Posted on 05/21/2018 10:22:53 AM PDT by TBP
Don Blankenship, who was defeated in his maverick bid for the Republican nomination to run for Senate in West Virginia, said Monday he’ll run as a third party candidate in November, tossing the race in turmoil.
Mr. Blankenship said he has accepted the nomination of the Constitution Party, saying it was a natural fit for his views — and suggested he was out for vengeance against President Trump’s political team.
“This time, we won’t get surprised by the lying establishment,” he said. “We were assured by White House political staff that they would not interfere in the primary election. Obviously, that turned out not to be true.”
State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey won the GOP’s nomination in a May 8 primary that turned into a three-man race with him, Mr. Blankenship and Rep. Evan Jenkins. In the waning days of the race, Republicans ganged up on Mr. Blankenship, with Mr. Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging voters to pick anyone but the maverick former coal mine owner, after Mr. Blankenship bizarrely suggested Mr. McConnell was involved in cocaine trafficking.
The GOP had been hoping the race would be one of its best pickup chances in November, with incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin running in a state Mr. Trump won by more than 40 percentage points.
Mr. Blankenship’s independent bid complicates the picture.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Or Luther Strange in Alabama, among others.
What an arse. I thought he was an arse before. There is no doubt now.
Didn’t he finish with something like 10% of the vote in the actual election despite the democrat media promoting him as “ahead?” I don’t see him being able to spoil anything.
It won’t have any effect. At this point the guy sounds like and come across as a kook.
RAT funded, for sure!
So many people in SW PA, West Virginia and Ohio still buy that "different kind of Democrat" shtick.
If WV had sore loser laws this guy wouldn’t be able to run...
PA has sore loser laws, if you run in a primary and lose you cannot be on the ballot in November...
WV does not, which is why he can pull this stuff
This is an example of why we always wind up with either a Dim or Rino...
It’s so difficult to actually get a conservative elected when the government is run by an oligarchy with the help of Soros.
So frustrating.
It would be one thing if the Republican was an Establishment RINO, but that doesn’t describe Morrisey.
He claims he’s self funded, and he has plenty of money to do that if he chooses.
Morrisey is not a RINO.
Morrisey was one of the state AG’s who led the charge against ObaMaoCare. He will be a superb U.S. Senator.
He won’t be Senator is Schumer, Blankenship, McConnell, Manchin, and SSoro$ can help it.
That was a mess that led to a Democrat being elected and I don’t put blame on Mr. Moore. President Trump had said he would campaign with Moore then backed away with the “sex allegations”.
Donald Trump spoke in favor of Roy Moore at a rally in Pensacola, Florida just across the border and did not campaign for the general election with Roy Moore.
West Virginia does, but it’s poorly written and there is a small legaal hook on which Blankenship MIGHT be able to make a case. Their new law is clearer, but it takes effect 90 days after passage, and it was signed on March 22.
These three links explain the situation regarding Mr. Blankenship and the “sore loser” law.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.