By Brad McElhinny, MetroNews (West Virginia)
A political lightning rod who spent a year in jail on a mine safety conspiracy conviction, Blankenship is running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate.
This is the seat that Senator Joe Manchin, an independent-minded mainstay of West Virginia Democratic politics, has chosen to bow out of competing to retain.
Most pundits believe the seat is likely to flip to a Republican, and the top candidates on that side are incumbent Gov. Jim Justice and Congressman Alex Mooney.
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Blankenship has been involved with Republican politics in West Virginia for many years, first as an activist and financial backer just before the GOP swung to dominance and then in 2018 with a competitive race in the Republican Primary for the U.S. Senate.
Blankenship’s announcement throws a curveball into the current race. He has enough wealth to finance his campaign and he does not anticipate support from the Democratic Party.
“I would expect them to be very upset that I’m even in the race,” he said.
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