West Virginia Senate seat flips red as Joe Machin​ retires

Republican Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia defeated Democratic challenger Glenn Elliott Tuesday in the race to replace retiring Democratic turned independent U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin.

Although the seat was previously held by a Democrat, Republicans easily flipped the seat red, giving the GOP an edge to regain the Senate majority.

Manchin first won the seat as a Democrat in 2010 and has served in the Senate ever since. Manchin later switched his party affiliation from Democrat to independent in May of this year.

"I have never seen America through a partisan lens," Manchin said in a statement. "However, since becoming a United States Senator in 2010, I have seen both the Democrat and Republican parties leave West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy.

"Today, our national politics are broken, and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground," Manchin continued. "To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America's sensible majority.

Although Justice's predecessor was previously a Democrat, West Virginia was projected to be an overwhelming win for Republicans leading up to the election.

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