GOP eyes flipping West Virginia senate seat after Manchin's retirement
Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin joins 'Special Report' to break down the competitive 2024 senate races.
West Virginia state Treasurer Riley Moore has easily won a heated Republican primary in his home state and will likely be headed to Congress following the November general election.
Moore led the closest of his four opponents by a margin of more than 25 points when the Associated Press called the race.
Former Air Force Brig. Gen. Chris "Mookie" Walker, who had been considered Moore's most competitive challenger, trailed in a surprising third place. Both campaigns spent roughly the same amount of money on the race.
Republican West Virginia state Treasurer Riley Moore (left) and Republican retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Chris Walker (right). (Moore for West Virginia/Chris Walker)
The primary devolved into a contentious mudslinging contest between the Moore and Walker campaigns. Moore's victory means he will likely be the next member of Congress to represent the state's 2nd Congressional District, considering election analysts rate the race as either "solid" or "safe" Republican.
Moore comes from a West Virginia family with a legacy of holding public office, including his grandfather, who served as the state's governor, and his aunt, Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.
He was first elected to office in November 2016 as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and later as state treasurer in the 2020 election.
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Republican West Virginia state Treasurer Riley Moore. (Moore for West Virginia)
Moore spent his time in office as a staunch opponent of "woke" environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing standards, which critics say allocate investment funds based on political agendas, such as combating climate change. And he ran as a proponent of America First policies.
He was also an early supporter of former President Trump's current bid for the White House, endorsing him in February 2023.
Moore will face Democratic nominee and Navy veteran Steven Wendelin in November.
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