Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said Monday he will donate to Sen. Joe Manchin's, D-W.Va., campaign if ex-coal baron Don Blankenship wins Tuesday's GOP primary in West Virginia.
"I hope that [Blankenship] doesn't get through the primary," Flake told reporters, Business Insider reported. "But if he does, I think you'll see a lot of Republicans making a contribution to Joe Manchin. I certainly will be."
Blankenship, who served time in prison for his role in the 2010 Upper Big Branch mine explosion that killed 29 coal miners, has momentum heading into Tuesday's primary, with polling showing him pulling ahead of Rep. Evan Jenkins, R-W.Va., and Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, The Hill reported.
It is not the first time Flake has chipped into a Democrat's campaign. During Alabama's special election last year, Flake donated $100 to Doug Jones, who ultimately won the race over Roy Moore, who was dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct.
Flake also took issue with an ad cut by the Blankenship campaign using racial slurs against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's, R-Ky., wife and family, who are of Chinese descent.
"You just don't go there," Flake said, BI reported. "You just don't."
Flake also lamented President Donald Trump has not condemned Blakenship strongly enough; the president tweeted earlier Monday that Blankenship was too toxic of a candidate to win a general election.
"You ought to condemn not just the loss of a seat but to say that somebody like this that expresses those kind of views should not be supported by Republicans," Flake said, BI reported.
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