The seat in the second Congressional Delegation came up for grabs after Shelley Moore Capito decided to run for the United States Senate.
The enthusiasm at the Mooney campaign’s post-election party in Charles Town was anything but quiet. As soon as the polls closed at 7:30 p.m., supporters showed up in droves.
Throughout the evening, the vote tally between Mooney and Casey remained close, but the Republican’s supporters never faltered in confidence.
During the race for the 2nd Congressional District seat, Mooney received some criticism from West Virginians for not being a native of the state. But Mooney says he chose West Virginia because he felt connected to it.
“Many of you know, my family and I are West Virginians by choice,” said Mooney, “and we love this state. West Virginia is our home. We love the natural beauty all around us, we love the friendly, welcoming citizens, and we love that West Virginians are principled fighters.”
Bret Hrbek, one of the many Mooney supporters, had this to say about Mooney’s change in venue.
“Maryland wasn’t very welcoming to him,” noted Hrbek, “so he found a place that he would be able to identify with and be able to represent in a better capacity, because his value system and values are West Virginia values.”
With Mooney’s win, the 2nd Congressional District seat remains red. The seat was previously held by Shelley Moore Capito for 14 years.
On the Democrats side, an enthusiastic room of supporters might have lost their excitement, but stayed committed to the Nick Casey in Charleston as the numbers finally revealed his campaigns demise.
Supporters stuck around and chanted “Nick, Nick, Nick!” as Casey took the podium to deliver the concession speech.
In the end, Casey says he wouldn’t have done anything differently and encourages supporters to keep pride in West Virginia.
“So I ask that you do one thing,” Casey said, “stay invested in to this state. Don’t feel like this is a loss. Feel like this is just another opportunity as we face other opportunities and move forward.”
Casey hurried to the back after the speech. Several of the supporters expressed their disappointment not only in Casey’s race but also races across the state as Democrats lose several political seats on a national and state level.
