The 2014 United States House of Representatives election in West Virginia was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the three U.S. representatives from West Virginia, one from each of the state's three congressional districts.
Republicans won control of every congressional district in West Virginia for the first time since the 61st Congress ended in 1911.
Overview United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia, 2014PartyVotesPercentageSeats+/– Republican 242,823 55.26% 3 +1 Democratic 182,484 41.53% 0 -1 Libertarian 7,682 1.75% 0 – Independents 6,399 1.46% 0 – Totals 439,388 100.00% 3 —
By district Results of the 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia by district:
DistrictRepublicanDemocraticOthersTotalResult Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %District 1 92,491 63.90% 52,109 36.00% 137 0.10% 144,737 100% Republican holdDistrict 2 72,619 47.08% 67,687 43.88% 13,944 9.04% 154,250 100% Republican holdDistrict 3 77,713 55.35% 62,688 44.65% 0 0.00% 140,401 100% Republican gainTotal 242,823 55.26% 182,484 41.53% 14,081 3.21% 439,388 100%
District 1
Incumbent Republican David McKinley, who had represented the district since 2011, ran for re-election.
Republican primary While McKinley had expressed some interest in running for Senate, he later declared he would not run. He filed for re-election to his House seat on January 15, 2014.
Candidates Nominee David McKinley, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Glen Gainer III, State Auditor
Results
General election Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror DavidMcKinley (R) GlenGainer (D) UndecidedYouGovYouGov October 16–23, 2014 276 ± 10% 53% 25% 22%
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political ReportNovember 3, 2014 Rothenberg October 24, 2014 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 30, 2014RCP November 2, 2014Daily Kos Elections November 4, 2014
Results
District 2
Incumbent Republican Shelley Moore Capito, who had represented the district since 2001, won her seventh term in Congress with almost 70 percent of the vote in 2012. She announced that she would not run for re-election, so that she could run for the United States Senate seat held by retiring Democrat Jay Rockefeller.
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Alex Mooney, former chairman of the Maryland Republican Party and former Maryland State Senator
Eliminated in primary Robert Fluharty, veteran and investigator Steve Harrison, state senator Charlotte Lane, former state delegate, former United States International Trade Commissioner and nominee for West Virginia Attorney General in 1996 Jim Moss Ken Reed, pharmacy owner Ron Walters Jr., son of State Delegate Ron Walters
Declined Tim Armstead, Minority Leader of the West Virginia House of Delegates Shelley Moore Capito, incumbent U.S. Representative (running for the U.S. Senate) Larry Faircloth, former state delegate (running for the state senate) Betty Ireland, former Secretary of State of West Virginia Patrick Lane, state delegate Bill Maloney, businessman and nominee for governor in 2011 and 2012 Patrick Morrisey, Attorney General of West Virginia Eric Nelson, state delegate Suzette Raines, state delegate (running for the state senate) Charles Trump, attorney and former state delegate
Results
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Nick Casey, former chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party
Eliminated in primary Meshea Poore, state delegate
Declined Matt Dunn, attorney Steven Gower Doug Skaff, state delegate Herb Snyder, state senator Rod Snyder, president of the Young Democrats of America Erik Wells, state senator
Results
General election Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror AlexMooney (R) NickCasey (D) Other UndecidedYouGov October 16–23, 2014 348 ± 7% 45% 44% – 11%Public Opinion Strategies*Public Opinion Strategies* August 10–12, 2014 400 ± 4.9% 40% 28% 13%Davy Jones (L) with 5%, Ed Rabel (I) with 8% 19%Tarrance Group (R-Mooney)Tarrance Group (R-Mooney) May 20–22, 2014 400 ± 4.9% 43% 31% 15%Davy Jones (L) with 4%, Ed Rabel (I) with 11% 11%
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political ReportNovember 3, 2014 Rothenberg October 24, 2014 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 30, 2014RCP November 2, 2014Daily Kos Elections November 4, 2014
Results
District 3
Incumbent Democrat Nick Rahall, who had represented the district since 1977, ran for re-election after having considered running for the Senate.
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Nick Rahall, incumbent U.S. Representative
Eliminated in primary Richard Ojeda, veteran
Results
Republican primary For the Republicans, State Senator Evan Jenkins, who switched parties in July 2013, ran for the seat against Rahall. On switching parties, Jenkins stated that: "West Virginia is under attack from Barack Obama and a Democratic Party that our parents and grandparents would not recognize." In 2012, West Virginia's 3rd district went for Mitt Romney 66% to 32%.
State Senator Bill Cole, who had considered a run for the seat himself, was Jenkins' campaign chairman.
Candidates Nominee Evan Jenkins, state senator
Declined Bill Cole, state senator Rick Snuffer, state delegate and nominee for this seat in 2004 & 2012
Results Jenkins ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
General election Campaign Rahall was considered one of the most "endangered" House Democrats by the House Democratic campaign committee.
Jenkins supported the repeal of Obamacare and pledged to replace it.
As of September 18, 2014, the race was rated a "toss up" by both University of Virginia political professor Larry Sabato, of Sabato's Crystal Ball, and Stu Rothenberg of the Rothenberg Political Report. As of October 2, managing editor Kyle Kondik of Sabato's Crystal Ball said the race was still a toss-up, calling it "Super close, super expensive and super nasty."
A Fox News op-ed opined in October that Jenkins "offers Republicans the most credible nominee the party has had since the mid-'90s. In a race that will see as much advertising by third-party organizations as any House race in the country, the winner will be the candidate who voters believe will do the most to take on President Obama's War on Coal and the EPA."
Through October 6, 2014, 16,340 ads had appeared on broadcast television, the second-highest number of ads of any district in the U.S. By mid-October 2014, it was anticipated that $12.8 million could be spent on ads in the race by Election Day. Rahall outspent Jenkins in the election by a two-to-one ratio.
Time listed a Rahall ad in its article: "Here Are 5 of The Most Dishonest Political Ads of 2014," and The Washington Post ran an article regarding the same Rahall ad entitled: "A sleazy attack puts words in the other candidate's mouth".
Endorsements Rahall was endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund.
The National Right to Life Committee, West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and West Virginians for Life, all of which had previously supported Rahall, supported Jenkins in 2014, and the West Virginia Coal Association endorsed Jenkins in September 2014.
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror NickRahall (D) EvanJenkins (R) UndecidedYouGov October 16–23, 2014 253 ± 10% 45% 50% 5%Harper PollingHarper Polling October 7–8, 2014 657 ± 3.82% 44% 50% 6%Garin-Hart-Yang ResearchGarin-Hart-Yang Research May 26–28, 2014 403 ± 5% 52% 39% 9%Anzalone Liszt Grove Research (D-Rahall)Anzalone Liszt Grove Research (D-Rahall) May 12–14, 2014 502 ± 4.4% 52% 39% 9%DFM ResearchDFM Research April 22–27, 2014 400 ± 4.9% 48% 39% 13%Garin-Hart-Yang ResearchGarin-Hart-Yang Research April 15–16, 2014 400 ± 5% 52% 40% 8%Tarrance Group (R-Jenkins)Tarrance Group (R-Jenkins) March 3–5, 2014 405 ± 4.9% 40% 54% 6%Harper Polling (R-Jenkins)Harper Polling (R-Jenkins) October 7–8, 2013 649 ± 3.84% 46% 42% 12%
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political ReportNovember 3, 2014 Rothenberg October 24, 2014 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 30, 2014RCP November 2, 2014Daily Kos Elections November 4, 2014
Results Jenkins won the election, defeating incumbent Rahall in November 2014 with 55.3% of the vote to Rahall's 44.7%.
See also 2014 United States House of Representatives elections 2014 United States elections
References
External links U.S. House elections in West Virginia, 2014 at Ballotpedia Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets