(Capitol Notes – Graphic Illustration/MetroCreative)
For those eagerly awaiting news that U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (Iowa, West Virginia) has launched his signature campaign to appear on the November general election ballot as an independent candidate for West Virginia governor by the Aug. 1 deadline, please don’t get your hopes up.
This Thursday, Manchin will appear with former Democratic Gov. Bob Wise at a fundraiser for Huntington Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Williams in the lobby of the Frederick Hotel in downtown Huntington.
As I noted in my previous column, Manchin’s switch of parties just before a crucial deadline to potentially appear on the general election ballot as another party’s candidate was more of a attention-grabber than a last-minute campaign move in West Virginia.
Aggressively fundraising for Williams is probably the least Manchin can do for him, who was politically hurt in May by rumors that well-funded Republican and moderate Democrats were trying to pressure him to drop out of the gubernatorial race and replace him with Manchin. Manchin has tried to use the rumors to his advantage on both sides.
On the one hand, Manchin said he would not run, but on the other hand, he said he would not close the door. And while his switch to independent status put an end to rumors of a switch, his switch before the state deadline sparked new rumors that Manchin might start collecting signatures. Again, Manchin denied he would challenge Williams, but he still said he would not close the door. As long as new rumors fly, it will hurt Williams, especially in terms of fundraising.
Williams knows it’ll be an uphill battle. Republican gubernatorial candidate Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has ample funding, the backing of well-funded third-party groups, and the state’s more conservative voters. Williams’ current strategy appears to be to get as many registered Democrats to the polls as possible in November’s election, and to appeal to some registered independents and Republicans who don’t support Morrisey.
The road to Williams is narrow, but there is a path.
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Glenn Elliott, mayor of Wheeling and Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, publicly supported Elliott during the primary so he didn’t have to worry about Manchin getting involved in his election. Manchin has also made it clear he’s done with being a U.S. senator. And can you blame him after watching Congress turn into a glitzy dressing room for partisan cable news shows?
After a surprising party switch from Republican to Democrat, Elliott won a three-way race in May that included defeating controversial former coal magnate Don Blankenship, but now he can focus more on his U.S. Senate race against Republican Gov. Jim Justice. Elliott’s final City Council meeting as Wheeling’s mayor was held last week.
In fact, Elliott is doing just that, kicking off a 55-county tour over the weekend with a town hall meeting in Welch on Friday. The tour will cover every county in West Virginia by the end of August, with town hall meetings scheduled along the way. The next town hall is scheduled for Monday, July 1 in New Martinsville.
The race between Justice and Elliott is interesting for many reasons. Both are businessmen and have served in high-ranking government positions. Voters have ample ways to contrast and compare the two. Of course, being governor is different from being mayor, even of the state’s largest city. But each leaves different legacy when he or she leaves local government.
In fact, one of the tactics Elliott is using is to comment on the actions of the Department of Justice and the state regarding several controversies, including issues with the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health and Facilities. Judging by the number of emails I’m getting from people, there seems to be a lot of frustration with Child Protective Services.
There’s not much a U.S. senator can do about state-level criticism, but Elliott has used it to show voters that Justice isn’t cut out to solve big problems. But Justice is like Teflon, and years of criticism have had little impact on his political career.
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Elliott also received an endorsement last week from perhaps one of the most intriguing figures in Congress, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania).
There was a lot of concern initially about Fetterman, who wore a hoodie and shorts. He had campaigned hard as a progressive and it was thought he might have problems after suffering a stroke during his first term. But Fetterman has since “Heretic”. Fetterman appears to be a thoughtful moderate rather than one who strictly adheres to political positions.
Does this endorsement help Elliott? Certainly not, except among the state’s politically entrenched progressives, who see Fetterman’s pro-Israel stance in the wake of the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 as a political bummer. Most voters in the state don’t see it that way, and never will.
Remember, Elliott and Williams will have to do something to appeal to independent voters, and certainly Republican voters, to win the election in November.
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Finally, I hope you all had a wonderful West Virginia Day last week. Take advantage of the Tourism Bureau’s Summer Bucket List and check out some fun summer activities around the state. I promise you won’t regret it.
Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com.
