The Reps do hold a seat in W.Va. and have for quite a while, and the state's only got three of'em.
Actually Capito first won in 2000; an upset caused by an absolutely dire candidate, probably the worst the WV Dems have run for anything recently (with the possible exception of Hechler or [insert McGraw here]). He ran again in 2002... *shudders*
I've had a close look at the 2004 results for WV-2 and she seems to have won on name recognition along; the Dem was fairly well known in the Charleston area (which he won) but completely unknown in the Ohio Valley and the rural east of the district... and was uttely nuked in both. I have a suspicion that Capito could struggle against the likely Democratic candidate next year; he's a former state party chair and... er... how shall I put this... "knows people"...
But until the '80's the Republicans did often win House seats in WV (the delagation was actually tied in 1980).
As to the areas...Southern W.Va. appears to be quite like Southwestern Virginia. Central W.Va. more like Northeastern Va. Obviously Wheeling is very much a Northern Rustbelt city unless you also consider vast parts of Ohio Southern, but that's not a large part of W.Va. (though larger in pop. than in area.)
Does this map help?
What W.Va. doesn't have but Va. has in abundance is a) NOVA
It sorta does... but it's tiny. There's also some well off suburbs of Charleston (*not* the Chemical Valley ones o/c...)
b) that rich rural white conservative coastal area. And no Black Belt, but Va. doesn't have all that much of that either.
True. There's a reasonably large black population in a couple of towns in McDowell County though
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