DDHQ Morning News Spotlight: Election Day in Nebraska and West Virginia

Welcome to this morning’s Decision Desk HQ Morning News Spotlight on Elections Daily as part of the Decision Desk HQ News Network.

It’s Election Day in West Virginia and Nebraska as voters in both states start to head to the polls to cast their ballot in what should be some exciting contests. Polls close in West Virginia at 7:30 p.m. (EDT) and in Nebraska at 8:00 p.m. (CDT). You can find the most up-to-the-minute results from both at results.decisiondeskhq.com. Be sure to check out our preview looking at redistricting, important races to follow, and key counties to watch before tonight.

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Morning Headlines

• In West Virginia, the 2nd Congressional District has a member vs member matchup on the Republican side. Congressman David McKinley faces Congressman Alex Mooney after the state lost one of its congressional seats to redistricting. Each candidate boasts a high-profile endorsement with former President Trump backing Mooney and W.V. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin backing McKinley. It is just one of many interesting races to watch in the Mountaineer State today.
• In Nebraska, the Governor race is shaping up to be another test of Trump’s influence on the party. He has backed a former advisor of his, Charles Herbster, while current Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts is backing Nebraska University Regent Jim Pillen. There’s an interesting situation in the 1st Congressional District as well. The district’s former representative, Jeff Fortenberry, resigned back in March after being convicted of lying to the FBI. He has stopped campaigning for the seat, but remains on the ballot, and votes cast for him will be counted. Governor Ricketts has thrown his support behind state Sen. Mike Flood in that race. Higher than normal turnout is expected across the state today.
• In redistricting news, the Missouri House has passed a new congressional map that now heads to the state’s Senate. The map would likely keep the Republican’s 6-2 advantage in congressional seats for the state. Missouri is the last state in the country to have passed a redistricting plan. The state Senate will need to work fast to get the plan approved as their 2022 legislative session ends on Friday.
• The Ohio Redistricting Commission is asking the state Supreme Court to leave maps they had previously deemed unconstitutional in place for the 2022 election. Secretary of State Frank LaRose said they are out of time and options to have a new plan in place for this year, and that the process can be revisited next year. The Ohio Supreme Court will have a different makeup in 2023 since multiple seats on the court are up for election this year. Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, who has been the swing vote in this process, is unable to run due to judicial age restrictions in Ohio. A federal court has already said the unconstitutional maps would be used this year if no plan is passed by May 28.
• We’re exactly one week away from the Pennsylvania primary, and an unexpected contender has emerged in the Republican field for U.S. Senate. While the two candidates that have received most of the attention so far, David McCormick and Dr. Oz, spend millions bludgeoning each other in TV ads, political commentator Kathy Barnette has only spent $137,000 on tv ads and managed to fly under the radar into real contention for the nomination.
• In the Philippines, the son of the country’s former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, has won the Presidential election. Marcos Sr. was ousted from power in 1986 by the People’s Power Revolution.

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