David McKinley
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Voters in the 1st District soundly re-elected Congressman David McKinley Tuesday.
With about 80 percent of precincts reporting in the 20-county district, the GOP congressman first elected in 2010 brought in 134,341 votes (67 percent) to challenger Mike Manypenny who collected 64,827 votes (33 percent).
The margin was a little closer in Marion County, where with all precincts counted McKinley earned 13,478 votes (60.26 percent) to Manypenny’s 8,861 votes (39.62 percent). McKinley called the win, as well as several other seats picked up by Republicans in the state, a “referendum.”
McKinley said that he was having a hard time focusing on his own win because he was trying to keep his eye on his colleagues’ races in other states. He said he serves on committees and caucuses with the congressmen and wants to be able to get back to work.
“I am particularly proud of working in a bipartisan way and working across the aisle,” said McKinley, who was recently rated as the 22nd most bipartisan member of the House. “I’m doing things to try to show a different way to govern. This idea of polarization isn’t working. This country is hurting. Too many people are out of work and using drugs.”
McKinley said that his first priority will be to again push for a national energy policy.
“We just have to quit this thing of getting caught up in political parties (and create) a national energy policy that the coal miners and the gas workers shouldn’t have to worry about who the next president is,” he explained. “That’s it all comes down to in West Virginia, jobs and research.”
Email Misty Poe at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @MistyPoeTWV.