Blankenship’s Senate Bid Blocked Due To West Virginia’s ‘Sore Loser’ Law

on March 1, 2018 in Morgantown, West Virginia.
MORGANTOWN, WV - MARCH 01: Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Don Blankenship speaks at a town hall meeting at West Virginia University on March 1, 2018 in Morgantown, West Virginia. Blankenship is the former chie... MORGANTOWN, WV - MARCH 01: Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Don Blankenship speaks at a town hall meeting at West Virginia University on March 1, 2018 in Morgantown, West Virginia. Blankenship is the former chief executive of the Massey Energy Company where an explosion in the Upper Big Branch coal mine killed 29 men in 2010. Blankenship, a controversial candidate in central Appalachia coal country, served a one-year sentence for conspiracy to violate mine safety laws and has continued to blame the government for the accident despite investigators findings. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — An election official has blocked former coal executive Don Blankenship’s bid to run in West Virginia’s U.S. Senate race as the Constitution Party’s nominee.

News outlets report Secretary of State Mac Warner announced Thursday that he won’t approve Blankenship’s candidacy application, based on the state’s “sore loser” law. The law prohibits major party primary candidates who lose from switching to a minor party. Blankenship finished third in the Republican primary.

Blankenship’s campaign has said it will “vigorously challenge” any denial of his efforts to be on the November ballot with Republican Patrick Morrisey and incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin.

Blankenship is a former CEO of Massey Energy, which owned a mine where a 2010 explosion killed 29 miners. He spent a year in federal prison for violating safety regulations.

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