Fox News projects that Democratic governor Joe Manchin will win the West Virginia Senate race. With 14% of precincts reporting, Manchin leads Republican John Raese 53% to 45%. Manchin's win will very likely put a Senate takeover out of reach for the GOP--Republicans would have to run the table in the other toss-up races (Washington, Nevada, Colorado, Illinois) and pull off an upset in California by Carly Fiorina.
Raese was dogged by the fact that his wife is registered to vote in Florida, and he supports repealing the minimum wage. Manchin won by running away from Obama and Obamacare, shooting the cap-and-trade bill with a rifle in an ad, and talking about how much he loves the Bible, Robert Byrd, and cuttin' up chickens in the ole butcher shop. He has a 70% approval rating.