Gov. Joe Manchin wins US Senate race in W.Va.

Source: AP

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Gov. Joe Manchin defeated millionaire Republican John Raese on Tuesday, keeping the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Robert Byrd for a half-century in the party's hands.

With 49 percent of precincts reporting, Manchin led with nearly 54 percent of the vote, compared with about 43 percent for Raese.

Raese cast the race as a referendum on President Barack Obama, while the popular governor stressed the record that helped him coast to re-election two years ago.

Manchin will serve the final two years of Byrd's term. The 92-year-old Byrd, the longest-serving senator in U.S. history, died in June.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101103/ap_on_el_se/us_west_virginia_senate_3

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This means we held the Senate.

I felt he was a good governor and will make a fine senator...

He is up in 2 years. But he will caucus with the Democrats.

"I think when Raese brought in Sarah Palin, Joe jumped another 8 points in the polls"

count on it