Thousands of Appalachian voters flip from Democrat to Republican, narrowing registration lead

Thousands of voters in West Virginia have switched from Democratic to Republican affiliations, with over 16,000 Democrats registering as Republicans since early 2024. The shift narrows the Democratic registration lead, with 519,756 Republicans now outnumbering Democrats (327,089) and independents combined (620,000). The changes are linked to the state's closed primary system, prompting strategic party switches ahead of the May 12 primary.