Don Blankenship, Former Coal Titan and Political Lightning Rod, Running as Democrat for U.S. Senate
Former coal titan and political lightning rod Don Blankenship is making waves once again, this time by announcing his candidacy for U.S. Senate as a Democrat in West Virginia. Blankenship, who spent a year in jail on a mine safety conspiracy conviction, is throwing a curveball into the race for the Senate seat that Senator Joe Manchin has chosen to bow out of competing to retain.
Despite his controversial past and lack of support from the Democratic Party, Blankenship is confident in his ability to win over West Virginia voters. He has enough wealth for financial support of his own campaign and is not afraid to go against the grain.
Blankenship’s decision to run as a Democrat has raised eyebrows, as he has significant policy differences with the party on issues such as affirmative action, border control, and transgender rights. State Democratic Party Chairman Mike Pushkin has been quick to denounce Blankenship’s candidacy, calling it a “sad gimmick” and stating that he does not represent Democratic values.
However, Blankenship remains undeterred, criticizing both major parties as “criminal organizations” and vowing to act independently if elected to the Senate. He plans to form his own caucus called the “America First caucus” and believes that neither Republicans nor Democrats are capable of making the country better.
Despite his rocky relationship with the Democratic Party, Blankenship has offered relatively mild criticism of his Republican opponents, incumbent Gov. Jim Justice and Congressman Alex Mooney. He acknowledges their successes in improving the state but believes that more needs to be done to address issues such as the drug epidemic and poverty in West Virginia.
As the race for the Senate seat heats up, Blankenship is ready to debate any challengers and make his case to the voters of West Virginia. Love him or hate him, Don Blankenship is sure to bring a new level of excitement and controversy to the campaign trail.
