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2010 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia

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The 2010 congressional elections in West Virginia were held on November 2, 2010, to determine who would represent the state of West Virginia in the United States House of Representatives. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; the elected served in the 112th Congress from January 2011 until January 2013.

2010 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia
← 2008 November 2, 2010 (2010-11-02) 2012 →
All 3 West Virginia seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Last election 1 2
Seats won 2 1
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1
Popular vote 283,085 227,857
Percentage 55.03% 44.30%
Swing Increase 21.98% Decrease 22.63%

West Virginia has three seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census. Its 2009-2010 congressional delegation consisted of two Democrats and one Republican, though following the election, its delegation consisted of two Republicans and one Democrat.

Overview

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United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia, 2010[1]
Party Votes Percentage Seats +/–
Republican 283,085 55.03% 2 +1
Democratic 227,857 44.30% 1 -1
Constitution 3,431 0.67% 0 —
Totals 514,373 100.00% 3 —

By district

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Results of the 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia by district:[1]

District Republican Democratic Others Total Result
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
District 1 90,660 50.40% 89,220 49.60% 0 0.00% 179,880 100% Republican Gain
District 2 126,814 68.46% 55,001 29.69% 3,431 1.85% 185,246 100% Republican Hold
District 3 65,611 43.96% 83,636 56.04% 0 0.00% 149,247 100% Democratic Hold
Total 283,085 55.03% 227,857 44.30% 3,431 0.67% 514,373 100%

District 1

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See also: West Virginia's 1st congressional district

This conservative[2] district, rooted in the northern counties of West Virginia, had been represented by moderate Democrat Alan Mollohan since he was first elected to replace his father, Bob Mollohan, in 1982. Although John McCain won the district with 58% of the vote in 2008, Mollohan had run unopposed that same year, highlighting Democratic strength amidst changing coalitions.[3]

Running for a fifteenth term, Mollohan faced a serious challenge in the Democratic primary from State Senator Mike Oliverio. Initially, few saw Oliverio as having a credible chance, owing to his late entry into the race, and his decision to run as a more conservative candidate.[4] However, Mollohan would prove vulnerable on numerous fronts.

For one, he had faced ethics questions for years on whether he had given earmarks to businesses owned by his friends, earning him criticism from Oliverio as "one of the most corrupt congressmen" and a creature of Washington.[5][6] Mollohan also faced criticism for some of his votes in Congress. Votes such as those in favor of the Affordable Care Act, and vacillation before ultimately voting against a cap and trade bill, costing him goodwill with formerly allied interest groups and local newspapers.[6]

Polls from both camps showed different results, and Mollohan raised more money than Oliverio.[7][8] But ultimately, Congressman Mollohan would be defeated by Oliverio, taking around 44% of the vote to Oliverio's 56%, becoming the first House incumbent to lose that cycle.[9] Mollohan attributed his loss, in part, to attacks by Oliverio he referred to as "totally spurious and totally false", but also acknowledged that the environment had turned strongly against incumbents.[10]

Democratic Primary Results[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mike Oliverio 36,135 55.91%
Democratic Alan Mollohan (incumbent) 28,500 44.09%
Total votes 64,635 100.0%

In the general election, Oliverio, faced Republican nominee David McKinley, a former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and a former chair of the West Virginia Republican Party. McKinley emerged as the establishment favorite against former state senator Sarah Minear, and both spent sizable amounts of their own money on the race.[12][13] Both candidates saw their past voting rcord come under scrutiny, particularly on tax issues.[14] However, a third contender emerged in future West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner. Warner was seen as likely to siphon votes from Minear, though in the last days of the race, he faced scrutiny for allegations that his businesses owed nearly $3 million in taxes.[12] McKinley would emerge the victor by 8 points.[15]

Republican Primary Results[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican David B. McKinley 14,783 34.86%
Republican Andrew Warner 11,353 26.77%
Republican Sarah Minear 8,994 21.21%
Republican Thomas Frederick Stark 3,636 8.57%
Republican Patricia Carol Levenson 2,110 4.98%
Republican Cynthia Hall 1,533 3.61%
Total votes 42,409 100.0%

In a year that saw a strong anti-incumbent trend, Oliverio's outsider status was a boon to him, and to some strategists, this made him a stronger candidate than Mollohan would have been.[17] As, Republicans would have preferred to face a bruised Mollohan,[15] an Oliverio campaign was going to prove to be a different challenge for Republicans.[5]

But Oliverio faced serious headwinds, particularly among his party. For one, his refusal to outright back Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House was a sticking point among Democratic leaders, and he would eventually shift away from this rhetoric in the late stages of the campaign.[18][19][20] He also had trouble winning support with traditional Democratic groups such as the United Mine Workers of America and AFL-CIO, who had supported Mollohan and had endorsed every other Democrat running for Congress in the state except Oliverio.[21][22] Former West Virginia Secretary of State Ken Hechler, whom Oliverio had tried to primary in 2004, launched a PAC targeting him, further highlighting how divisive Oliverio was among Democrats.[23]

McKinley, meanwhile, boosted by a strong Republican sentiment, made the race into a referendum against Democratic leaders such as Pelosi and Barack Obama, capitalizing on strong outsider sentiment.[19][24] The campaign between the two was marred by barbs relating to establishment Washington figures. In a debate, McKinley would accuse his Democratic opponent of supporting the agenda of Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama—to which Oliverio responded: "I am not going to Washington to get in touch with the Washington leadership. I'm going to Washington to get the national leadership in step with the people of West Virginia."[24]

Even with a strong national Republican environment, polls in the closing weeks showed a tight race.[19] Fundraising also showed a close but narrow McKinley lead.[25] In the end, Oliverio narrowly lost the election, despite Joe Manchin's concurrent victory in the special election. This would be the first time a Republican would win this district since 1966.

West Virginia's 1st congressional district election, 2010[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican David McKinley 90,660 50.40
Democratic Mike Oliverio 89,220 49.60
Total votes 179,880 100.00
Republican gain from Democratic

District 2

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See also: West Virginia's 2nd congressional district

This conservative[2] district, which stretches from metro Charleston in western West Virginia to the Potomac River in the eastern region of the state, has been represented by Republican Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito since 2001. Although Capito faced serious challenges to her re-election in 2006 and 2008, she was not seen as vulnerable this year, with outlets declaring this a safe Republican race.[27]

During the race, longtime Senator Robert Byrd died, and Capito was seen as the strongest candidate to challenge Joe Manchin in the special election to fill out the remainder of Byrd's term.[28][29] Ultimately, Capito declined to enter the race, choosing to run for re-election.

She faced Democratic nominee Virginia Lynch Graf and Constitution Party candidate Phil Hudok in the general election, whom she was able to defeat in an overwhelming landslide to win a sixth term in Congress.

Democratic Primary Results[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Virginia Lynch Graf 29,579 100.00%
Total votes 29,579 100.00%
Republican Primary Results[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) 27,958 100.00%
Total votes 27,958 100.0%
West Virginia's 2nd congressional district election, 2010[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) 126,814 68.46
Democratic Virginia Lynch Graf 55,001 29.69
Constitution Phil Hudok 3,431 1.85
Total votes 185,246 100.00
Republican hold

District 3

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See also: West Virginia's 3rd congressional district

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Nick Rahall had represented this conservative-leaning[2] district, based in the southern portion of the state since he was initially elected in 1976. Rahall had not faced a serious challenge holding onto the state's most Democratic-leaning district since 1990.[31] However, 2010 would prove to be his toughest fight yet.

In the primary, Rahall faced the threat of a primary from State Rep. Ralph Rodighiero, who ultimately would not challenge him.[32] The only primary challenger he would face was Bruce Barilla, who criticized Rahall's "support" for Barack Obama, and his vote for the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.[33][34][35] Rahall won the primary with two-thirds of the vote, and Barilla would go on to endorse Rahall's Republican opponent Spike Maynard.[36][37]

Democratic Primary Results[38]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nick Rahall (incumbent) 44,929 67.51%
Democratic Bruce Barilla 21,620 32.49%
Total votes 66,549 100.0%
Republican Primary Results[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Spike Maynard 5,056 30.05%
Republican Gary Gearhart 4,623 27.48%
Republican Conrad Gale Lucas II 4,238 25.19%
Republican Lee Allen Bias 2,906 17.27%
Total votes 16,823 100.0%

Maynard was a former Democrat and a defeated former member of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. He had narrowly prevailed in the primary by 433 votes over opponent Marty Gearhart.[39] He had been defeated as a state justice in 2008, due to photos circulating of Maynard and the executive of an energy company Don Blankenship, socializing at a time when Massey, Blankenship's company, had cases before the state's Supreme Court.[40] Rahall would launch ads targeting Maynard and Blankenship's relationship.[41]

Rahall also found himself the subject of negative attacks. One advertisement claimed that Rahall, who is of Lebanese descent, was "good for the Middle East" but "bad for America".[42] Maynard also claimed that Rahall had received "money from a convicted terrorist," although Republican candidates such as George W. Bush also received money from the same individual; Rahall donated the contribution to charity.[43] Despite these attacks, Rahall maintained a significant lead in polls.[44] In the end, Rahall defeated Maynard and won an eighteenth term in Congress.

West Virginia's 3rd congressional district election, 2010[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nick Rahall (incumbent) 83,636 56.04
Republican Spike Maynard 65,611 43.96
Total votes 149,247 100.00
Democratic hold

References

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  1. ^ a b Haas, Karen L. (June 3, 2011). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Partisan Voting Index Districts of the 111th Congress." The Cook Political Report. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2011. <http://www.cookpolitical.com/sites/default/files/pvistate.pdf Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine>.
  3. ^ "Mollohan alert - - POLITICO.com". www.politico.com. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  4. ^ "Mollohan Gets a Primary Challenge From His Right". Roll Call. March 30, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Rudin, Ken (May 11, 2010). "Alan Mollohan, 14-Term West Virginia Democrat, Ousted In Primary". NPR. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Isenstadt, Alex (May 11, 2010). "Mollohan loses in West Virginia". POLITICO. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  7. ^ "West Virginia: Mollohan, Oliverio Camps Clash Over Polls". Roll Call. April 27, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  8. ^ "Mollohan keeps money edge as Dem primary nears". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Associated Press. April 30, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  9. ^ "Alan Mollohan loses primary fight". The Washington Post. May 11, 2010. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012.
  10. ^ "W.Va. Congressman's 28-Year Run Ends in Primary - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. May 12, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c "Statewide Results". West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Hohmann, James; Isenstadt, Alex (May 11, 2010). "Five things to watch on Tuesday". POLITICO. Archived from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  13. ^ Isenstadt, Alex (May 3, 2010). "Bidding war for Mollohan seat". POLITICO. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  14. ^ Isenstadt, Alex (April 27, 2010). "Attacks boomerang in W.V. race". POLITICO. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Giroux, Greg (May 12, 2010). "West Virginia: With Mollohan Out, GOP Goes After Oliverio". Roll Call. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  16. ^ "Statewide Results". West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  17. ^ "Parties may lose incumbents, but not necessarily seats | Chattanooga Times Free Press". www.timesfreepress.com. June 6, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  18. ^ "Morris: Republican Will Win 1st District - News, Sports, Jobs - The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register". May 15, 2010. Archived from the original on May 15, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  19. ^ a b c Berman, Russell (October 23, 2010). "Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the No. 1 issue in tight West Virginia House race". The Hill. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  20. ^ Kraushaar, Josh (May 12, 2010). "House Dems cool to Oliverio". POLITICO. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  21. ^ Isenstadt, Alex (August 10, 2010). "Oliverio could lose labor support". POLITICO. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  22. ^ Greenwire, PATRICK REIS of. "Appalachian Dems Seek Distance From Obama on Coal, Climate - NYTimes.com". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  23. ^ Isenstadt, Alex (June 28, 2010). "W.Va. Dem's new PAC targets Oliverio". POLITICO. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  24. ^ a b King, Joselyn (October 21, 2010). "McKinley, Oliverio Aware of the Anger". The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
  25. ^ A 501tax-exempt; Street, charitable organization 1100 13th; NW; Washington, Suite 800; Dc 20005857-0044. "West Virginia District 01 2010 Race". OpenSecrets. Retrieved July 4, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  26. ^ a b c "Statewide Results". West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  27. ^ "West Virginia 2nd District Race Profile - Election 2010 - The New York Times". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  28. ^ Toeplitz, Shira (July 20, 2010). "Manchin's in, with nod to Byrd". POLITICO. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  29. ^ "Who might be tapped to fill Senator Byrd's seat, fast?". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  30. ^ "Statewide Results". West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  31. ^ RealClearPolitics. "Maynard vs. Rahall". RealClearPolitics.
  32. ^ "A Primary Challenger For West Virginia Rep. Rahall?". Roll Call. November 24, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  33. ^ Telegraph, Bill ArcherBluefield Daily (April 28, 2010). "House hopefuls sound off". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  34. ^ Femme, Cherchez La (June 3, 2010). "The Anti-Gay Sex Candidate: or The Birth of the Bleeding-Heart Conservative". Valley Advocate. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  35. ^ "Here's One Way to Announce Candidacy - Politics - The Atlantic". The Atlantic. June 20, 2010. Archived from the original on June 20, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  36. ^ "West Virginia Primary Results - Election 2010 - The New York Times". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  37. ^ Isenstadt, Alex (October 1, 2010). "Rahall's Dem foe backs GOP nominee". POLITICO. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  38. ^ "Statewide Results". West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  39. ^ "West Virginia Primary Results - Election 2010 - The New York Times". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  40. ^ Herald-Dispatch, staff and wire reportsThe (May 12, 2010). "Maynard wins opportunity to face Rahall". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  41. ^ Jr, Ken Ward (October 6, 2010). "Rahall takes on Maynard's ties to Blankenship; Maynard wants feds out of mine safety regulation". Coal Tattoo. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  42. ^ "Dem repeatedly attacked for being of Arab descent". Salon. October 22, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  43. ^ Terkel, Amanda (October 13, 2010). "Spike Maynard's New Ad Accuses Opponent Of Taking Money From A 'Terrorist,' Even Though GOP Has Also Accepted Funds". Huffington Post.
  44. ^ "New Poll Puts Rahall Ahead By 25". Roll Call. October 2, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
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