(WASHINGTON) — West Virginia voters head to the polls Tuesday to vote in primaries for the House of Representatives and state legislature, as well as other statewide and regional offices. Early voting in the state ended Saturday.
Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET.
State significance
The Republican primaries for the House of Representatives in West Virginia are significant because they will help determine which party controls the House and will put the impact of congressional redistricting on full display.
As a result of redistricting — and a decline in the state’s population — West Virginia lost one of its three House seats. Both existing districts lean strongly Republican, but now there is one fewer seat for Republicans to hold onto, according to analysis from FiveThirtyEight.
Redistricting also means one of the House races features a rare matchup between two incumbent lawmakers. Republicans Reps. David McKinley and Alex Mooney are facing off against each other and three other challengers in the primary for the newly drawn 2nd Congressional District.
The McKinley-Mooney matchup is another test of former President Donald Trump’s endorsement power. Trump has backed Mooney, who has echoed the former president’s false claims about the 2020 election. But McKinley, who voted for President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill, has the support of Republican West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin.
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