Sam Brown Petsonk
Political party: Democrat
Age: 36
Residence: Fayette County
Family: I live with my wife, Stephanie Tyree, and our sons, Teddy and Levi.
Education: Law degree from Washington & Lee University, and undergraduate degree, Brandeis University.
Professional experience: Served as a legislative assistant for Sen. Robert C. Byrd on labor and energy issues. As a lawyer in West Virginia, delivered millions in wages, health care and black lung benefits for hundreds of coal miners statewide. Fought for retirees’ health care. Promoted workforce development and broadband access. Served as president of West Virginia Employment Lawyers Association. Held legal fellowships for consumer protection and workers’ rights.
Political and civic experience: Advisory board member, West Virginia Center for Budget and Policy; and the Natural Capital Investment Fund. Served as AmeriCorps* VISTA worker in Wyoming County.
Why did you decide to seek office?
One in 10 West Virginians will lose our health care if my opponent, Patrick Morrisey, wins his current lawsuit to repeal our health care laws. Health care workers asked me to run and to stop Morrisey from taking away health care for hundreds of thousands of West Virginians, killing thousands of high-quality health care jobs and removing a billion dollars of annual revenue from our state. I am seeking this office because we cannot afford for Morrisey to win.
What is the most important issue you believe your office will face in the next year, and how will you address it?
I’ll remove West Virginia from Morrisey’s lawsuit challenging our federal health care laws. If he wins, 179,000 hard-working residents will lose their state medical card. Tens of thousands with private individual health care will lose our tax credits and subsidies, and so probably lose our insurance. More could lose because they have pre-existing conditions like hypertension, diabetes or pregnancy.
Patrick Morrisey
Political party: Republican
Age: 52
Residence: Harpers Ferry
Family: Wife, Denise, step daughter, Julia.
Education: Rutgers College, B.A., with honors, 1989; Rutgers Law School-Newark, 1992.
Professional experience: West Virginia Attorney General, 2013-present; partner, co-chair, of Health Care Practice Large National Law firm, 2004-2012. 1999-2004 Deputy Staff Director; Chief Health Counsel House Energy and Commerce Committee; attorney at waw 1992-1999.
Political and civic experience: West Virginia Attorney General, 2013-present; Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, 2018; member of U.S. Electoral College. supporting Donald Trump, 2016.
Why did you decide to seek office?
West Virginia needs a strong and experienced person in the attorney general’s office with expertise protecting state jobs, successfully fighting the opioid epidemic and enforcing our state laws evenly. I am running for re-election as attorney general so that we can protect our state’s energy jobs, continue to target the root causes of the opioid epidemic and position the state to succeed in the post-COVID-19 economy.
What is the most important issue you believe your office will face in the next year, and how will you address it?
We must take every step to get the West Virginia economy moving again, expand broadband infrastructure and push back against the opioid epidemic. We are going to continue to work with President Trump to identify opportunities to remove regulatory burdens and create funding opportunities for new technology in the post COVID-19 world. We will also be doubling down on our efforts to reduce fraud in our state. Since taking over in 2013, we have realized over $410 million in savings and settlement value for the citizens of our state.
