CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginian voters in the Nov. 6 midterm general election will decide who gets seats up for grabs in the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, the Legislature and the state Supreme Court. There also are two ballot issues. Early voting in West Virginia runs from Wednesday through Nov. 3.
Here is a summary of those races:
U.S. SENATE
Democrat Joe Manchin, a former governor, is seeking a second full six-year term in the Senate. He first took office after a 2010 special election prompted by the death of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd.
Manchin, running in a state won by Republican President Donald Trump by 42 percentage points in 2016, faces a challenge from Republican Patrick Morrisey, the two-term state attorney general. Also on the ballot is Libertarian Rusty Hollen.
In the primary, Manchin defeated Paula Jean Swearengin, a Bernie Sanders Democrat from a coal-mining family. Morrisey beat U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins, former Massey CEO Don Blankenship and several others in the May primary.
U.S. HOUSE
The 3rd District seat vacated by Jenkins pits Democratic state Sen. Richard Ojeda against Republican state delegate Carol Miller.
Ojeda defeated three other Democrats in the May primary and Miller outlasted six other candidates.
Congressmen David McKinley from the 1st District and Alex Mooney from the 2nd District were unopposed in the GOP primary. On Nov. 6, McKinley faces West Virginia University law professor Kendra Fershee, a Democrat who defeated two others in the primary.
Mooney is up against Democrat Talley Sergent, a former Hillary Clinton state presidential campaign director who defeated U.S. Army veteran Aaron Scheinberg in the primary.
STATE SUPREME COURT
Ten candidates are running in each of two races for unexpired terms on the state Supreme Court. The vacancies occurred after the retirements of justices Menis Ketchum and Robin Davis amid an impeachment scandal.
Republican former state House of Delegates speaker Tim Armstead and GOP Congressman Evan Jenkins were picked as temporary replacements by Republican Gov. Jim Justice until the election. Armstead also is on the Nov. 6 ballot for Ketchum’s unexpired term, which runs through 2020. Jenkins is seeking Davis’ unexpired term, which runs through 2024.
Davis and three other justices were impeached by the House of Delegates in August over questions involving lavish office renovations that evolved into accusations of corruption, incompetence and neglect of duty.
Some Democrats have called the impeachments a power grab by the Republican-led legislature.
BALLOT ISSUES
Voters will decide on separate constitutional ballot measures that would allow lawmakers to restrict or ban tax-payer funded abortions and have some control over the state judiciary’s budget.
Earlier this year, the Legislature approved a resolution that says: “Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion.” It would authorize lawmakers to restrict or outlaw state funding for Medicaid abortions. Abortions would remain legal under federal law.
Opponents say it would put the issue in the hands of the Legislature, which could ban Medicaid-funded abortions in cases of rape, incest or when a woman or girl’s health is at risk.
The judiciary budget question would allow the Legislature to decide each year whether to reduce the state courts’ budget, but not less than 85 percent of the previous year’s budget. It also would require the Supreme Court’s chief justice to answer budget questions before lawmakers.
Opponents have said the measure would infringe on the courts’ independence. The ballot question was approved amid questions about the Supreme Court’s spending practices, including lavish renovations to individual justices’ offices.
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LEGISLATURE
Half of the 34 state Senate seats and all 100 House of Delegates seats are up for grabs. Republicans hold a 22-12 majority in the Senate and a 64-36 lead in the House.
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