WV-SEN: Sabato moves the race from Tossup to Lean Democrat

[Staph]

9. Blankenship will not be running.

The West Virginia Secretary of State has denied Don Blankenship's request to run for U.S. Senate in the general election.

Secretary of State Mac Warner says that he will not approve the candidacy application filed by Don Blankenship, according to a news release. Warner notified Blankenship Thursday morning by letter of his decision.

The former coal operator filed Tuesday to run for U.S. Senate in the Constitution Party. Blankenship ran as a Republican in the May primary and lost to West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.

"According to the plain language of the law, which controls my decision, a candidate who loses the Primary Election cannot use the nomination-certificate process to run another campaign in the General Election. Any other decision would be contrary to the law," Warner said.

http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Don-Blankenship-plans-to-run-for-US-Senate-for-Constitution-Party-483206641.html


Blankenship says he will appeal, but I don't find it likely that he can do more than a write-in campaign.

That said, there are a ton of feel-good Manchin ads on locally. And only anti-Morrisey ads, pushing his lobbying efforts for opioid producers, and his stance against pre-existing conditions. I feel cautiously optimistic about this race.