Convicted West Virginia coal baron Don Blankenship conceded Tuesday in the six-way Senate race in the Republican primary, saying that voters might not have known who was running or paid close attention to their platforms.
"People that maybe are focused on church or community activities, they really don't have the time invest in understanding the issues," Blankenship said in conceding the race.
With 89 percent of the vote counted, Blankenship had placed third, with 20 percent, to State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's 35 percent and Rep. Evan Jenkins' 29 percent.
Three other candidates garnered less than 10 percent of the vote.
The Associated Press, as well as ABC News and NBC News called Morrisey as the winner.
He will face Democratic incumbent Joe Manchin, who is seeking a second full term, in November.
"My advisers tell me it's time to concede, so I'm conceding the election," Blankenship told supporters shortly after 10 p.m. Eastern time.
President Donald Trump intervened in the race in the last week, tweeting several times that Blankenship could not beat Manchin and urging voters to instead back Morrisey or Jenkins.
In 2015, Blankenship, 69, was convicted of conspiring to violate safety rules at a mine he owned, where an explosion killed 29 miners in 2010.
He was CEO of Massey Energy Co. at the time of the blast.
Blankenship served a year in prison — and his parole was set to expire Wednesday.
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