West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is expected to win the GOP Senate primary, ending Republican fears that ex-coal executive Don Blankenship could win the nomination and blow Republican chances in November for a key Senate seat.
The Associated Press reported that Morrisey defeated his leading GOP rivals, Blankenship and Representative Evan Jenkins, for the chance to take on Democratic Senator Joe Manchin in November.
The attorney general’s victory means Republicans managed to fend off Blankenship, who served a year-long prison sentence for violating mine safety standards following a deadly mine explosion that killed 29 people.
During his concession speech on Tuesday night, Blankenship defended his attacks against McConnell, saying that he believes Trump’s call for voters to reject him likely contributed to his loss.
“I am being asked of course whether some of the things we did, whether it’s ‘Cocaine Mitch’ or whether its some of the other criticisms of Mitch McConnell, whether its ‘China People’ that made the difference. I don’t think so,” Blankenship said. “If there was any single factor, based on the polling of different times…it was probably President Trump’s lack of endorsement…I don’t know what else it would have been unless the polls were way off.”
Meanwhile, Republicans celebrated Blankenship’s third-place finish by tweeting a photo of McConnell looking like Colombian cocaine trafficker Pablo Escobar from the Netflix series “Narcos,” with McConnell surrounded by cocaine.
“Thanks for playing, @DonBlankenship. #WVSen,” the campaign tweeted, referencing the “Cocaine Mitch” nickname.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) congratulated Morrisey “on his hard-fought victory.”
“Unlike loyal Democrat Joe Manchin, West Virginia families know that they can count on Attorney General Morrisey to fight for conservative values, and will send him to the U.S. Senate this November,” said NRSC executive director Chris Hansen.
Be the first to comment