2010 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia

The 2010 congressional elections in West Virginia were held on November 2, 2010 to determine who would represent the state of West Virginia in the United States House of Representatives. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; the elected served in the 112th Congress from January 2011 until January 2013.

2010 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia
November 2, 2010 (2010-11-02)
All 3 West Virginia seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Last election 1 2
Seats won 2 1
Seat change 1 1
Popular vote 283,085 227,857
Percentage 55.03% 44.30%
Swing 21.98% 22.63%

West Virginia has three seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census. Its 2009-2010 congressional delegation consisted of two Democrats and one Republican, though following the election, its delegation consisted of two Republicans and one Democrat.

Overview
United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia, 2010[1]
Party Votes Percentage Seats +/–
Republican 283,085 55.03% 2 +1
Democratic 227,857 44.30% 1 -1
Constitution 3,431 0.67% 0 —
Totals 514,373 100.00% 3 —

By district

Results of the 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia by district:[2]

District Republican Democratic Others Total Result
Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%
District 190,66050.40%89,22049.60%00.00%179,880100%Republican Gain
District 2126,81468.46%55,00129.69%3,4311.85%185,246100%Republican Hold
District 365,61143.96%83,63656.04%00.00%149,247100%Democratic Hold
Total283,08555.03%227,85744.30%3,4310.67%514,373100%
Elections in West Virginia
Federal elections
Presidential Elections
Presidential Primaries
U.S. Senate Elections
U.S. House Elections
Special elections
State government
General elections
Gubernatorial elections
Secretary of State elections
Senate elections
House of Delegates elections

District 1
See also: West Virginia's 1st congressional district

This conservative[3] district, rooted in the northern counties of West Virginia, has been represented by moderate Democrat Alan Mollohan since he was first elected to replace his father, Bob Mollohan, in 1982. Running for a fifteenth term, Mollohan faced a serious challenge in the Democratic primary from State Senator Mike Oliverio, who attacked the Congressman for his ethical violations.[4] Ultimately, Congressman Mollohan was defeated by Oliverio, taking around 44% of the vote to Oliverio's 56%.[5]

In the general election, Oliverio, the Democratic nominee, faced David McKinley, the Republican nominee and a former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates. McKinley and Oliverio traded barbs, with McKinley accusing his Democratic opponent of supporting the agenda of Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama—to which Oliverio responded: "I am not going to Washington to get in touch with the Washington leadership. I'm going to Washington to get the national leadership in step with the people of West Virginia."[6] In the end, Oliverio narrowly lost the election, despite Joe Manchin's victory in the special election.

West Virginia's 1st congressional district election, 2010[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican David McKinley 90,660 50.40
Democratic Mike Oliverio 89,220 49.60
Total votes 179,880 100.00
Republican gain from Democratic

District 2
See also: West Virginia's 2nd congressional district

This conservative[3] district, which stretches from metro Charleston in western West Virginia to the Potomac River in the eastern region of the state, has been represented by Republican Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito since 2001. Although Moore Capito faced serious challenges to her re-election in 2006 and 2008, she was not seen as vulnerable this year. The Congresswoman faced Democratic nominee Virginia Lynch Graf and Constitution Party candidate Phil Hudok in the general election, whom she was able to defeat in an overwhelming landslide to win a sixth term in Congress.

West Virginia's 2nd congressional district election, 2010[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) 126,814 68.46
Democratic Virginia Lynch Graf 55,001 29.69
Constitution Phil Hudok 3,431 1.85
Total votes 185,246 100.00
Republican hold

District 3
See also: West Virginia's 3rd congressional district

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Nick Rahall had represented this conservative-leaning[3] district, based in the southern portion of the state, since he was initially elected in 1976. Rahall had not faced many serious challenges since he was first elected, but experienced a serious one from Spike Maynard, a former Democrat and a defeated former member of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. In the general election, Maynard claimed that Rahall had received "money from a convicted terrorist," although Republican candidates such as George W. Bush also received money from the same individual; Rahall donated the contribution to charity.[7] In the end, Maynard was unable to combat the popularity that Rahall had built in his thirty-four year congressional career and Rahall won an eighteenth term in Congress.

West Virginia's 3rd congressional district election, 2010[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nick Rahall (incumbent) 83,636 56.04
Republican Spike Maynard 65,611 43.96
Total votes 149,247 100.00
Democratic hold

References
  1. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electioninfo/index.aspx
  2. Haas, Karen L. (June 3, 2011). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  3. "Partisan Voting Index Districts of the 111th Congress." The Cook Political Report. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2011. <http://www.cookpolitical.com/sites/default/files/pvistate.pdf Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine>.
  4. http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/node/3224
  5. "Alan Mollohan loses primary fight". The Washington Post. May 11, 2010.
  6. King, Joselyn (October 21, 2010). "McKinley, Oliverio Aware of the Anger". The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
  7. Terkel, Amanda (October 13, 2010). "Spike Maynard's New Ad Accuses Opponent Of Taking Money From A 'Terrorist,' Even Though GOP Has Also Accepted Funds". Huffington Post.
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