CHARLESTON – Gov. Joe Manchin will be the Democrat’s nominee in November for the late Robert C. Byrd’s U.S. Senate seat, after party voters chose him overwhelmingly in Saturday’s special primary.
With 19 percent of precincts reporting, Manchin had 73 percent of the vote. and Ken Hechler, the 95-year-old former congressman and secretary of state, had 17, and former state lawmaker Sheirl Fletcher had 10 percent.
John Raese was leading among GOP primary voters, with 71 percent and 18 percent of precincts reporting. The Morgantown industrialist and media owner was leading a pack of 10 Republicans.
Mountain Party candidate Jesse Johnson was unopposed in that primary.
The June 28 death of the 92-year-old Byrd put the Democrat’s seat in play as his party seeks to keep its majority in an election year that appears increasingly favorable to Republicans. November’s winner will take over from Sen. Carte Goodwin, a former top Manchin aide and Democrat appointed by the governor for the interim.
Secretary of State Natalie Tennant said election day came off without a hitch, but voter turnout was low. She estimated it would hit 20 percent.
Albert Milliron is the founder of Politisite. Milliron has been credentialed by most major news networks for Presidential debates and major Political Parties for political event coverage. Albert maintains relationships with the White House and State Department to provide direct reporting from the Administration’s Press team. Albert is the former Public Relations Chairman of the Columbia County Republican Party in Georgia. He is a former Delegate.
Milliron is a veteran of the US Army Medical Department and worked for Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Psychiatry.
