Depending on who is doing the analyzing, Gov. Joe Manchin's three-to-one margin of victory over little-known and under-financed Delegate Mel Kessler, D-Raleigh, in Tuesday's primary election was within expectations - or is reason for concern.

On the positive side, the 262,692 votes cast for Manchin was an increase of 113,330 over his 2004 primary election vote count.

In 2004, then-Secretary of State Manchin ran in an eight-candidate primary that featured two serious challengers: former Senate Education Chairman Lloyd Jackson, and Charleston lawyer Jim Lees.

However, among Democratic vote-getters in statewide races on Tuesday, Manchin finished only fifth, behind Auditor Glen Gainer (277,547), Treasurer John Perdue (274,643), Attorney General Darrell McGraw (272,205) and U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller (269,184).

(Gainer, Perdue, and McGraw ran unopposed Tuesday.)

Manchin spokeswoman Lara Ramsburg suggested the nature of the job as governor creates opposition over time.

"Any governor who has served for nearly one full term ... is going to have some opposition," she said.

"Any governor across the country who has served for nearly a full term would be pleased to have 75 percent of the vote," Ramsburg added.

Manchin campaign spokeswoman Sara Payne Scarbro echoed the sentiment.

"Every person running for public office would like 100 percent support, but we're very happy getting three-fourths of the vote," she said.

However, Manchin's opponent in the November general election, former state Sen. Russ Weeks, R-Raleigh, said Manchin should be concerned that his once sky-high popularity with voters is slipping.

Depending on who is doing the analyzing, Gov. Joe Manchin's three-to-one margin of victory over little-known and under-financed Delegate Mel Kessler, D-Raleigh, in Tuesday's primary election was within expectations - or is reason for concern.

On the positive side, the 262,692 votes cast for Manchin was an increase of 113,330 over his 2004 primary election vote count.

In 2004, then-Secretary of State Manchin ran in an eight-candidate primary that featured two serious challengers: former Senate Education Chairman Lloyd Jackson, and Charleston lawyer Jim Lees.

However, among Democratic vote-getters in statewide races on Tuesday, Manchin finished only fifth, behind Auditor Glen Gainer (277,547), Treasurer John Perdue (274,643), Attorney General Darrell McGraw (272,205) and U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller (269,184).

(Gainer, Perdue, and McGraw ran unopposed Tuesday.)

Manchin spokeswoman Lara Ramsburg suggested the nature of the job as governor creates opposition over time.

"Any governor who has served for nearly one full term ... is going to have some opposition," she said.

"Any governor across the country who has served for nearly a full term would be pleased to have 75 percent of the vote," Ramsburg added.

Manchin campaign spokeswoman Sara Payne Scarbro echoed the sentiment.

"Every person running for public office would like 100 percent support, but we're very happy getting three-fourths of the vote," she said.

However, Manchin's opponent in the November general election, former state Sen. Russ Weeks, R-Raleigh, said Manchin should be concerned that his once sky-high popularity with voters is slipping.

"If I had those numbers, I would be concerned about only winning by that much," said Weeks, who received 80,298 votes Tuesday running unopposed in the Republican primary.

"I'm out there amongst the people every day. I've been around the state three times since January, and there's a lot of angst out there over the governor," Weeks said.

Weeks said he hears particular disgruntlement from state employees and from voters upset about the degree controversy involving Manchin's daughter, Heather Bresch.

Weeks said he decided to make a long-shot run for governor so that Manchin would be held accountable in the general election.

"If I wasn't running, he'd go straight back into the governor's mansion," Weeks said.

Meanwhile, an analysis of counties where Kessler ran strongest Tuesday showed that the counties were also troublesome for Manchin in the 2004 primary.

That includes Monongalia County, where Kessler ran closest to Manchin, picking up 42 percent of the vote to Manchin's 58 percent.

Manchin lost that county in the 2004 primary. Comparing head-to-head numbers with top challengers Jackson and Lees, Manchin lagged in Monongalia County in 2004 by a 4,826-to-4,740 margin.

Likewise, Manchin gathered only about 48 percent of the vote in Kanawha County in 2004, but picked up 69 percent of the vote Tuesday.

Manchin on Tuesday had 62 percent of the vote in Raleigh and Jefferson counties - consistent with his margins in those counties in 2004.

To contact staff writer Phil Kabler, use e-mail or call 348-1220.