Democrat holds onto West Virginia governor's seat

(CNN) - Democratic incumbent Earl Ray Tomblin defeated Republican businessman Bill Maloney in a re-match to win a four-year term as West Virginia's governor.

Tomblin took office in late 2010 after his Democratic predecessor Joe Manchin resigned to take over the late Robert Byrd's U.S. Senate seat.

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Tomblin won a special election last year against Maloney, 50% to 47%, to complete the rest of Manchin's term. The major difference this time is that 2012 was a presidential election year and the shadow of President Obama loomed larger than it did in 2011.

CNN projected Mitt Romney will win the Mountain State this year. Once a reliably Democratic state in presidential elections, beginning in 2000 West Virginia began picking Republicans for president and Democrats for governor.