Former Coal CEO Don Blankenship Launches Senate Bid as Democrat in West Virginia

Former coal company CEO Don Blankenship, who once claimed to be “Trumpier than Trump,” has thrown his hat into the ring for the Senate seat in West Virginia as a Democrat. Blankenship, who previously ran for the Republican nomination in 2018 but lost, filed his candidacy on Friday for the seat being vacated by Sen. Joe Manchin.

Blankenship’s controversial past includes serving time in prison for conspiracy to violate mine safety regulations after an explosion at one of his coal mines resulted in the deaths of 29 workers. Despite pushback from national Republicans during his 2018 Senate run, Blankenship is now running as a Democrat, citing his disillusionment with the GOP and their handling of issues like the drug epidemic in West Virginia.

In an interview with a local West Virginia news outlet, Blankenship explained his party switch and his motivation for running for Senate again, emphasizing that the real enemy is the government and politicians, regardless of party affiliation. He also ran for president in 2020 as the Constitution Party nominee.

With Manchin’s retirement, Republicans are expected to have a good chance of picking up his seat in the upcoming elections. Governor Jim Justice, who switched from Democrat to Republican in 2017, is currently the front-runner for the GOP nomination, facing opposition from Rep. Alex Mooney.

It remains to be seen how Blankenship’s candidacy will impact the race and whether his unconventional political background will resonate with voters in West Virginia. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.