Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin re-elected in West Virginia, dealing a blow to Donald Trump

Impact

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) is projected to win re-election Tuesday in a blow to President Donald Trump, who strongly endorsed the red state Democrat’s conservative challenger, Patrick Morrisey.

Trump campaigned hard for Morrisey at three separate rallies in August, September and November, as well as in a series of tweets.

Manchin, who represents deep-red West Virginia, was seen as one of the more vulnerable Senate Democrats in the 2018 midterms. Trump carried West Virginia by more than 40 points over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

But Manchin held off Morrisey in a key hold for Democrats, who went into Tuesday with high hopes of retaking the House but anticipated Republicans would maintain their grip on the Senate.

Manchin is one of the most conservative Democrats in the Senate, and has broken with his party on a number of occasions — most notably, perhaps, in casting the lone Democratic vote in favor of Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee.

Manchin has served in the Senate since 2010.