Sasse in NE, Mooney in WV-2. Tea Party supported candidates who have demonstrated an ability to build coalitions win the two biggest profile races of this primary day.
Nebraska
Senate: Former Bush Administration official Ben Sasse won the GOP Senate primary to replace retiring Senator Mike Johanns (R). Sasse, considered the frontrunner, had been leading in the polls in this five way primary. His two biggest threats were banker Sid Dinsdale and former State Treasurer Shane Osborn. What started as a two way battle between Sasse and Osborn developed into a three way race in the last days of the election, as self-funder Sid Dinsdale picked up steam. Sasse was backed by national conservative groups, including the Club for Growth and Senate Conservatives Fund while "establishment" support split between Sasse, Dinsdale and Osborn. This will likely be seen as a victory for tea-party oriented groups, but Sasse has demonstrated an ability to work with a broader coalition and is expected to do so in the Senate. The general election is not considered competitive.
House: Not much is expected to change in Nebraska's three Congressional seats. Rep. Lee Terry easily beat a primary challenge from electronics businessman Dan Frei, whose campaign never really took off. Terry is the most vulnerable Nebraska Congressman, he only won by 2 points in 2012. With the current national climate and a midterm election however, he is favored to win. Terry will face state Sen. Brad Ashford (D) in the general.
West Virginia
Senate: The nominees for the open West Virginia Senate seat have become official, with Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R) and Secretary of State Natalie Tennant (D) easily capturing their nominations. Neither one faced a competitive primary. West Virginia is one of the Republicans best chances at a pickup, with Sen. Rockefeller (D) retiring. This coal state is trending red and Capito has had a solid lead in the polls. If she can keep her current momentum, Capito has a good shot at taking the seat.
House: With Rep. Capito running for Senate, her open seat in 2nd Congressional district attracted the attention of seven Republican candidates. In such a crowded field, no one candidate was considered the frontrunner, though former Maryland State Senator Alex Mooney and former U.S. International Trade Commissioner Charlotte Lane were among the more well-known candidates. Mooney won with 35 percent of the vote, almost 13 points ahead of the next closest candidate. Mooney was supported by the Senate Conservatives Fund and other tea-party oriented groups, but like Sasse in Nebraska, has demonstrated an ability to work well with a wide variety of constituencies. Democrats had their own two way primary as well, with former state party chair Nick Casey winning with almost 60 percent of the vote. Mooney is the favorite going into the general election, but this could shape up to be a competitive race. In the 3rd district, Rep. Rahall (D) showed some vulnerability by giving up 35% of the primary vote to Richard Ojeda, who was running against Rahall's coal platform. He will need to consolidate his base to hold off a strong challenge from state Sen. Evan Jenkins who did not have a primary on the Republican side. Rep. Rahall is considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents in 2014. Romney won the 3rd district with 65 percent of the vote.
Nebraska
Senate: Former Bush Administration official Ben Sasse won the GOP Senate primary to replace retiring Senator Mike Johanns (R). Sasse, considered the frontrunner, had been leading in the polls in this five way primary. His two biggest threats were banker Sid Dinsdale and former State Treasurer Shane Osborn. What started as a two way battle between Sasse and Osborn developed into a three way race in the last days of the election, as self-funder Sid Dinsdale picked up steam. Sasse was backed by national conservative groups, including the Club for Growth and Senate Conservatives Fund while "establishment" support split between Sasse, Dinsdale and Osborn. This will likely be seen as a victory for tea-party oriented groups, but Sasse has demonstrated an ability to work with a broader coalition and is expected to do so in the Senate. The general election is not considered competitive.
House: Not much is expected to change in Nebraska's three Congressional seats. Rep. Lee Terry easily beat a primary challenge from electronics businessman Dan Frei, whose campaign never really took off. Terry is the most vulnerable Nebraska Congressman, he only won by 2 points in 2012. With the current national climate and a midterm election however, he is favored to win. Terry will face state Sen. Brad Ashford (D) in the general.
West Virginia
Senate: The nominees for the open West Virginia Senate seat have become official, with Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R) and Secretary of State Natalie Tennant (D) easily capturing their nominations. Neither one faced a competitive primary. West Virginia is one of the Republicans best chances at a pickup, with Sen. Rockefeller (D) retiring. This coal state is trending red and Capito has had a solid lead in the polls. If she can keep her current momentum, Capito has a good shot at taking the seat.
House: With Rep. Capito running for Senate, her open seat in 2nd Congressional district attracted the attention of seven Republican candidates. In such a crowded field, no one candidate was considered the frontrunner, though former Maryland State Senator Alex Mooney and former U.S. International Trade Commissioner Charlotte Lane were among the more well-known candidates. Mooney won with 35 percent of the vote, almost 13 points ahead of the next closest candidate. Mooney was supported by the Senate Conservatives Fund and other tea-party oriented groups, but like Sasse in Nebraska, has demonstrated an ability to work well with a wide variety of constituencies. Democrats had their own two way primary as well, with former state party chair Nick Casey winning with almost 60 percent of the vote. Mooney is the favorite going into the general election, but this could shape up to be a competitive race. In the 3rd district, Rep. Rahall (D) showed some vulnerability by giving up 35% of the primary vote to Richard Ojeda, who was running against Rahall's coal platform. He will need to consolidate his base to hold off a strong challenge from state Sen. Evan Jenkins who did not have a primary on the Republican side. Rep. Rahall is considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents in 2014. Romney won the 3rd district with 65 percent of the vote.
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