Top Republicans are lowering expectations in West Virginia, where GOP Senate nominee state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is struggling against Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin.

Morrisey isn’t capitalizing on President Trump’s popularity in the Appalachian battleground. His New Jersey roots and stint as a Washington lobbyist, although not a hindrance in two campaigns for attorney general, aren’t playing well versus Manchin. The former governor is affectionately known at home as “Joe,” a relationship worth a lot of votes in targeted, top-of-the-ticket contests like this.

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