur | 3,107 | 38.14% | 5,040 | 61.86% | 8,147 |
| Wayne | 10,295 | 66.36% | 5,218 | 33.64% | 15,513 |
| Webster | 2,507 | 69.74% | 1,088 | 30.26% | 3,595 |
| Wetzel | 4,244 | 54.47% | 3,547 | 45.53% | 7,791 |
| Wirt | 1,181 | 53.27% | 1,036 | 46.73% | 2,217 |
| Wood | 15,977 | 45.18% | 19,386 | 54.82% | 35,363 |
| Wyoming | 7,162 | 68.42% | 3,305 | 31.58% | 10,467 |
| Totals | 386,442 | 55.51% | 309,763 | 44.49% | 696,205 |
References
- ^ "Democrats sweep into state offices; Brown's race close". Williamson Daily News. November 7, 1984.
- ^ Martha Bryson Hodel (May 30, 1984). "Attorney general's race full of old-fashioned mud-slinging". Williamson Daily News.
- ^ Brian Farkas (August 30, 1989). "Boettner resigns after pleading to federal tax charge". United Press International.
- ^ "Hechler is far ahead, poll claims". Williamson Daily News. April 17, 1984.
- ^ "Leaders: Manchin, Hechler, Staggers, court incumbents". Williamson Daily News. May 19, 1984.
- ^ "West Virginia Blue Book - 1984 - Page 623" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.
- ^ "West Virginia Blue Book - 1984 - Page 659" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.
- ^ "West Virginia Blue Book - 1985 - Page 670" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.
- ^ "West Virginia Blue Book - 1985 - Page 670" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.