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2014 United States Senate election in West Virginia

The 2014 United States Senate election in West Virginia was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of West Virginia, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. This election was the fifth consecutive even-number year in which a senate election was held in West Virginia after elections in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012. This was one of the seven Democratic-held Senate seats up for election in a state that Mitt Romney won in the 2012 presidential election.

Incumbent Democratic senator Jay Rockefeller decided to retire rather than run for reelection for a sixth term. The Democrats nominated Secretary of State of West Virginia Natalie Tennant and the Republicans nominated U.S. Representative Shelley Moore Capito. It was the thirteenth U.S. Senate election that involved two major party female nominees in U.S. history.

Capito defeated Tennant and became the first female senator elected in West Virginia's history as well as the first Republican elected to the Senate from West Virginia since 1956, and their victory in this seat since 1942. The results of this election were a near complete flip from 2008, in which Democrat Jay Rockefeller received 64% of the vote. This was the first open-seat non-special election since 1984.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Withdrew

  • Sheirl Fletcher, former Republican state delegate and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2008, 2010 and 2012

Declined

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Withdrew

  • Rick LeMasters, retired Marine officer and state employee
  • Pat McGeehan, former state delegate and former Air Force Intelligence officer and captain (running for House of Delegates)
  • Scott Regan, Democratic candidate for the state senate in 2010
  • Edwin Vanover, former Bramwell Police Chief and Democratic candidate for the House of Delegates in 2012

Declined

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Independents and third parties

Candidates

Declared

Withdrawn

  • Martin Staunton (Independent), former TV anchor (moved to Georgia)

General election

Debates

A televised debate between Tennant and Capito was held on October 7 in Charleston.

Predictions

Polling

With Davis<br />

With Fletcher<br />

With Goodwin<br />

With Rahall<br />

With Rockefeller<br />

With Tennant<br />

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Moore Capito won all three congressional districts.

See also

References

External links

Official campaign websites (archived)