When PETER MARKHAM agreed to serve as general counsel for Governor Earl Ray Tomblin of West Virginia, he understood that the position entailed a certain level of risk. After all, this is an election year, and if the Democratic incumbent is not reelected in November, Markham could be out of a job.
But that wasn’t going to stop him from taking the post. As Markham puts it, “I saw this as a risk worth taking.” For starters, he feels good about Tomblin’s chances of reelection, given the governor’s track record since taking Joe Manchin’s old position following a special election in October 2011. (Manchin moved to the U.S. Senate when he won a special election in November 2010, replacing the late Robert Byrd; he is also up for reelection in November.) “The governor’s pushed for tougher mine safety legislation and more natural gas exploration, and also for legislation to ban texting while driving,” says Markham.
