Republican Jim Justice Wins Senate Seat in West Virginia, Taking Seat from Democrats
The results are in for West Virginia's U.S. Senate race between Republican Gov. Jim Justice and Democrat Glenn Elliot. Justice has been declared the winner which means Republicans could be on track to take control of the Senate.
Before today's election, Democrats controlled the Senate with a breakdown of 51-49. With the Justice win, that moves the Senate to a 50-50 split.
With West Virginia trending toward being a reliable red state, incumbent Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin had chosen not to run for reelection this year.
Justice, 73, edged out Elliot by taking advantage of his record as governor and former President Donald Trump's popularity in the state. Trump won every county in West Virginia in the past two presidential elections. "I say over and over, judge me by my deeds," Justice said in September.
Elliot, 52, had been endorsed by Manchin, but polls showed all along that he was badly trailing Justice.
This will mark the first time since 1958 that both of West Virginia’s U.S. senators are Republicans.
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