Races To Watch In 2018

The 2018 West Virginia Senate race will feature another incumbent Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), running for re-election in a state President Donald Trump won handily during the 2016 presidential election.

Who, What, Where, When: Manchin was first elected to the Senate in 2010 after winning a special election to replace former Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-WV).

Before serving in the Senate, Manchin was governor of West Virginia for five years and served as the chair of the National Governors Association.

Manchin won re-election in 2012 by almost 24 points over Republican John Raese. Raese, a deeply flawed candidate, made repeated controversial statements throughout the campaign.

The Republican field is crowded, featuring a half dozen candidates, including Rep. Evan Jenkins and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.

Why It Matters: Despite the fact that Manchin remains popular in the Mountain State, Republicans believe that they can flip the seat given Manchin’s support for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Read more at NTK