1984 West Virginia Attorney General election

1984 West Virginia Attorney General election

← 1980 November 6, 1984 1988  →

Nominee Charlie Brown John F. McCuskey Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 386,442 309,763 Percentage 55.51% 44.49%

County results Brown:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% McCuskey:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Attorney General before election Chauncey Browning Democratic Elected Attorney General Charlie Brown Democratic

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 McCuskey was elected Attorney General, and Charlie Brown's brother Sherrod Brown lost re-election to 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, and brother of Harley O. Staggers Jr. ^[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

June 5, 1984 Democratic primary ^[6]

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

June 5, 1984 Republican primary ^[7]

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

1984 West Virginia Attorney General election ^[8]

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

1. "Democrats sweep into state offices; Brown's race close". Williamson Daily News . November 7, 1984.
2. Martha Bryson Hodel (May 30, 1984). "Attorney general's race full of old-fashioned mud-slinging". Williamson Daily News .
3. Brian Farkas (August 30, 1989). "Boettner resigns after pleading to federal tax charge". United Press International .
4. "Hechler is far ahead, poll claims". Williamson Daily News . April 17, 1984.
5. "Leaders: Manchin, Hechler, Staggers, court incumbents". Williamson Daily News . May 19, 1984.
6. "West Virginia Blue Book - 1984 - Page 623" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.
7. "West Virginia Blue Book - 1984 - Page 659" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.
8. "West Virginia Blue Book - 1985 - Page 670" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.
9. "West Virginia Blue Book - 1985 - Page 670" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.