CHARLESTON — Gov. Jim Justice won re-election against challenger Ben Salango.
The race was called early in the evening. With 76 percent of the votes in, Justice has 64% of the votes to Salango's 32 percent. Erika Kolenich, the Libertarian candidate, took 3 percent of the vote and Danny Lutz Jr., the Mountain Party candidate, took 1 percent.
"You don’t want to be egotistical in any way," Justice said. "The facts are really simple. West Virginia is really going somewhere. … We have so many things going on, you can’t keep up with the announcements."
Justice said he wanted West Virginia to succeed.
"Growth, surpluses ... we’re going to keep on doing better," Justice said. "West Virginia has done amazingly well through this pandemic. It’s been tough, but at the end of the day … no one can love our state and our people more than me. All I want is goodness for West Virginia."
Salango conceded to Justice, saying he just wanted West Virginia to do well.
"I want nothing but success for the governor because if the governor has success, West Virginia has success," Salango said.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito is leading over Paula Jean Swearengin with 70 percent of votes, and all three incumbent Republicans in the U.S. House of Representative races (David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Carol Miller).
Early poll numbers also showed Republicans ahead in statewide races for Secretary of State (incumbent Mac Warner over Natalie Tennant), Auditor (incumbent J.B. McCuskey over Mary Ann Claytor), Treasurer (Riley Moore over incumbent John Perdue) and Commissioner of Agriculture (incumbent Kent Leonhardt over Bob Beach).
In the state Senate races, Republicans also hold leads in most of those seats up for election. The GOP also was in front of most House of Delegates races, likely picking up several more seats for the majority party.
The West Virginia House of Delegates has 58 Republicans now and could have has many as 70 after tonight.
