BECKLEY — Sen. Rollan Roberts won the Republican primary Tuesday for West Virginia’s 9th Senatorial District, defeating challengers Dr. Michael Antolini and Adam Vance in a three-way contest spanning Fayette, Raleigh and Wyoming counties.
Roberts secured the nomination with 3,104 votes, or 44.6%, while Antolini received 2,336 votes, or 33.6%, and Vance finished with 1,514 votes, or 21.8%.
The race drew attention after Kanawha County Sen. Tom Takubo recruited Antolini to challenge Roberts as part of a broader effort to recruit candidates against conservative state senators during the Republican primary cycle.
Roberts built his victory largely through a strong showing in Raleigh County, the district’s most populous county, where he received 2,547 votes, or 51.8%, compared with 1,864 votes, or 37.9%, for Antolini and 509 votes, or 10.3%, for Vance.
County-by-county results were as follows:
• Fayette County: Antolini 361 votes (49.0%); Roberts 287 votes (38.9%); Vance 89 votes (12.1%) — all 13 precincts reporting.
• Raleigh County: Roberts 2,547 votes (51.8%); Antolini 1,864 votes (37.9%); Vance 509 votes (10.3%) — all 60 precincts reporting.
• Wyoming County: Vance 916 votes (70.6%); Roberts 270 votes (20.8%); Antolini 111 votes (8.6%) — all 26 precincts reporting.
Roberts’ strongest county was Raleigh County, where he won a majority of the vote and built the margin that carried him to victory districtwide. Antolini performed best in Fayette County, where he narrowly led the field, while Vance’s strongest support came in Wyoming County, where he won more than 70% of the vote.
Overall, Roberts won the Republican nomination with 3,104 votes (44.6%), followed by Antolini with 2,336 votes (33.6%) and Vance with 1,514 votes (21.8%).
