The mountain state’s Senate race is becoming increasingly clear.
West Virginia’s May 12 primary results show attorney Rachel Anderson will be the Democratic nominee against incumbent Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito. The race comes as Republicans battle for narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress on Capitol Hill. Other races for the state Legislature, state Supreme Court and other local offices are also on the ballot in West Virginia.
Here are Tuesday’s election results and what they mean for the state and nation, according to The Associated Press and CNN.
West Virginia Senate primary results
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republican: Shelley Moore Capito won with 66.5% of the vote, with an estimated 99% of the vote counted. Tom Willis came in second with 18.9% of the vote.
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Democrats: Rachel Anderson won with 33.1% of the vote, with an estimated 99% of the vote counted. Jeffrey Kessler (27%) and Zachary Shrewsbury (16.1%) finished second and third, respectively.
Who won the West Virginia House primary?
While the Senate race is Capito versus Anderson, the state also votes on nominees for both of its congressional districts. Incumbent Reps. Carol Miller of the 1st District and Riley Moore of the 2nd District will seek to defend their seats.
According to the Associated Press and CNN, here are the people who won the House of Representatives elections:
Zone 1
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Republicans: Incumbent Rep. Carol Miller won with 72 percent of the vote, and 99 percent of the votes had been counted.
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Democrats: Vince George won with 53% of the vote, and 99% of the votes were counted.
Zone 2
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Republicans: Incumbent Rep. Riley Moore won the race uncontested.
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Democrats: With 99% of the votes counted, Ace Parsi leads with 39.7%. Stephanie Tomana (37.9%) and Steven Wendelin (22.4%) are close contenders.
Why this primary stands out
Tuesday’s West Virginia primary is significant because of administrative changes. This is the first statewide race held under two new election rules. The first is a stricter version of the voter ID law that would require voters to show a photo ID when voting, which takes effect during the 2025 legislative session. The second change is that the Republican primary is closed for the first time, a change that means only registered Republican voters can vote in the party’s primary.
Enrijeta Shino, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama, said those two changes are noteworthy. They will present new insights into how these changes affect voter and candidate performance, as well as electoral processes.
“Both transformations occur in the same cycle,” Shino said. “[The changes provide] This is a useful test of how visitation and turnout respond when eligibility and identity rules change simultaneously. “
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: U.S. House, Senate West Virginia primary results
