First-time candidate Anne Barth rode the backing of West Virginia's Democratic establishment to an easy victory in Tuesday's primary, and she is now poised to face four-term Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito in November.

By 9:51 p.m., The Associated Press declared Barth the winner of the Democratic primary. Capito ran unopposed in the GOP primary.

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Chris Dorst

Anne Barth, Democratic candidate for Congress, holds the arm of her father, Bill Street, as she celebrates her victory.

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As of 11:50 p.m., with 83 percent of the 2nd District's 598 precincts reporting, Barth had 63 percent of the vote (55,421 votes) to Robb's 28 percent (24,600 votes) and Cooper's 9 percent (7,688 votes).

But the victory party had tentatively begun hours before at Barth's downtown Charleston headquarters. Barth held TV press conferences backed by cheering, sign-waving supporters, while campaign volunteers kept track of key counties' returns on a chalkboard.

Unofficial returns at 11:50 p.m. showed Barth defeating Robb by the same 2-to-1 margin in Robb's territory, Kanawha County, where he spent 32 years as mayor of South Charleston.

Robb was a longtime Republican who switched to the Democratic Party in 2005, saying he was dissatisfied with the Bush administration.

"I wish her the best," Robb said when reached by telephone shortly after 10 p.m. "She's a nice person ... She had the money. She had the support. It's hard to beat that."

First-time candidate Anne Barth rode the backing of West Virginia's Democratic establishment to an easy victory in Tuesday's primary, and she is now poised to face four-term Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito in November.

By 9:51 p.m., The Associated Press declared Barth the winner of the Democratic primary. Capito ran unopposed in the GOP primary.

Barth, a longtime aide to Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., was defeating former South Charleston Mayor Richie Robb by a 2-to-1 margin, with South Charleston lawyer Thornton Cooper trailing.

As of 11:50 p.m., with 83 percent of the 2nd District's 598 precincts reporting, Barth had 63 percent of the vote (55,421 votes) to Robb's 28 percent (24,600 votes) and Cooper's 9 percent (7,688 votes).

But the victory party had tentatively begun hours before at Barth's downtown Charleston headquarters. Barth held TV press conferences backed by cheering, sign-waving supporters, while campaign volunteers kept track of key counties' returns on a chalkboard.

Unofficial returns at 11:50 p.m. showed Barth defeating Robb by the same 2-to-1 margin in Robb's territory, Kanawha County, where he spent 32 years as mayor of South Charleston.

Robb was a longtime Republican who switched to the Democratic Party in 2005, saying he was dissatisfied with the Bush administration.

"I wish her the best," Robb said when reached by telephone shortly after 10 p.m. "She's a nice person ... She had the money. She had the support. It's hard to beat that."

Barth's campaign raised - and spent - by far the most money of the three Democratic candidates.

As of Election Day, reports filed with the Federal Election Commission showed Robb had raised about $26,000 - about half of it his own loan - and spent $6,600. Cooper raised $14,480, including his own donation of $12,000, and spent about $9,800.

Meanwhile, Barth had raised nearly $380,000, including contributions from the committees of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Rep. Nick Rahall and Sen. Robert Byrd, both D-W.Va. As of April 23, Barth had spent nearly $53,000 of that, records show.

"I'm excited about the race ahead," Barth told the supporters and reporters who crowded her headquarters Tuesday evening. She said the United States needs a new direction for both the economy and Iraq.

"It's certainly time to change our strategy in Iraq and honor our troops by bringing them home," she said.

Barth grew up in parsonages around West Virginia, as the daughter of a United Methodist minister. She was a top aide for Sen. Robert Byrd for 21 years and once served as executive director of the state Democratic Party.

The 2nd District stretches across the middle of the state, from the Eastern Panhandle west to Mason County, on the Ohio River.

In the state's other two congressional districts, incumbent candidates ran unopposed in the primary. Democrat Rep. Alan Mollohan is also unopposed in the November election for his seat in the 1st District, in northern West Virginia. In Southern West Virginia, Democrat Rep. Nick Rahall will face Republican Marty Gearheart for his 3rd District seat.

To contact staff writer Tara Tuckwiller, use e-mail or call 348-5189.