Trump says Republicans shouldn’t back ex-coal exec in West Virginia U.S. Senate race

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday waded into the U.S. Senate race in West Virginia, urging Republicans to reject former coal executive Don Blankenship and instead vote for either U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins or state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. FILE PHOTO - Former Massey Energy Chief Executive Don Blankenship is talking on his mobile phone as he walks into the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse in Charleston, West Virginia December 3, 2015.

Senator Manchin speaks to WVU-P grads

U.S. Sen Joe Manchin told the West Virginia University at Parkersburg Class of 2018 they hit the jackpot living in the United States, but to maintain what lies before them will take work Manchin, D-W.Va., told the graduates they, like many others before them, probably had times when they thought they would not reach their goals of graduating. "How many times did you think you were not going to make it, how many times did you think you could not afford it," "Thinking about those in the back of the room, how many of them made the extra effort, how many of them made a sacrifice and how many times did you take it for granted."

High Stakes for GOP in Vicious Primaries Being Decided on Tuesday

Control of the House and Senate won't be determined until November, but this week will point to where both parties go from here. In West Virginia, one Republican primary candidate has waged an all-out racist assault against the Senate leader of his own party.

Divisive former coal baron at center of party-backed super PAC primary fight

Former coal mogul Don Blankenship is at the center of a party-backed, super PAC , Senate primary fight in West Virginia as groups with obscure names and undisclosed donors spend millions. The proxy fight -- an effort to sway the Republican primary by influencing whether Blankenship makes it onto the ballot in November - has made the Senate bid one of the most expensive races so far this year.

Ex-coal baron takes swipe at “China people” in political ad

An ex-coal executive who's running for U.S. Senate after serving a one-year prison sentence has unleashed a political ad that takes swipes at "China people" and calls the Senate majority leader "Cocaine Mitch." Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, a Republican, is seeking the West Virginia seat now held by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, but his ad disparages Kentucky GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Democratic PAC escalates spending to sway GOP primary against Evan Jenkins, for Don Blankenship

Over a week before the May 8 primary, a new Democratic outside group has dropped over $1.2 million against Rep. Evan Jenkins in just under two weeks. A Democratic super PAC is boosting its spending against Rep. Evan Jenkins, R-W.V., in an effort to prop up Don Blankenship's campaign for the GOP nomination to take on Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V. Over a week before the May 8 primary, Duty and Country PAC, a new Democratic outside group, has dropped over against Jenkins in just under two weeks, with $517,000 coming since Thursday alone.

GOP frets over ex-con seeking primary win in West Virginia

Republican Don Blankenship doesn't care if his party and his president don't think he can beat Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin this fall. The former coal mining executive - an ex-convict released from prison less than a year ago - is willing to risk his personal fortune and the GOP's golden opportunity in West Virginia for the chance to prove them all wrong.

Problems increase for GOP from ex-con candidate

Republican Don Blankenship doesn't care if his party and his president don't think he can beat Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin this fall. This former coal mining executive, an ex-convict released from prison less than a year ago, is willing to risk his personal fortune and the Republican Party's golden opportunity in West Virginia for the chance to prove them all wrong.

Ex-con candidate compounding GOP woes in West Virginia Source: AP

Republican Don Blankenship doesn't care if his party and his president don't think he can beat Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin this fall. This former coal mining executive, an ex-convict released from prison less than a year ago, is willing to risk his personal fortune and the Republican Party's golden opportunity in West Virginia for the chance to prove them all wrong.

Ex-con candidate compounding GOP woes in West Virginia

In this Jan. 18, 2018, file photo, former Massey CEO and West Virginia Republican Senatorial candidate, Don Blankenship, speaks during a town hall to kick off his campaign in Logan, W.Va. Blankenship doesn't care if his party and his president don't think he can beat Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin this fall.

Manchin Has Heavy War Chest in Senate Contest

Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin has built a significant fundraising chest in his bid for a second full six-year term, far outpacing West Virginia Republicans hoping to defeat him this fall. Manchin's campaign has raised $4.5 million since the start of 2017 and had $5.4 million in cash on hand at the end of March, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

GOP candidates rip Manchin, praise Trump at Senate forum

Republican candidates hoping to oust U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin in the fall took turns attacking the incumbent Democrat's record during a forum in West Virginia. They also aligned themselves as much as possible with President Donald Trump during the 90-minute forum that lacked fireworks and harsh finger pointing among each other Monday night at Wheeling Jesuit University.

2 more Democratic senators say they’ll vote for Pompeo

Secretary of state nominee Mike Pompeo now has the support of three Democratic senators, after two lawmakers said Monday they'd back the CIA director to be the nation's next top diplomat. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin tweeted that he will support Pompeo in his confirmation vote, increasing his chances of being confirmed by the chamber.

‘It’s very humbling,’ Huntington fire chief says of making Time 100 list

A West Virginia fire chief is joining other global leaders, advocates, artists, scientists, activists and entrepreneurs on the Time 100 list for 2018. "But I think that the bigger picture here is that the world is actually paying attention to all the positive things Huntington, West Virginia is doing to turn the tide in this epidemic."

Senate votes to kill a policy warning auto lenders about…

The Senate on Wednesday voted to kill a five-year old Obama administration policy warning auto lenders not to discriminate against minority borrowers. The legislation, which passed 51 to 47 largely along party lines, is the latest Republican rebuke of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's history of aggressive tactics.