House Editor David Wasserman writes: Earlier in the year, there was plenty of speculation that West Virginia Democrats, who still hold the legislature and governorship in a state that elects two Republicans to the House, would shake up the state's map to increase their chances in the 1st and 2nd Congressional districts. Democrats in Washington certainly would have preferred to pair freshman Rep. David McKinley and veteran Rep. Shelley Moore Capito in one northwestern district and create a favorable open seat in a northeastern district, all while protecting Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall in the south.
However, as in Arkansas, it turned out that Democrats back in the state capital had different priorities. Redistricting shifted just one county along the Ohio River from the 2nd CD to the 3rd CD, leaving the 1st CD unchanged. That's because Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and his allies have a strong incentive to avoid upsetting the applecart: a majority of Democrats, including Sen. Joe Manchin, didn't want to create a convenient reason for Capito to leave her seat and mount a statewide bid. Most
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