Hiram Considers Adding Hat to Hypothetical '08 Ring

Republican Hiram Lewis told the Charleston Daily Mail that he's testing the waters for a 2008 run for attorney general.

Lewis is among 95 West Virginians who have filed (free and non-obligating) pre-candidacy papers for legislative, statewide or undeclared offices.

The official filing period runs Jan. 14-26, and several offices carry hefty filing fees. Filing for attorney general, for instance, is $950.

More than a third of these filers did not declare an office, including incumbent Attorney General Darrell McGraw. A Democrat, McGraw filed his pre-candidacy paperwork in April 2005.

More than half the pre-candidates are incumbent legislators. Another five lawmakers filed pre-candidacy papers for 2010 races.

The Daily Mail reports that Lewis is "getting ready to set up a Web site and start fishing for campaign money." I did find this web site for his law practice, though it may pre-date his unsuccessful 2006 bid for U.S. Senate.

Lewis lost in the GOP primary that year. The Daily Mail cites how he fell to McGraw in 2004 by about 5,000 votes.