Well, we survived the primary elections last week. Some things turned out the way I thought they would. Some things were complete surprises.

The Republican primary for governor of West Virginia was as tight as I thought it would be. I had thought former lawmaker Moore Capito might be able to squeak out a win, but in the end, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey came busting through like the Kool-Aid man.

WV MetroNews and Rex Repass should be given some credit for getting the spread right. They said Morrisey had 32% in their poll conducted April 24 through May 1, with Capito having 25%. According to the unofficial results from last Tuesday’s primary, Morrisey won with 33% and Capito came in second with 28%.

Morrisey had the benefit of having been on a statewide ballot four times since 2012, having a loyal group of supporters who never wavered, obscene amounts of money and outside groups willing to also spend millions. There is no subtlety or nuance to Morrisey: he is a bulldog and he is going to always charge forward to win, even if that means breaking all the porcelain in the china shop.

Capito had the last name he shares with his mother, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and the legacy of his grandfather, the late Gov. Arch Moore. He was well-funded enough, but not the most funded. He didn’t bombard the airwaves with ads. He largely led a positive campaign. He spent his time on the road going to every county and every event he could. And he had the backing of Gov. Jim Justice, who won his primary for U.S. Senate easily over U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney.

The Republican Party is a party now dominated by former President Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. And those voters are strongly in the Morrisey camp. That was probably one of the biggest problems facing Huntington businessman Chris Miller (who pumped in more than $5 million of his own money into the race) and Secretary of State Mac Warner.

They were all competing for the same voters. Miller tried to use the power of mass media to peel those voters away from Morrisey with TV ad after TV ad. Warner tried by appealing to the fringiest of the fringe right. But in the end, voters went with the pro-Trump candidate they knew the longest, and that was Morrisey.

No real surprises in the congressional races. State Treasurer Riley Moore simply had more momentum and more support, including by Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives. Plus, he had Mooney’s blessing. He sailed to the GOP nomination for the 2nd Congressional District.

U.S. Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., easily won re-election in the 1st Congressional District GOP primary over Jan. 6 rioter Derrick Evans. I’m still concerned, however, that more than 37% in the southern half of the state threw their support behind an unrepentant convicted individual who tried to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election by joining a crowd who broke into the U.S. Capitol.

The biggest surprise of election night was Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, losing the primary to Berkeley County attorney and West Virginia National Guard officer Tom Willis. I think the low Eastern Panhandle turnout hurt Blair, and low turnout usually means true base voters turn out, and the base is becoming more MAGA conservative, with incumbents who were previously considered conservative now being labeled “elite” or “establishment.”

I also think he fell into the same trap as other Republican Senate presidents, who have turned the seat into a full-time job. Yes, the Senate president is second in the line of succession if something happens to the governor, and the Senate president holds the ceremonial title of “lieutenant governor.” But it’s just that: ceremonial.

Democratic Senate presidents didn’t come to Charleston frequently beyond the regular session, special sessions and interim meetings. That changed with former Senate President Bill Cole, who came to Charleston frequently during his short tenure (Cole lost to then-Democrat Jim Justice for governor in 2016). Former Senate President Mitch Carmichael came even more frequently, even buying a house near the Capitol. He lost the primary in 2020 to current Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason. Blair’s time spent in Charleston became a criticism during his Senate primary.

I don’t believe Blair ever neglected his Senate district, but the perception that he was neglecting constituents for the perceived perks of being Senate president was one factor in his loss. There is already jockeying behind-the-scenes for who will be the next Senate president for 2025, but whoever is next, my advice would be keep your trips to Charleston to a minimum.