Tag: U.S. Senate

Manchin Endorses Wheeling Mayor For US Senate Primary

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., endorsed Mayor of Wheeling Glenn Elliott for the Democratic primary election in this year’s race for the United States Senate.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has endorsed a potential successor in the race for his United States Senate seat.

Manchin released a video Monday announcing his support for Glenn Elliott, the current mayor of Wheeling, in West Virginia’s May 14 Democratic primary election.

“He has the determination, the vigor and vitality to do the work required to be successful in the U.S. Senate here in Washington, D.C.,” Manchin said. “He’ll show up every day to fight for West Virginia to create jobs, grow our economy and make a better life for our people.”

After serving as senator since 2010, Manchin announced he would not seek reelection last November, citing frustrations over a tense partisan divide in Washington.

Manchin’s decision opened the door for new Democratic candidates like Elliott, who are vying to represent their party in the November general election despite the state’s increasingly Republican base. Manchin is the only Democrat currently holding statewide office in West Virginia.

To secure a place in the state’s Nov. 5 general election, Elliott must defeat two opponents in the Democratic primary: former Marine Zach Shrewsbury and former coal executive Don Blankenship.

Elliott said he was “thrilled” by the endorsement, and that his reputation for “working across the aisle” and “getting things done” helped secure Manchin’s support.

“The senator has made very clear he thinks politics in Washington is broken. One of the advantages of being a mayor is — especially wherever a town like Wheeling is — you don’t really have the luxury of letting politics get broken,” he said. “You gotta get things done.”

With this fall’s general election looming, West Virginia’s U.S. Senate race has become a focal point for both the Democratic and Republican parties nationally.

Both chambers of the United States Congress are led by narrow partisan majorities, with Democrats leading in the Senate and Republicans leading in the United States House of Representatives.

Political analysts have predicted that West Virginia will likely flip to a Republican senator in this year’s general election, which would threaten the Democratic Party’s already tenuous Senate majority.

Elliott said that Manchin’s endorsement suggested that “he thinks I’m the best option to keep the Senate seat going forward.”

Now backed by Manchin, Elliott said he hopes his campaign will appeal to West Virginia voters seeking a candidate who can follow through on their needs in Washington.

“We need folks who have a record of getting things done and who are doers,” he said. “I certainly bring that experience and perspective to the race.”

The Governor’s Signed And Vetoed Bills, COVID-19 Impacts And The Race For U.S. Senate, This West Virginia Week

WVPB looked at what did and didn’t get the governor’s signature and we continue our series looking back at the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic four years after its start.

We also take a look at the Republican primary race for a U.S. Senate seat, as well as updates from the state police on investigations into sexual misconduct.

On this West Virginia Week, the deadline for the governor to sign or veto bills from the state legislature’s regular session before they automatically become law was this week, and WVPB looked at what did and didn’t get the governor’s signature.

We continue our series looking back at the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on retail and outdoor recreation four years after its start.

We also take a look at the Republican primary race for a U.S. Senate seat, as well as updates from the state police on investigations into sexual misconduct.

Chris Schulz is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

COVID-19’s Continued Impact On Schools And A Look At The U.S. Senate Race, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, political analysts say the two Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate in the upcoming May primary election give voters some particular, and troubling, food for thought. The candidates themselves say voters need to focus on the positives, not the negatives.

On this West Virginia Morning, political analysts say the two Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate in the upcoming May primary election give voters some particular, and troubling, food for thought. The candidates themselves say voters need to focus on the positives, not the negatives. Randy Yohe has our story.

Four years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic changed daily life for everyone, but the adjustments were perhaps most acute for schools and students. Then a deputy superintendent, now State Superintendent Michele Blatt spoke with Chris Schulz about adapting learning for the COVID-19 pandemic and its continued effects on the state’s schools.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Emily Rice produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Court Orders Marshals To Seize Helicopter From Justice-Owned Company

The court directed marshals to take possession of a 2009 Bell helicopter belonging to Bluestone Resources from the Roanoke-Blacksburg regional airport.

A federal court in Virginia has ordered U.S. Marshals to seize a helicopter from a coal company owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice.

In a supplemental writ of execution filed Thursday in Abingdon, Virginia, the court directed marshals to take possession of a 2009 Bell helicopter belonging to Bluestone Resources from the Roanoke-Blacksburg regional airport.

The order says the helicopter must be turned over within 90 days.

The seizure is part of a lawsuit filed against Bluestone by Caroleng Investments, an offshore company based in the British Virgin Islands.

In 2021, a federal court in Delaware ruled that Bluestone owed Caroleng more than $10 million, plus interest. None of that amount has been paid, the Virginia court said.

Bluestone, based in Roanoke, is one of the numerous companies Justice lists on his annual financial disclosure to the West Virginia Ethics Commission.

The $10 million judgment was not listed on Justice’s more recent U.S. Senate candidate disclosure form. The governor is running for the Senate next year.

Justice, 2 Coal Companies Face Lawsuit From Bond Provider In Virginia

Western Surety alleges breach of contract and seeks more than $3 million in damages and attorney’s fees.

Gov. Jim Justice and two of his family’s coal companies face yet another lawsuit in Virginia.

Western Surety Co. sued Justice, Southern Coal Corp. and Bluestone Resources this week in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

Western Surety alleges breach of contract and seeks more than $3 million in damages and attorney’s fees.

Justice and his family own dozens of coal-related companies, including Southern and Bluestone. Both are based in Roanoke, Virginia.

Justice, who’s running for the U.S. Senate in 2024, faces a multitude of legal challenges.

Another bond provider, Federal Insurance Co., sued Justice and four of his companies in June in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeking $8.1 million in damages.

The U.S. Justice Department sued 13 of Justice’s companies in May over mine health and safety violations. The government seeks to collect $7.6 million in penalties.

Another Justice-owned company, Blackstone Energy, could owe the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality numerous fines of $32,500 per day going back three years.

In a filing last month in Richmond Circuit Court, the Virginia attorney general’s office asked Blackstone to show why it isn’t in violation of a consent order that requires it to clean up contamination at several mine sites.

Manchin Campaign War Chest Exceeds Potential Rivals

Manchin reported more than $10 million for year-to-date cash on hand. Mooney and Justice combined year-to-date cash on hand totals reach about $2.3 million.

Even though he’s not yet declared, Sen. Joe Manchin’s 2024 campaign contribution totals tower over his potential Republican rivals.

In the second quarter 2023 campaign finance reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Manchin, D-W.Va., raised $1.268,705.31 million.  Republican Senate candidate Gov. Jim Justice raised just under $1 million in the second quarter. Senate candidate and U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va, raised $550.000.

Manchin reported $10,710,680.37 for year-to-date cash on hand. Mooney and Justice combined year-to-date cash on hand totals reach about $2.3 million.  

Marshall University Associate Professor of Political Science Marybeth Beller said many major Manchin contributors come from out-of-state and have maxed out at the new $6,600 contribution limit. 

Beller likens Manchin’s war chest to an organization that works to elect progressive women called Emily’s List. EMILY is an acronym for “early money is like yeast.” She said the funds act as a deterrent for any Democrat thinking about taking him on should he declare to run again for Senate.  

“I think what’s going on here is that Senator Manchin is working very, very hard to outshine any possible opposition in his party, or across the aisle by raising all of this money,” Beller said. “If anything should happen, and he fails to get the primary nomination, he can return those donations that have already come in for the general.” 

Manchin is also co-chair of the national No Labels party and touted as a possible third-party presidential candidate. Beller said Manchin has an all-options-open electoral strategy for No Labels as well.

“That strategy does not include his home state,” Beller said. “West Virginia is already counted in the solid Republican line with no chance of going for any No Labels candidate whatsoever. I don’t think there will be a viable Senate opponent should he decide to run, I’m sure there will be an opponent.” 

Beller said in analyzing the FEC numbers, there are a number of banks around West Virginia that are contributing to Manchin. She said ActBlue, which collects small democratic donor contributions and then gives them out to Democrats, could include a lot of West Virginia donors. But she said it’s telling that the big money donations come from elsewhere.

“Of all those thousands of dollars that have come in for Senator Manchin, only four individual contributors are from West Virginia,” Beller said. “It tells me that the senator is very powerful and that a lot of people are courting his votes, and that he is going to be important if he’s still in the Senate. But nobody’s willing to write him off, by any stretch.”  

Manchin has said he will make any possible campaign announcement this December. 

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