CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives in West Virginia have just a few days left to make an impression with voters ahead of Tuesday’s general election and, by all accounts, the races in West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District and 3rd Congressional District remain too close to call.
Emily Bittner, a West Virginia native who works as the communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, sounded encouraged on Tuesday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”
“We actually feel very good about some of the indicators that are coming in from early voting now in both West Virginia 2 and West Virginia 3 and we think that the voters will be there to re-elect Nick Rahall and elect Nick Casey to Congress,” she said.
But Nathan Gonzales, deputy editor of The Rothenberg Political Report, had a different view of the race between longtime 3rd District Congressman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) and state Senator Evan Jenkins (R-Cabell).
“When you look at this race on its own, when you look at it, kind of, in a vacuum, I think that Congressman Rahall has a good chance,” Gonzales said.
“But when you take a step back and you look at how bad nationally the numbers are for Democrats, how the President’s numbers continue to suffer, Republicans have an advantage on the generic ballot, you just wonder — how he is going to survive if Republicans are going to have as a good of a night as we think they’re going to have?”
Gonzales said the environment tilts the playing field toward Jenkins. “If the President were five, ten points more popular, I think we’re talking about a much different game and one that the Congressman has a much better shot in,” he said.
Bittner, though, said Rahall has been the target of negative ads for 18 months. “It is a testament to his standing with the voters, it is a testament to his record that he has remained competitive and that is the favorite to win in this race,” she said.
According to The Rothenberg Political Report, the race in the 2nd Congressional District between Alex Mooney, a former Maryland legislator, and Nick Casey, a former West Virginia Democratic Party chair, is leaning Republican. But Gonzales said the race is “volatile” and, most likely, a toss-up with just a handful of days left before the election.
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Oh.) was scheduled to be in Jefferson County on Wednesday afternoon for a rally with Mooney and Greg Walden, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee. That rally was going to be held at Paddy’s Irish Pub in Charles Town.
In the 1st Congressional District, polls have shown Congressman David McKinley (R-W.Va.) will likely win reelection against Glen Gainer, West Virginia’s longtime auditor.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4. Early voting continues in each of West Virginia’s 55 counties through Saturday.
Coverage of MetroNews Decision 2014 begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday on the MetroNews Radio Network and online at wvmetronews.com.