Summary
Republican West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has won the Senate seat previously held by retiring independent Sen. Joe Manchin, NBC News projects.
Justice’s victory moves Republicans closer to taking control of the Senate; they now need just one more seat if Democrats retain the White House.
Justice, initially elected as a Democrat in 2016 before switching to the GOP, defeated Democrat Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott in a race heavily favored for Republicans.
The judicial picks alone made him a Democrat. The fact that he was willing to work with Dems made him definitively NOT a Republican. Having him was infinitely better than having a Republican.
Manchin is what a Republican SHOULD be.