A Democratic Senate nominee had to clarify Monday that, contrary to a newly released video of her campaign chairman, she does not actually support “most” of President Barack Obama’s policies.
Natalie Tennant, the West Virginia secretary of state, is running to replace retiring Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV). Her campaign is trying to keep some distance from the Obama, who is deeply unpopular in the state. That’s why her campaign had to scramble after a tracking video surfaced showing her campaign chairman Saturday outside a campaign event appearing to say that Tennant supports “most of (Obama’s) policies,” the Charleston Daily Mail reported.
Tennant’s campaign walked back the comments from Allen Tackett, a retired general of the West Virginia National Guard and the campaign chair.
“The general misspoke. Natalie does not support the majority of the president’s policies,” Jenny Donohue, a Tennant spokesperson, told the Daily Mail Monday. “The only thing that influences Natalie Tennant’s policies is what’s right for the people of West Virginia. She’ll stand up to the president when he’s wrong, and she’ll work with anyone who’s willing to do what’s right for West Virginia.”
Tennant trails Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, the GOP nominee, by an average of more than 10 percentage points, according to TPM’s PollTracker. Obama had an average approval rating of 25.1 percent in West Virginia in 2013, per Gallup.
