CHARLESTON — As midterms go, this one is shaping up to be monumental.
Brisk early voting has finally made way for Election Day itself. Polls are open in West Virginia from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
“It’s an energized electorate. I think we’re seeing that all across the nation,” Secretary of State Mac Warner said.
West Virginia’s ballots are filled with significant races.
At the top is incumbent U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat who is facing a challenge by Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, a Republican.
Three congressional races are up for grabs, including an open 3rd District race between Democrat Richard Ojeda and Republican Carol Miller.
Republicans are trying to maintain their majorities in the state Senate and House of Delegates, while Democrats are trying to regain the majorities.
Two state Supreme Court seats are on the ballot after a year of controversy involving justices’ financial decisions and the loss of public trust.
There are two constitutional amendments, too. One would say the state Constitution is neutral on abortion. The second would give the Legislature greater oversight of the judicial branch budget.
All of that has led to an active election season already.
“We have 183,205 people who have early voted,” Warner said, adding that’s almost twice the early turnout from four years ago. Warner predicted overall turnout will be in the range of 40 percent to 50 percent of eligible voters.
All those voters have a lot of choices to make.
Manchin and Morrisey
Manchin and Morrisey, at the top of the ticket, rumbled toward the finish line. Morrisey campaigned across the state on Monday, accompanied by Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son.
President Trump himself campaigned for Morrisey and other Republican candidates on Friday in Huntington, one of a series of visits by the president over the past few weeks.
“I feel really good about our momentum because I think people see this race as a clear choice between that conservative fighter who’s really going to help President Trump versus Joe Manchin,” Morrisey said.
Manchin was making his rounds on a motorcycle, riding from Martinsburg in the morning to Morgantown by midday and toward Charleston by late afternoon.
Over two days of riding, his campaign covered 386 miles.
“You’ve got to be tough,” Manchin said.
Manchin said he’s willing to vote with the president’s policies when they make sense for West Virginia, but he is concerned about how a repeal of the Affordable Care Act would affect those with pre-existing conditions.
“This is the most important election I’ve ever voted in in my life because there’s so much on the line,” Manchin said.
Congress
The race receiving the most attention is the 3rd Congressional District, which is open after incumbent Republican Evan Jenkins decided to run for U.S. Senate and lost in the primary.
The race has been a contrast in styles as Ojeda has been active on the campaign trail and open to interviews. Miller has been disinclined toward interviews, focusing instead on advertising and rallies.
Ojeda, a state senator, was in the spotlight during the statewide teachers strike with his name translating to chants: “O-jeh-da.”
Miller, a state delegate, walked off Air Force One with President Trump during last week’s rally. Her ads have emphasized support for the president’s policies.
The other races include incumbents David McKinley and Alex Mooney, both Republicans, taking on Democratic challengers Kendra Fershee and Talley Sergent.
The Legislature
Republicans were trying to maintain the majorities they gained in 2014, with Democrats trying to regain control.
Half of the 34 state Senate seats and all 100 House of Delegates seats are on the ballot.
Republicans have a 22-12 majority in the Senate and a 64-36 majority in the House.
Ballotpedia has been tracking states where one party has the majority in the Governor’s Office and both houses of the Legislature.
West Virginia is considered one of the state’s where those majorities are “somewhat vulnerable” this year.
There’s no governor’s race in West Virginia this year, so that means Ballotpedia believes it’s possible one of the houses of the Legislature would flip majorities.
Supreme Court
Two seats are up for grabs on the state Supreme Court, which has been the subject of controversy for more than a year.
Justice Menis Ketchum resigned July 27, the day before impeachment proceedings were to begin in the House of Delegates.
Justice Robin Davis announced her resignation Aug. 14, one day after the House passed articles of impeachment.
The seat vacated by Ketchum is up for re-election in 2020. The seat vacated by Davis is up for re-election in 2024.
Candidates for Division 1, which represented the seat Ketchum vacated, included: Armstead, Harry Bruner, Robert Carlton, Ronald Hatfield, Mark Hunt, Hiram Lewis, D.C. Offut Jr., Joanna Tabit, Chris Wilkes and Jeff Woods.
Candidates for Division 2, which represented the seat vacated by Davis, included: Jenkins, Jim Douglas, Robert Frank, Jeff Kessler, Brenden Long, Jim O’Brien, William Schwartz, Marty Sheehan, Dennise Smith and William Thompson.
Amendments
Two constitutional amendments are on the state ballot.
Amendment One proposes this language be added to the state Constitution: “Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of abortion.”
Opponents criticized that wording as confusing. They also said the amendment would open the door to lawmakers placing more and more restrictions on abortion. And, opponents say, the language includes no exceptions regarding the life of the mother, rape or incest.
Supporters said the amendment would be a first step in stopping state funding of pregnancy terminations for Medicaid recipients while also providing greater legislative say-so on abortion.
Amendment Two would allow the Legislature to reduce the budget of the state judiciary by up to 15 percent.
That issue also flowed out of the controversies over Supreme Court spending that dominated headlines for most of this past year.
