Republican takes W.Va. House seat

Republican Alex Mooney Tuesday won the House seat abandoned by Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R).

The Associated Press called the race for West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District for Mooney around 10:45 p.m. He edged out Democrat Nick Casey.

{mosads}“Tonight, I am not only humbled by this victory, I am inspired,” Mooney told supporters after the win was announced, according to a transcript from his campaign.

“As I traveled across the district, I met hardworking, proud West Virginians who refuse to give up,” he said.

Mooney pledged to stop President Obama’s policies that he says harm the coal industry, repeal ObamaCare, reduce federal spending and work toward other popular GOP policies.

Mooney’s win makes West Virginia’s entire House delegation Republican for the first time in decades.

With Capito’s election to the Senate the same day, West Virginia, once a stalwart blue state, now has an entirely Republican congressional delegation, save for Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin.

“We had a heck of a headwind against us but that headwind is just a little too tough,” Casey told supporters Tuesday night, according to the Charleston Gazette. “We did all we could … but it looks to me that wind is just too hard against us this time.”

Mooney moved to West Virginia last year and was previously chairman of Maryland’s Republican Party, a fact that led Casey to label him an outsider.

Like many races this year, Mooney focused his attention on tying Casey to President Obama’s policies.