West Virginia has its statewide primary election on Tuesday, May 8. Here are some election facts and a few key races, with the names of the Democratic candidates and links to their campaign websites.
West Virginia has a partially closed primary (if you’re registered with a party, you must vote for those candidates; if you’re unaffiliated with a party, you can choose which ballot you want). Check here for West Virginia’s Voter ID requirements.
The State At A Glance
– 1 Senator is up for re-election in 2018
– All 3 House Representatives are up for re-election
– West Virginia went +42 for Trump in 2016
– Partisan breakdown of the state legislature:
Governor (R) Gov. Jim Justice was elected as a Democrat. He switched parties in 2017.
State Senate 22 (R) – 12 (D) Half of these seats are up for re-election
State House 64 (R) – 36 (D) All of these seats are up for re-election
Key Races
U.S. SENATOR
The West Virginia Senate seat is crucial for the Democrats. Senator Manchin (D) is the incumbent and has managed to get re-elected several times in a very red state. However, the strong showing of Trump in 2016 in the state is one factor that makes this race less than a sure win.
Joe Manchin III – campaign website
Paula Jean Swearengin – campaign website
STATE LEGISLATURE
Although West Virginia is reddening, they still have more Democrats registered than Republicans. There has also been an uptick in voters registering as Independents. One potential factor that could affect the 2018 primary is the recent controversy in WV regarding the public school teachers’ strike. Read Will WV Teachers “Remember in November” for a discussion of the school issue and a lot of really terrific information about opportunities in the state legislature.
State Senate
A list of the districts with re-elections and the candidates running for those seats can be found here.
State House of Delegates
The full list of candidates running for each of these districts can be found here.
NOTE: If you’re unsure what state district number you’re in, type in your address at Open States to get that info.
For a more complete list of state races in the primary, visit Ballotpedia: West Virginia Elections 2018
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