BREAKING: Incumbent Will Morefield Overcomes Challenger, Wins HOD-3 in Mass Meeting — Updated

Delegate Will Morefield fought off an eleventh-hour challenge to win the Republican mass meeting nomination for the House of Delegates 3rd District on Saturday.

The meeting, held at Richlands High School in the 9th Congressional District, was a loss for area Trump organizers who had recruited the challenger and turned Trump supporters against one another in the battle that began brewing a few weeks ago. I guess they don’t call it the Fightin’ Ninth for nothing, except I thought it meant Republicans fighting their Democratic opponents, not each other.

The snipes and crossfire on Facebook had even lowered to the point of what degree of support was provided for Trump and whether someone was fully on the Trump Train while making no mention of whose yardstick would be used to measure that support, nor how much was enough.

Long-time Republican leader Jerry Lester wrote an op-ed Friday stating his support of Morefield, and noted the Morefield was the first to win after decades of Democratic public officials but was soon followed by other local offices that flipped to the GOP.

Developing….

Background: Thunder in the Hills: A Nomination Fight for a House of Delegates Seat in Coal Country by Matt Colt Hall.

UPDATE #1: Unofficial word is Morefield won by 65 percent.

UPDATE #2: Facebooked by Delegate Morefield: “We won! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I look forward to continue working hard for everyone in Southwest Virginia!”

UPDATE #3: Official vote tally: Morefield, 363; Altizer, 192.

UPDATE #4: Tweet from House Speaker-elect Kirk Cox:

Congrats to Will Morefield on his big win today and becoming the GOP nominee for the 3rd district. Will's a true fighter for Southwest VA.

— Kirk Cox (@KirkCoxVA) April 29, 2017