- Source: 2012 United States Senate election in West Virginia
The 2012 United States Senate election in West Virginia was held on November 6, 2012, to elect one of West Virginia's two members of the U.S. Senate for a six-year term. In a rematch of the 2010 special election, incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Manchin won re-election to a first full term against the Republican nominee, John Raese. Notably, Manchin outperformed Barack Obama in the concurrent presidential election by 25.06 percentage points in vote share, and by 50.86 percentage points on margin.
Background
Robert Byrd held this seat in the U.S. Senate from 1959 until his death on June 28, 2010, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1953, making him the longest-serving person in Congress. Byrd led his party in the Senate from 1977 to 1989, as Majority Leader or Minority Leader. Afterward, as the most senior Democrat in the Senate, he served as president pro tempore of the Senate whenever his party was in the majority, including at the time of his death.
After Byrd's death, West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant initially announced that a special election would not be held until the regular election for the six-year term in 2012. However, that special election was rescheduled to 2010 for it to coincide with the mid-term elections and to avoid having an interim appointee serving more than two years in the seat.
Governor Joe Manchin made a temporary appointment of Carte Goodwin to the vacant seat. Goodwin was later replaced by Manchin who won the 2010 special election.
Democratic primary
= Candidates
=Sheirl Fletcher, former Republican State Delegate and Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2008 and 2010
Joe Manchin, incumbent U.S. senator
= Results
=Republican primary
John Raese, perennial candidate
General election
= Candidates
=Bob Henry Baber (Mountain), former mayor of Richwood and candidate for Governor in 2011
Joe Manchin (Democratic), incumbent U.S. Senator
John Raese (Republican), businessman and perennial candidate
= Campaign
=Raese filed a rematch against Manchin, arguing that he now had more material to criticize Manchin for. One example is how Manchin lost his longtime endorsement from the organization West Virginians for Life because of his vote against defunding Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider. Another example is how he is undecided about whether or not to support Obama's re-election campaign. Senior Obama campaign advisor David Axelrod commented in response, "His concern is about his own political well-being." In addition, he voted against U.S. Congressman Paul Ryan's Republican budget.
Raese wrote an op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail, saying about Manchin, "Yes, he'll talk like a conservative and act like he's fiscally responsible to appeal to more moderate voters, but under that outward appearance of a lovable rube is the heart of a tax-and-spend liberal."
Raese continued to make controversial statements. In April 2012, he equated smoking bans with Adolf Hitler's yellow badge. He said "in Monongalia County now, I have to put a huge sticker on my buildings to say this is a smoke-free environment. This is brought to you by the government of Monongalia County. Okay? Remember Hitler used to put Star of David on everybody’s lapel, remember that? Same thing." That same day, he referred to President Franklin D. Roosevelt as "Fidel Roosevelt." Raese didn't apologize for his statements on Hitler saying "I am not going to be intimidated by a bunch of bullshit. I'm not apologizing to anybody or any organization. It's my perfect right to make a speech about meaningful subject matters in this country." He also called rocker Ted Nugent a "patriot" for criticizing President Barack Obama.
= Fundraising
=Top contributors
Top industries
= Predictions
== Polling
== Results
=In spite of the Republicans winning every county in the presidential election, Manchin carried 52 of West Virginia's 55 counties.
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Berkeley (largest municipality: Martinsburg)
Hampshire (largest municipality: Romney)
Morgan (largest municipality: Berkeley Springs)
Hardy (largest municipality: Moorefield)
Mineral (largest municipality: Keyser)
Ritchie (largest municipality: Harrisville)
Pendleton (largest municipality: Franklin)
Tyler (largest municipality: Paden City)
Upshur (largest municipality: Buckhannon)
Putnam (largest municipality: Hurricane)
By congressional district
Manchin won all 3 congressional districts, including two held by Republicans.
See also
2012 United States Senate elections
2012 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia
2012 United States presidential election in West Virginia
2012 West Virginia gubernatorial election
References
External links
Elections Division at the West Virginia secretary of state
Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
Outside spending at Sunlight Foundation
Candidate issue positions at On the Issues
Official campaign websites
Joe Manchin for U.S. Senate
John Raese for U.S. Senate
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- Amerika Serikat
- Barack Obama
- Pemilihan umum Presiden Amerika Serikat 2016
- Daftar dukungan kampanye presiden Donald Trump 2024
- Pemilihan umum Senat Amerika Serikat di Maine 2018
- Pemilihan umum Senat Amerika Serikat di Connecticut 2018
- Pemilihan umum Senat Amerika Serikat di Minnesota 2018
- Pemilihan Senat Amerika Serikat di Rhode Island 2018
- Robert Byrd
- Donald Trump
- 2012 United States Senate election in West Virginia
- 2018 United States Senate election in West Virginia
- 2010 United States Senate special election in West Virginia
- 2014 United States Senate election in West Virginia
- 2020 United States Senate election in West Virginia
- 2024 United States Senate election in West Virginia
- 2012 United States Senate elections
- 2012 United States presidential election in West Virginia
- 2006 United States Senate election in West Virginia
- 2008 United States Senate election in West Virginia
