1992 West Virginia Attorney General election
November 3, 1992
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County results McGraw: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Gould: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in West Virginia |
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An election was held on November 3, 1992, to elect the Attorney General of West Virginia. Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Mario Palumbo chose not to seek re-election to a full term, instead choosing to run for governor.
Democratic nominee Darrell McGraw beat Republican nominee and lawyer Robert Gould.
Democratic primary
Four days before the Democratic primary on May 12, two women, whose faces and voices were electronically altered, appeared on WCHS-TV accusing Ed ReBrook of sexual misconduct. The station subsequently aired similar charges by four other women whose identities were made public. One of the accusers claimed that ReBrook asked for oral sex in return for legal work. Later it was discovered that Mary Healey, a person who once shared an office space with ReBrook, admitted she was one of the two original women who anonymously accused him on WCHS-TV, saying that he had made sexual advances towards her. ReBrook denied the allegations and sued WCHS-TV for $20 million dollars.
Candidates
Nominee
- Darrell McGraw, former justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.[1]
Eliminated in primary
- Ed ReBrook, Charleston lawyer.
Declined
Mario Palumbo, incumbent Attorney General. (ran for governor)
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Darrell McGraw |
Ed ReBrook |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia Poll[2] | April 27 - 30, 1992 | 318 (V) | ± 5.5% | 31% | 13% | 56% |
| West Virginia Poll[3] | February, 1992 | 325 (RV) | ± 5.4% | 35% | 15% | 50% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Darrell McGraw | 156,409 | 55.76% | |
| Democratic | Ed ReBrook | 124,091 | 44.24% | |
| Total votes | 280,500 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Robert James Gould, lawyer.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert J. Gould | 88,576 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 88,576 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Heading in to the general election, there were questions about whether Gould met the qualifications for the five-year requirement to live in West Virginia to run for public office.[6][7]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Darrell McGraw | 307,600 | 51.57% | |
| Republican | Robert J. Gould | 288,865 | 48.43% | |
| Total votes | 596,465 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
- ^ Martha Bryson Hodel (May 13, 1992). "McGraw wins Democratic bid for attorney general". Point Pleasant Register.
- ^ Peter Mattiace (May 8, 1992). "McGraw, Hechler, Gainer lead in poll". Point Pleasant Register.
- ^ "Poll shows Caperton; Clinton lead". Williamson Daily News. February 24, 1992.
- ^ "West Virginia Blue Book - 1992 - Page 502" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.
- ^ "West Virginia Blue Book - 1992 - Page 528" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.
- ^ Aviva L. Brandt (November 4, 1992). "McGraw wins attorney general's race". Point Pleasant Register.
- ^ "Grand jury looking into Gould's residency". Williamson Daily News. October 10, 1992.
- ^ "West Virginia Blue Book - 1993 - Page 696" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.