Most of the political attention in West Virginia lately has been about two races—Governor and U.S. Senate.
The open seat for Governor has attracted a field of Republican candidates jockeying for money and position. Huntington Mayor Steve Williams is preparing to seek the Democratic nomination. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin is up for re-election in 2024, but he has not decided yet whether to run again. On the Republican side, Governor Jim Justice and 2nd District Representative Alex Mooney are already sparring.
However, the race for the Republican nomination for what will be the open Attorney General’s seat is fast becoming heated, and has clearly been the most interesting race this week.
It was already set up to be a close race between two current Republican State Senators—Mike Stuart from Kanawha County and Ryan Weld of Brooke County. But then Auditor J.B. McCuskey dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination for Governor and joined the AG field.
McCuskey really wanted to be Governor, but early polls showed him way back in the pack. He has run successfully statewide twice so that name recognition gives him an early advantage in a race with Stuart and Weld.
McCuskey and Weld are—or rather were—good friends. Weld says McCuskey told him on multiple occasions that he would not run for AG, that he was committed to the Governor’s race. McCuskey told me he doesn’t recall making that specific promise.
Stuart was listening and was annoyed over all the hurt feelings talk. “These guys can talk about how they feel. I’ll talk about what I’m going to do,” Stuart said in text to me. In fairness, McCuskey and Weld do talk about their plans for the office and I was the one prodding each on the friendship split.
Stuart also says McCuskey and Weld are “moderates.” I will leave it to McCuskey and Weld to define themselves in the race, but Stuart’s use of the term “moderate” in a pejorative way shows how far to the right the Republican Party is leaning in West Virginia.
This AG race is going to be one to watch.
On another subject, the Higher Education Policy Commission will hold an emergency meeting Friday Morning to discuss the future of the financially troubled Alderson Broaddus University. Earlier this month, the HEPC gave the private college in Philippi provisional authorization to operate this coming academic year, but more problems for AB have come to light since then.
The most significant revelation was a termination notice from the City of Philippi for AB’s water, sewer, garbage and electric service effective Monday morning. The town took the action because Alderson Broaddus has an outstanding balance of $775,598.70.
Fall semester classes are scheduled to begin in three weeks and the financial headwinds are increasing. The HEPC is committed to avoiding another disaster like Ohio Valley University. The private Christian college in Wood County went bankrupt and closed in December 2021, leaving students in a lurch as they tried to obtain their records and transfer to another school.
The Alderson Broaddus story is continuing to unfold rapidly.