CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Kendra Fershee, a West Virginia University law professor, will win the Democratic nomination for the 1st Congressional District over businessman Ralph Baxter and lawyer Tom Payne, MetroNews is projecting.
Fershee will take on incumbent Congressman David McKinley in the fall, according to the projection.
With 346 of 583 precincts reporting, Fershee had 55 percent of the vote to Baxter’s 33 percent and Payne’s 13 percent.
In the 2nd Congressional District, Democrats Talley Sargent, who served as the state director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, and Aaron Scheinberg, an Army veteran and former nonprofit director, were competing to take on incumbent Republican Congressman Alex Mooney.
With 236 of 551 precincts reporting, Sargent had 60 percent of the vote to Scheinberg’s 40 percent.
A competitive race developed during the course of the election for the seat representing the 3rd Congressional District, as the seat was vacated by incumbent Congressman Evan Jenkins, who was running for U.S. Senate.
Republicans in the race include Delegate Carol Miller of Huntington, former state Republican Party Chairman Conrad Lucas of Huntington, Delegate Rupie Phillips of Man, Delegate Marty Gearheart of Bluefield and Dr. Ayne Amjad of Beckley.
With 220 of 661 precincts reporting, Gearheart had 23 percent of the vote, Miller 21 percent, Phillips 17 percent and Lucas 16 percent.
Democrats include state Senator Richard Ojeda of Logan, Delegate Shirley Love of Oak Hill and Paul Davis, general manager and chief of the Tri-State Transit Authority, headquartered in Huntington.
Early on, Ojeda had 53 percent of the vote and Love had 25 percent.
