Ridgeview News prays for quick healing for Mrs. Purdy! However, the viewpoint of this writer is not the viewpoint of the Ridgeview News.
[Rare Old Bird got a new knee this week – yes, birds have knees, but they’re hidden under feathers. Thus, the column is shorter and possibly less argumentative.]
In 2016 and 2020, Trump took the WV presidential vote by about 40 points. With Democratic Senator Joe Manchin bowing out of the race, national Republicans are targeting the state as a critical and very likely-to-flip Senate seat for them.
Despite the overwhelming turnout for Trump in the past two elections, Pew Research Center reports that 43% of West Virginians are or lean Republican, 16% are unaffiliated, and 41% are or lean Democratic.
In the Democratic primary in 2016, Bernie Sanders beat Hillary Clinton in all 55 counties. Bernie won by 51.41% statewide to Hillary’s 35.84%. Little Calhoun County gave Bernie his biggest win of 62%.
Those numbers suggest there’s a strong progressive vote among WV Democrats that might include independents. (WV recognizes four political parties: Democratic, Mountain, Libertarian, and Republican. If a voter is not registered with one of these parties, they can request any primary ballot.)
The state’s Democratic primary to be held on May 14, features two strong Democratic candidates. One of them, Zach Shrewsbury, is a working-class progressive who’s generating excitement among young and rural voters. Shrewsbury is a large bearded balding fellow, 33, a former Marine and community organizer, a politician in the rumpled John Fetterman mold.
The other, Glenn Elliott, is a former corporate lawyer, a businessman. an experienced politician, the term-limited mayor of Wheeling and a good solid Democrat. State party officials are supposed to remain unaffiliated in the primary, but Democratic statewide candidates regularly appear at his rallies.
Rounding out the Democratic field is Don Blankenship, former coal company executive (“ignore safety, run coal”), political candidate (former Republican), and convicted criminal (imprisoned for 1 year for conspiring to violate mine safety standards). State Democratic Party chairman Mike Pushkin said in a vast understatement, “Blankenship, or as he’ll forever be known, federal prisoner 12393-088, does not represent the party’s values.”
One problem for both serious candidates, Elliott and Shrewsbury, is that it’s hard to get any statewide publicity. Most of the state’s county newspapers have been bought up by a right-wing enterprise and seem to be largely concerned with Republican politics.
The Charleston Gazette is publishing a series of candidate profiles, submitted by candidates. Elliott was featured in March. He emphasizes that he is a 7th generation West Virginian who will “put solutions over politics.” The Gazette Shewsbury profile says “I am running because for too long, the working class people of our state have been sold to the highest bidder. It’s time West Virginia has a senator that will fight for them instead of corporate interests and wealthy campaign donors.”
People want to hear those fighting words.
Shrewsbury has gotten press coverage from The Guardian and endorsements from Heather Digby Parton (national political blogger), Peace Action, and Progressive Democrats of America. It’s not clear how far any of that penetrates in WV.
Most of the news bandwidth is taken up with the Republican senatorial primary between deadbeat term-limited Governor Jim Justice, by far the peoples’ favorite, and do-less MAGA Representative Alex Mooney, who’s raising more money.
If Elliott gets the word out, he will certainly get the votes of diligent Democrats and maybe some left-leaning independents. If Zach gets the word out – the kids just call him “Zach” – he might attract a wider array of West Virginians.
Trump appeals to West Virginians as a right-wing populist who presumes to speak for common people against the powers that be. Shrewsbury has the same appeal as Bernie Sanders, a left-wing populist, who speaks for common people, not as an authoritarian, but as a common man himself.
A candidate with charisma might put the Democrats in a strong position in the US Senate race against poor old Jim Justice, whose fortune, status, and health are all rapidly declining.
Give Zach’s positions some consideration: https://www.shrewsburyforsenate.com/issues
And as always: Vote Biden/Harris, Defeat Trump, Election 2024
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