CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — One of the most competitive political races in 2024 is for Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney, as it pits two people who have worked as assistant prosecutors.

Assistant Prosecutor Debra Rusnak has spent eight years in the Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. She is a graduate of West Virginia University Law School and is a wife and parent of two. Rusnak has worked many high-profile cases and says she is tough on crime.

“I have one of the longest convictions in the state of West Virginia against a child-sex offender. He was sentenced to 775 years. And I have secured a 665-year sentence,” said Debra Rusnak, (R) Candidate for Kanawha County Prosecutor.

Her opponent is Morgan Switzer who worked as an assistant prosecutor for three years before going to work for Republican Gov. Justice. Switzer is also a WVU Law School graduate and a parent. She also claims a record of being tough on crime.

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Breaking News

“I tried the case of the State vs. Gerard Maxwell and that was the last case I tried before I left the office, and it was a first-degree murder case, in front of Judge Ballard. And that was a case, that sat for years, and I took that and ran down every witness and ran down every fact,” said Morgan Switzer, (R) Candidate for Kanawa County Prosecutor.

The job is open because current Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Miller is retiring after two terms. The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat John Mitchell in November.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOWK 13 News.