Gov. Joe Manchin coasted past his foe, and Natalie Tennant snagged the Democratic nod for secretary of state in Tuesday's primary election.
Republican Dan Greear won a chance to challenge Democrat Attorney General Darrell McGraw, while several incumbent legislators fell short.
Tennant made good on her second attempt at her party's nod for secretary of state. The former West Virginia University Mountaineer mascot, broadcaster and 2004 candidate won with 52 percent. House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, D-Hancock, had 36 percent and Senate Majority Whip Billy Wayne Bailey, D-Wyoming, had 13 percent.
Secretary of state candidate Natalie Tennant looks over early returns with her husband, Sen. Erik Wells, D-Kanawha, and daughter, Delaney, 6. Tennant won a majority of votes in a three-way race for the Democratic nomination.
The GOP primary had only two contested statewide races: attorney general and agriculture commissioner.
Morgantown lawyer Hiram Lewis was hoping for a rematch against McGraw. But Lewis, who narrowly lost to McGraw in 2004, lost with 45 percent of the vote to Greear's 54 percent.
In the Republican race for agriculture commissioner, J. Michael Teets won the party's nomination with 66 percent of the vote compared to Lawrence Beckerle's 34 percent. Teets will face incumbent Gus Douglass, who won his Democratic primary race.
The 81-year-old Douglass was elected agriculture commissioner six times from 1964 through 1984 and four more terms since 1992. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1988. He had 62 percent and Wayne Casto had 38 percent.
All 100 House of Delegates seats are up this year, as are 17 seats in the 34-member Senate. But only about half the Senate races featured contested primaries, along with 37 of the House's 58 delegate districts.
Gov. Joe Manchin coasted past his foe, and Natalie Tennant snagged the Democratic nod for secretary of state in Tuesday's primary election.
Republican Dan Greear won a chance to challenge Democrat Attorney General Darrell McGraw, while several incumbent legislators fell short.
Tennant made good on her second attempt at her party's nod for secretary of state. The former West Virginia University Mountaineer mascot, broadcaster and 2004 candidate won with 52 percent. House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, D-Hancock, had 36 percent and Senate Majority Whip Billy Wayne Bailey, D-Wyoming, had 13 percent.
The GOP primary had only two contested statewide races: attorney general and agriculture commissioner.
Morgantown lawyer Hiram Lewis was hoping for a rematch against McGraw. But Lewis, who narrowly lost to McGraw in 2004, lost with 45 percent of the vote to Greear's 54 percent.
In the Republican race for agriculture commissioner, J. Michael Teets won the party's nomination with 66 percent of the vote compared to Lawrence Beckerle's 34 percent. Teets will face incumbent Gus Douglass, who won his Democratic primary race.
The 81-year-old Douglass was elected agriculture commissioner six times from 1964 through 1984 and four more terms since 1992. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1988. He had 62 percent and Wayne Casto had 38 percent.
All 100 House of Delegates seats are up this year, as are 17 seats in the 34-member Senate. But only about half the Senate races featured contested primaries, along with 37 of the House's 58 delegate districts.
Delegate Dave Higgins, D-Kanawha, lost his campaign to keep an appointed seat in the 30th House District. Other incumbent lawmakers behind included Delegates Ken Tucker, D-Marshall; Lidella Hrutkay, D-Logan; Jeff Eldridge, D-Lincoln; and Mike Burdiss, D-Wyoming.
More than 76,510 West Virginians had cast early or absentee ballots, a record for a primary. The turnout was likely spurred by the Clinton-Obama race for president as well as state-level contests on the Democratic ballot.
Manchin easily fended off freshman Delegate Mel Kessler, D-Raleigh, with 75 percent of the vote. Running on a record of tax cuts, insurance relief and privatized workers' compensation, the Marion County Democrat also amassed more than $2.4 million in contributions. Kessler had spent less than $12,000 as of late April.
"I think they've looked at the last four years and our pledge to take on all the hard challenges," Manchin said Tuesday night. "I think the people have a comfort level, knowing that we're going to work very hard for them."
Former state Sen. Russ Weeks, R-Raleigh, was the sole gubernatorial candidate from his party.
The Democrats' nominee for secretary of state will go up against Republican Charles Minimah, a Charleston businessman who ran unopposed. Minimah hopes to keep the office in the GOP column by succeeding incumbent Betty Ireland.
State Auditor Glen Gainer and Treasurer John Perdue, both Democrats, have no primary or November opponents.
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