Longtime state attorney general elected governor in this red bastion
West Virginia has shifted in recent election cycles and is now one of the most red-leaning states in the nation
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Fox News Decision Desk projects that Republican state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia will succeed GOP Gov. Jim Justice as the red-leaning state's governor.
Morrisey is projected to defeat Democratic nominee Steve Williams, the mayor of Huntington, the state's second most populous city.
West Virginia, once a state where Democrats dominated, has shifted far to the right in recent election cycles.
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West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey speaks with reporters during a news conference at the state Capitol in Charleston, W.V. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File)
Former President Trump carried the state by 39-points four years ago and by 42-points in the 2016 election.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Morrisey, 56, has served as West Virginia's attorney general since 2012.
Justice was term-limited as governor and ran this cycle for the state's open Senate seat.
Republican Governors Association chair Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee said in a statement that "Governor-Elect Patrick Morrisey has proven himself as a relentless defender of West Virginia’s conservative values and a national leader in the fight against the Biden Administration."
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