Internal Republican polls show ex-coal CEO and former convict Don Blankenship in the lead a day before West Virginia’s Republican Senate primary, prompting more GOP fears about a Blankenship surge.
An internal poll from one of Blankenship’s rivals taken on Saturday and Sunday found Blankenship slightly ahead with 31 percent of the vote, according to The Weekly Standard. Rep. Evan Jenkins came in second, with 28 percent, and state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey in third, with 27 percent.
Another internal survey taken on Friday and Saturday also showed Blankenship with a narrow lead with 28 percent of the vote. This poll found Morrisey in second place, with 27 percent, while Jenkins received just 14 percent.
Republicans are sounding the alarm as it appears Blankenship, who spent a year in prison for violating mining safety regulations following an explosion that killed 29 miners, is leading the pack again ahead of Tuesday’s primary. The winner of the GOP nomination will go on to face vulnerable Sen. Joe Manchin (D), a top Republican target. – READ MORE
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