Don Blakenship Switches Parties, Running as Democrat for U.S. Senate in West Virginia

Former Republican Senate candidate Don Blankenship has made a surprising move by filing to run for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in West Virginia. Blankenship, who once claimed to be “Trumpier than Trump,” is now seeking a seat in the Senate as a member of the opposing party.

In the 2018 West Virginia Senate race, Blankenship was running in the GOP primary and faced opposition from then-President Donald Trump, who urged West Virginians to support his opponents. Despite this, Blankenship boldly declared himself to be even more aligned with Trump than his rivals.

In a recent interview with WV News, Blankenship revealed that he made the switch to the Democratic party eight months ago. He cited the Republican party’s failure to address issues such as the drug epidemic in West Virginia and the country as a whole as reasons for his decision.

Blankenship, a former CEO of Massey Energy, also expressed his disdain for the government, calling it “America’s worst enemy” and accusing it of destroying the country. He served a year in prison for conspiring to violate safety standards at the Upper Big Branch mine, where an explosion in 2010 resulted in the deaths of 29 miners.

With Senator Joe Manchin retiring at the end of the year, Republicans see his departure as an opportunity to win a seat in the Senate. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, a former Democrat who switched parties in 2017, is considered the frontrunner for the GOP nomination in 2024.

Blankenship’s unexpected move to run as a Democrat adds an intriguing twist to the upcoming Senate race in West Virginia, setting the stage for a contentious and closely watched campaign.