W.Va. voters to pick US Senate nominees

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - It's time for West Virginia voters to narrow the field of 14 candidates in the special primary for U.S. Senate.

Saturday's results will decide nominees for the seat held by the late Robert C. Byrd.

Gov. Joe Manchin is among the three Democrats running. John Raese and Mac Warner are the better-known of the 10 Republican hopefuls. Jesse Johnson is the sole Mountain Party candidate.

More than 30,500 ballots have already been cast during early voting. But state election officials expect a low turnout for a single-race Saturday election.

http://wvgazette.com/ap/ApTopStories/201008280181

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Claiming easy wins in their parties' special primary elections Saturday, Gov. Joe Manchin will face Morgantown businessman John Raese in a Nov. 2 special election to fill the remainder of the late U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd's term in the Senate.

With 85 percent of precincts reporting, Manchin easily outpaced former secretary of state Ken Hechler and two-term delegate Sheirl Fletcher with 73 percent of the votes cast, at 55,882 votes. Hechler had 13 percent of the vote, at 13,021, with Fletcher at 10 percent, with 7,756 votes.

Raese, the best-known candidate among a field of 10 Republicans, also breezed with 71 percent of the vote in that primary, at 33,585. Morgantown real estate executive Mac Warner had 16 percent, with 7,387 votes.

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Manchin pledged to run an upbeat and positive campaign, and said he is hopeful that Raese - who has been known to employ an acid tongue in past elections - will do the same.

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