Down to the Wire: Hechler Surging and Other U.S. Senate Primary Shorts
By Huntingtonnews.net Staff
In an interview with U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Ken Hechler on
Wednesday, the former Congressman and Secretary of State sounded
confident about his chances. "The outpouring of support has been
so heartening," said Hechler, who has based his candidacy on opposition
to the controversial mountaintop mining practice in the Southern WV coalfields.
While Hechler's image is one of a one-man-band out on the campaign trail, in fact, Hechler has a sophisticated campaign staff that is organizing supporters aorund the state to get out to the polls on Saturday. Hechler has also crossed the threshold for reporting campaign donatiosn to the Federal Elections Commission, indicating a surge in donations in recent days. He said that he'll be spending donors' funds on TV ads to go along with his radio ads already up and running statewide.
Could Hechler win, beating incumbent Democratic Governor Joe Manchin?
"What sounded implausible a few weeks ago is now a jump ball," said Jack Ellis, a Putnam County political consultant. "Remember, this is going to be a low turnout election. If only 10% of the Democratic Party across West Virginia votes in this primary, then Hechler's shock troops might just shock the world. Ken has certainly shown more energy and enthusiasm than Manchin in this race, and so have Hechler's supporters. It would be a national news story if Hechler pulled this thing off."
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Meanwhile, on the Republican side, U.S. Senate candidate John
Raese had good news going into the last week of campaigning.
At an August 18th in Morgantown attended by over 200 people,
Raese collected $160,000 in donations--a sizable take for a Republican
candidate who had only been in the race for a few weeks.
"I am gratified and flattered by the strong financial support I am receiving from West Virginians from all walks of life," Raese said in a press release. "Small business owners, supporters of the 2nd Amendment, supporters of LIfe, and everyone in between understand that I will bring their values to Washington and that I will not be a rubberstamp for the Obama Administration.
"West Virginia deserves and needs change. Unemployment has doubled in the last three years. Obamacare threatens the private healthcare of our citizens and allows government funded abortions. And proposed Cap and Trade legislation will devastate our coal industry and raise electricity bills on all West Virginians," said Raese.
Raese has more fundraising events planned in the coming weeks and months of the campaign.
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Finally, former Supreme Court Richard Neely weighed in on the
U.S. Senate special primary election on Metronews "Statewide Talkline"
on Thursday with host, Hoppy Kercheval. Neely recalled how, when
he owned a house in France, he would see how French elections
sometimes gave an opportunity for "joke candidates" to gain
unwarranted support from the masses.
Note to Justice Neely: Boasting about a French residence you own while telling West Virginians whom they should and shouldn't vote for in the current election is unlikely to be persuasive.