 In 1983, Ashcroft wrote the leading "amicus curiae" brief in the U.S. Supreme Court Case "Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.", supporting the use of video cassette recorders for time shifting of television programs.Ashcroft was elected governor in 1984 and re-elected in 1988, becoming the first (and, to date, the only) Republican in Missouri history elected to two consecutive terms.In 1984, his opponent was the Democratic Lt.