Several statewide executive branch offices were up for grabs in West Virginia.
Attorney General: J.B. McCuskey has won the Republican nomination for Attorney General, according to a MetroNews call of the race.
With 21% of the vote in, McCuskey had 40,629 votes compared to the 25,535 votes for his closest competitor, Mike Stuart.
“I am just ecstatic to be able to continue to serve the people of West Virginia,” McCuskey said on MetroNews’ election night coverage.
This office has been held by Republican Patrick Morrisey for three terms, but he opted to run for governor this election cycle.
McCuskey is a two-term state auditor and former state delegate from Charleston. His father was a state Supreme Court justice in 1998.
Stuart, is a current state senator from Kanawha County, a former federal prosecutor in West Virginia’s southern district and a former state Republican Party chairman.
The most recent MetroNews West Virginia Poll showed a tight race but 27 percent of likely voters still undecided.
McCuskey, who was originally running for governor, has an advantage in fundraising dollars available for his campaign.
The most recent campaign finance reports filed with the secretary of state showed McCuskey way ahead of Stuart in fundraising and spending.
Stuart’s campaign raised $113,176 since the race started and spent $97,404, according to the finance reports.
McCuskey’s campaign raised $1,071,787 since the race started and spent $823,018, according to the finance reports.
Democratic candidates include Wheeling attorney Teresa Toriseva and former South Charleston Mayor Richie Robb.
Secretary of State: Kris Warner, the brother of two-term officeholder Mac Warner, has won the Republican nomination for this seat.
“I have built a name in West Virginia over the past 35 years,” Kris Warner said on MetroNews’ election night coverage. “We’re going to build on the foundation that Mac has built over the past seven years.”
Republican candidates included former Delegate Ken Reed of Hedgesville, former Delegate Doug Skaff of South Charleston, Putnam County Clerk Brian Wood of Winfield and Warner, a former Republican Party chairman.
Reed is a pharmacist. Skaff was leader of the Democratic caucus in the House of Delegates before switching parties. Wood has been the top elections officer in Putnam County for two decades.
The Democrat in the race is Thornton Cooper, who has run for several state offices over the years.
Auditor: Mark Hunt, a former Democrat who has served many years in the state Legislature, has won the Republican nomination for state auditor.
Republican candidates included former Delegate Caleb Hanna of Charleston, House Majority Leader Eric Householder of Martinsburg and former Jefferson County Commissioner Tricia Jackson.
Hanna had been one of the youngest members of the Legislature before resigning to focus on his run for auditor. Householder served as House Finance chairman for several years before transitioning to majority leader. Hunt had been a Democrat in the House of Delegates, left for a few years and then won a seat in the Senate as a Republican two years ago. Jackson was removed from office as a county commissioner after refusing to attend meetings for several months.
The Democrat in the race is Mary Ann Claytor, a St. Albans resident who has run for auditor twice before.
Treasurer: The only candidate is Republican Larry Pack.
Pack is a businessman and former delegate who has been serving as senior adviser and acting revenue secretary for Gov. Jim Justice.
No Democrat filed to run for treasurer.
Agriculture Commissioner: Incumbent Kent Leonhardt, a Republican, who was running again for the seat has won the Republican nomination again. Leonhardt has served the past two terms.
Former Delegate Joshua Higginbotham of Charleston is also running for the Republican nomination to the agriculture post. Roy Ramey of Lesage is another Republican in the race.
The Democratic candidate for Agriculture Secretary is Deborah Stiles of Parsons.