{"id":2242274,"date":"2024-05-11T07:10:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-11T11:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/west-virginia-primary-election-sets-stage-for-post-manchin-future\/"},"modified":"2024-05-11T07:13:48","modified_gmt":"2024-05-11T11:13:48","slug":"west-virginia-primary-election-sets-stage-for-post-manchin-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/west-virginia-primary-election-sets-stage-for-post-manchin-future\/","title":{"rendered":"West Virginia primary election paves the way for the post-Manchin era"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwest-virginia-primary-election-sets-stage-for-post-manchin-future%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2242274&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-battle-for-control-of-missouris-redistricting-map\/\" title=\"Republicans Battle for Control of Missouri\u2019s Redistricting Map\">upcoming primary election<\/a> in deeply conservative West Virginia is pivotal,\u200b with crucial races unfolding for governor and Congress. A shift\u200c in leadership is\u2062 anticipated, as familiar faces in state \u200cpolitics vie\u200c for key positions. Outside spending \u2064has escalated in the state, making \u200dthis election season consequential. \u200cExpect significant developments in \u200cthe gubernatorial, Senate, and House races. The imminent primary election in conservative West Virginia is crucial, with pivotal governor and Congress races in play. Anticipate\u200b a leadership \u2064transition as seasoned\u2063 state figures compete for significant\u2063 roles. \u200cIncreased outside spending adds weight \u2063to this consequential election period. Stay tuned for noteworthy updates in\u2062 the\u2063 gubernatorial, Senate, \u2062and House contests.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>In ruby-red <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/west-virginia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"West Virginia\">West Virginia<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2024-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"West Virginia\">primary election<\/a> on Tuesday is expected to be where most of the action will take place this cycle, with critical races for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/governor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"governor\">governor<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Congress\">Congress<\/a> hanging in the balance. <\/p>\n<p>A new wave of leadership is expected in the Mountain State, with open races for governor, Senate, and House set to generate a revolving door of familiar faces in West Virginia politics. Former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Donald Trump\">Donald Trump<\/a> carried the state with nearly 69% of the vote in 2020, and after this election cycle, it\u2019s likely West Virginia will be left with no Democrats in either chamber of Congress for the first time since 1921.  <\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) asks a question during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to examine the president\u2019s proposed 2025 Department of the Interior budget on Capitol Hill on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Mariam Zuhaib)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThe thing about West Virginia is our primary election on Tuesday is effectively the election,\u201d Sam Workman, the director of the West Virginia University Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs, said.<\/p>\n<p>Even after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2455649\/manchin-wont-seek-senate-reelection-as-he-promises-to-fight-to-unite-the-middle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>decided not to run for reelection<\/a> in November, outside spending continued to grow in West Virginia. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/outside-spending\/by_race\/2024?disp=R&#038;pty=A&#038;type=P\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Open Secrets<\/a>, the West Virginia Senate race is the fourth most expensive this primary season.<\/p>\n<p>The least competitive race is the one on top of the ticket, in which President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are expected to win easily on Tuesday. Both have already sealed enough delegates for the Democratic and Republican Party nominations.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Race for new West Virginia governor <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Six Republicans are facing off to be the Republican nominee for governor, as Gov.\u00a0Jim Justice (R-WV) is term-limited and is pursuing a run for Senate. <\/p>\n<p>The field includes state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, former state Rep. Moore Capito, businessman Chris Miller, State Secretary of State Mac Warner, and two lesser-known candidates, Kevin Christian and Mitch Roberts. <\/p>\n<p>Many of the candidates running have previous ties to West Virginia politics. Morrisey ran against Manchin in 2018, former state Rep. Moore Capito\u2019s mother is Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Chris Miller\u2019s mother is current Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV). <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a small state \u2014 I get reporters all the time that complain about how interconnected all of our politicians are and how connected they are to coal,\u201d Workman explained.<\/p>\n<p>An <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/4647227-west-virginia-gop-governors-primary-tightens-poll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Emerson College Polling-<em>Hill<\/em> survey <\/a>found Morrisey is leading with 28%, with Shelley Moore Capito following close behind with 25%. Miller was in third place with 19%, and Warner came in fourth with 12% in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/research-shows-alarming-numbers-of-americans-are-lonely\/\" title=\"Research Shows \u2018Alarming Numbers Of Americans Are Lonely\u2019\">survey released<\/a> in May.<\/p>\n<p>Moore Capito jumped 11 points, from 14% in March to 25% in the most recent polls, putting him in close proximity to Morrisey\u2019s lead when considering the poll\u2019s 4.1% margin of error.<\/p>\n<p>On the Democratic side, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams is running unopposed.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Open Senate Seat <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Over a year ago, Justice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1186978\/jim-justice-announces-run-for-joe-manchins-senate-seat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>announced <\/a>his intention to run for Senate, a move designed to pressure Manchin to step aside, which has now all but ensured the seat is safely in Republican hands. His entrance into the race was a major win for establishment Republicans after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) spent months recruiting the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-new-republican-ad-hits-democrats-for-surging-crime\/\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE: New Republican Ad Hits Democrats For Surging Crime\">term-limited governor<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Justice\u2019s top competitor is Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV), who has the endorsement and financial firepower of the conservative <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clubforgrowth.org\/candidates\/alex-mooney\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Club for Growth<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/United_States_Senate_election_in_West_Virginia,_2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Five <\/a>other lesser-known Republican candidates are running and will appear on the ballot.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>FILE \u2013 Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) pets his dog Babydog during an announcement for his U.S. Senate campaign, April 27, 2023, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. (AP Photo\/Chris Jackson, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The five-term congressman is facing an uphill battle against the state\u2019s popular two-term governor, who was recruited and endorsed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Trump also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2573438\/trump-endorses-manchin-foe-jim-justice-in-vital-senate-race\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>endorsed <\/a>Justice. <\/p>\n<p>The move has heightened tensions with the right flank of the party, who have not been shy about backing their own picks. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) have endorsed Mooney, and many have campaigned with him in West Virginia. <\/p>\n<p>Mooney continues to bring up Justice\u2019s past as a former Democrat who switched to the Republican Party in 2017 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1153538\/business-and-financial-questions-loom-over-jim-justices-west-virginia-senate-bid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>scrutiny<\/a> over a string of legal challenges against his family\u2019s coal empire. However, experts aren\u2019t sure those lines of attack will resonate with voters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe reality is that this was always going to be the current governor\u2019s race. He has a commanding lead and despite problems with his finances and business dealings, despite Rep. Mooney\u2019s best efforts to sort of attack him from the right \u2014 [Justice] is going to be victorious on Tuesday,\u201d Workman said.<\/p>\n<p>The winner will go on to face the Democratic candidate who wins the primary. Manchin recently endorsed Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott, who was an aide to Democratic Sen. Robert C. Byrd and is pro-union. Elliott is facing former coal company CEO Don Blankenship, who unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination for the seat in 2018, and Marine veteran Zach Shrewsbury for the Democratic nomination.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>West Virginia\u2019s 1st District: Incumbent faces Jan. 6 rioter<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In West Virginia\u2019s 1st Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) is facing a primary challenge from Derrick Evans, a former West Virginia lawmaker who served time after livestreaming himself on Jan. 6, 2021, storming the U.S. Capitol.  <\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>FILE \u2013 Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) is shown Feb. 5, 2020, during a subcommittee meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Evans was <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.dcd.230740\/gov.uscourts.dcd.230740.14.0_2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>charged<\/a> with five criminal counts, including obstructing an official proceeding. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to one felony count of civil disorder. <\/p>\n<p>Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), the House Freedom Caucus chairman, was the only member of Congress to endorse Evans in addition to former national security adviser Michael Flynn and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. <\/p>\n<p>The Republican Jewish Coalition recently endorsed Miller, calling her \u201ca strong ally to the Jewish community.\u201d Miller currently has a cash advantage in the race, and Evans is viewed as a long shot to unseat an established incumbent.  <\/p>\n<p>The winner of the primary will face either Chris Reed or Jim Umberger in November, who are running in the Democratic primary for the district.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>West Virginia\u2019s 2nd District: Who will replace Mooney?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Mooney\u2019s Senate run leaves his Republican-leaning district wide open, causing a competitive five-way primary. The field includes State Treasurer Riley Moore, retired Brig. Gen. Chris Walker, Nate Cain Joe Early, and Alexander Gaaserud.<\/p>\n<p>Mooney and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) have endorsed Moore. In 2020, Moore beat six-term incumbent John Perdue to become <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nc-dem-senate-challenger-votes-against-bipartisan-school-reopening-bill\/\" title=\"NC Dem Senate Challenger Votes Against Bipartisan School Reopening Bill\">state treasurer<\/a>. In his current role, he\u2019s fought against environmental, social, and corporate governance investing, known as ESG. He also challenged financial institutions on divesting from fossil fuels.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In predominantly conservative West Virginia, the upcoming primary election on Tuesday is poised to be the focal point of this political cycle. Crucial contests for governor and Congress will determine the state&#8217;s future trajectory. Anticipate a shift in leadership as open races for governor, Senate, and House unfold in the Mountain State<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2242275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24123588698804.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2242274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24123588698804.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2242274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2242274"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2242274\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2242275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2242274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2242274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2242274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}