State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is leading the GOP Senate primary in West Virginia, while coal baron Don Blankenship is fading, according to the latest GOPAC poll.
The results, according to GOPAC's survey:
- Patrick Morrisey: 24 percent.
- Rep. Evan Jenkins: 20 percent.
- Don Blankenship: 12 percent.
- Undecided: 39 percent.
Three other candidates in the crowded field showed miniscule returns, according to GOPAC.
Further, GOPAC's survey shows that a generic Republican is leading Democratic incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin by 4 points in head-to-head polling:
- 41 percent would vote for the Republican candidate.
- 37 percent would vote for Sen. Manchin.
- 20 percent are undecided.
The Achilles heel for Manchin is with independents, 49 percent of who would vote for the Republican candidate, according to GOPAC's results. Further, Manchin's approval rating among independents is just 43 percent.
"In spite of the current political punditry, Republicans are still in position to gain seats in the U.S. Senate, starting with West Virginia. Sen. Manchin is in a political cross current voting with the DC Democrats at a time when West Virginia voters are clearly supportive of President Trump, his recent tax cuts and his policies," GOPAC Chairman David Avella said.
National Republicans have spent $700,000 against Blankenship, fearing that he's in the same mold as Roy Moore in Alabama and would sabotage their chances at unseating Manchin, Politico reported.
Further, President Donald Trump himself tacitly endorsed either Morrisey or Jenkins over Blankenship during an event this month to promote tax cuts. Blankenship, who spent a year in prison over the fatal explosion at a mine in 2010 that killed 29 miners, was not even in attendance.
The GOPAC survey of 411 primary voters was conducted April 17-19 and has a margin of error of +/- 4.9 percentage points.
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