Democrat wins West Virginia governor's race

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Breitbart:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Democrat Earl Ray Tomblin has won a special election for governor in West Virginia, overcoming Republican attempts to tie him to President Barack Obama and the health care plan.
Tomblin has served as acting governor since Joe Manchin stepped down in November after he won a U.S. Senate seat. Tomblin defeated Republican drilling executive Bill Maloney and will serve the remaining year of Manchin's term.

Republicans were upset Tomblin didn't join a majority of other states who sued the Obama administration over the health care plan. Obama lost West Virginia in 2008 and is wildly unpopular here, even though Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 2-1.

Tomblin is West Virginia's longest-serving Senate president.

A Democrat who was once the favorite for governor of West Virginia struggled to overcome weeks of Republican attack ads in a special election Tuesday that was seen as a referendum on President Barack Obama and his health care plan.

Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and GOP candidate Bill Maloney vied to finish out the final year of a term left vacant by Joe Manchin, a well-liked governor who stepped down after he won a U.S. Senate seat. The race narrowed in recent weeks and was fraught with negative ads from both sides. The national parties spent millions of dollars on each campaign.

With 40 percent of precincts reporting, Tomblin led Maloney by several thousand votes, according unofficial results.

Tomblin, a veteran state lawmaker, fended off questions about his mother's greyhound breeding business and efforts to tie him to Obama that said Tomblin should have joined with a majority of other states who sued the administration over the health care plan.

Obama lost West Virginia in 2008 and remains wildly unpopular here, but Tomblin hoped for a replay of last year's U.S. Senate special election, when Manchin beat back efforts to tie him to Obama.
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Tomblin's been there forever. I guess this was to be expected.