Published: January 25, 2008 08:20 pm      

Longtimers, newcomers file for House races, other state contests

CHARLESTON — Tom Louisos hopes he has forged at least five new friendships in the last two years.

Do the math.

He lost in a recount in 2006 to John Pino by a scant four votes in a see-saw race for the House of Delegates in the 29th District.

“With my luck,” Louisos quip-ped Friday while filing papers to regain his old seat in the 29th, “I’ve made 10 more people mad.”

In other filings, Hiram Lewis IV is making his second stab at the attorney general’s office, running as a Republican in a bid to dislodge Democratic incumbent Darrell McGraw, while two other GOP hopefuls — ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Jerry Curry of Haymarket, Va. — filed as presidential candidates.

Louisos had a penchant for annoying some people in his 10-term run in the House, especially the leadership, by bucking the powers and taking stands that often put him in the role of a maverick.

“I did what I think the people sent me to do,” the owner of a fast-food eatery in Oak Hill said. “I was sent here to do a certain thing, vote a certain way, and try to get certain issues passed.”

Twice, he tried to discharge committees in the House to remove controversial bills for a floor vote, including one that would make the Public Service Commission offices elective.

“I’m not a politician,” he said. “I hope to be able to serve again and make a difference.”

The 29th race is getting more crowded. Besides Louisos, the candidates include a newcomer, William Sulesky of Scarbro, and two Republicans, Marshall Clay of Fayetteville and Daniel Wright of Pax, along with the three Democratic incumbents — John Pino, Dave Perry and Margaret Staggers.

Former Delegate Sally Susman filed in the 27th, as did fellow Democrats Andrew Moscarito of Beckley and Al Martine of Daniels.

Filing earlier were incumbents Louis Gall, Virginia Mahan, and Rick Moye, newcomers Mick Bates and Kelly Sponaugle of Shady Spring, and a former senator, Bill Wooton of Beckley, all Democrats, and Republican incumbent Linda Sumner.

Sumner now has some fellow Republicans in the race, Kevin Honaker of Glen Daniel, Jeffrey Pack of Beckley, and Dereck Severt of Daniels.

In the 22nd District are three newcomers, Morgan Davis of Mullens, Daniel Hall of Oceana, and Linda Phillips of Pineville.

One incumbent, Mike Browning, is running for the Senate in the 9th District, and the other one, Mike Burdiss, also a Democrat, hadn’t filed as of Friday.

In congressional contests, Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., filed for re-election in the 3rd, and former South Charleston Mayor Ritchie Robb filed as a Democrat in the 2nd. So far, incumbent Republican Shelley Moore Capito filed for re-election, and another Democrat filed, Thornton Cooper of South Charleston, but Sen. John Unger, D-Berkeley, hasn’t done so.

For the second time in four years, Lewis is challenging McGraw, who held the office in 2004 by 5,946 votes.

Lewis said the incumbent hasn’t maintained the office with the proper level of integrity and that he would help law enforcement agencies deal with sex offenders and drug traffickers.

A large focus would be put on helping, rather than hindering, businesses in the state, he said.

“We need someone to replace Darrell McGraw so we can turn this state around economically, someone who understands businesses a little better, someone who helps pursue a better legal climate and not just file lawsuits and put businesses out of work,” Lewis said.

Lewis says the attorney general’s contest “should be the pivotal race of the season.”

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com