Paid for by Lewis For Attorney General
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Hiram Lewis taking on Attorney General McGraw again?
Mannix Porterfield
The Register-Herald Reporter
When he steps into the political ring, Hiram Lewis isn’t shy about taking on the heavyweights.
In his first match, the Morgantown attorney came within an eyelash of dislodging Democratic Attorney
General Darrell McGraw.
But he ran into some stiff opposition in 2004 in a preliminary bout, losing in the Republican primary to
John Raese. Had he won, Lewis would have faced Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va.
Now, he’s digging out his gloves for a possible rematch next year with McGraw, comparing himself to
Hollywood’s most famous fictional pugilist, Rocky Balboa.
“Rocky lost his first match, but won the second,” he said in an interview last week. “Sometimes you just
have to get in the ring and fight.”
Lewis says he hasn’t made up his mind about stepping through the ropes for a second time.
“As you know, we are exploring the possibility of running,” says Lewis, an Army captain who served in
the Iraq war. “We have certain milestones and projections that we want to attain by the filing deadline in
January. We are confident that our goals will be reached and we will find the support necessary to
advance my name as a serious contender by January’s filing deadline.”
Lewis pointed out he was outfunded 12-1 the first time he faced McGraw in “the closest attorney
general race in the state’s history.”
“I have learned how to raise money to get my message out,” he said. “I have over 30,000 contributors
over the last few years, and I am confident that they will continue to support our vision of change for the
state of West Virginia.”
Lewis says his top goal if a campaign develops and he succeeds is to put an end to lawsuit abuse.
“We need to change our state’s consistent ranking as the worst legal environment for business and
families,” he said. “We need an attorney general focused on serving the people of West Virginia and
changing this state for the better.”
A change in the legal climate would position West Virginia to attract jobs and spur economic growth,
“and the best way to do that is to remove the current attorney general from office,” he said.
If he decides to run, Lewis said he isn’t sure if former West Virginia University quarterback Major Harris
will rejoin him as a top aide.
Lewis suggested he isn’t daunted by the incumbent he would face if the race eventually comes down to
McGraw and him.
“When I go to the courtroom, I always remind myself not to worry about the conditions of the field and
just play ball,” he added.
— E-mail:
mannix@register-herald.com
Mannix Porterfield
The Register-Herald Reporter
When he steps into the political ring, Hiram Lewis isn’t shy about taking on the heavyweights.
In his first match, the Morgantown attorney came within an eyelash of dislodging Democratic Attorney
General Darrell McGraw.
But he ran into some stiff opposition in 2004 in a preliminary bout, losing in the Republican primary to
John Raese. Had he won, Lewis would have faced Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va.
Now, he’s digging out his gloves for a possible rematch next year with McGraw, comparing himself to
Hollywood’s most famous fictional pugilist, Rocky Balboa.
“Rocky lost his first match, but won the second,” he said in an interview last week. “Sometimes you just
have to get in the ring and fight.”
Lewis says he hasn’t made up his mind about stepping through the ropes for a second time.
“As you know, we are exploring the possibility of running,” says Lewis, an Army captain who served in
the Iraq war. “We have certain milestones and projections that we want to attain by the filing deadline in
January. We are confident that our goals will be reached and we will find the support necessary to
advance my name as a serious contender by January’s filing deadline.”
Lewis pointed out he was outfunded 12-1 the first time he faced McGraw in “the closest attorney
general race in the state’s history.”
“I have learned how to raise money to get my message out,” he said. “I have over 30,000 contributors
over the last few years, and I am confident that they will continue to support our vision of change for the
state of West Virginia.”
Lewis says his top goal if a campaign develops and he succeeds is to put an end to lawsuit abuse.
“We need to change our state’s consistent ranking as the worst legal environment for business and
families,” he said. “We need an attorney general focused on serving the people of West Virginia and
changing this state for the better.”
A change in the legal climate would position West Virginia to attract jobs and spur economic growth,
“and the best way to do that is to remove the current attorney general from office,” he said.
If he decides to run, Lewis said he isn’t sure if former West Virginia University quarterback Major Harris
will rejoin him as a top aide.
Lewis suggested he isn’t daunted by the incumbent he would face if the race eventually comes down to
McGraw and him.
“When I go to the courtroom, I always remind myself not to worry about the conditions of the field and
just play ball,” he added.
— E-mail:
mannix@register-herald.com
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