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Primary candidates for West Virginia statewide offices file Friday

By Steven Allen Adams 5 min read

CHARLESTON -- The candidate filing period for West Virginia's May party primaries ends at midnight Saturday, but the field of candidates for the state's northern 2nd Congressional District is nearly set, and a controversial former coal baron is back for another run for U.S. Senate.

Don Blankenship, the former chairman and CEO of now-defunct Massey Energy, filed in person Friday morning at the Secretary of State's Office for the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

"My promise to all Democrats is that if you vote for me, I will carry the message to D.C. Democrats that you are Americans first and not Democrats first," Blankenship said in a prepared statement Friday. "As West Virginia Democrats, you can lead the return of your party to a moral and rightful place in our country and your country to a moral and rightful place in the world."

Blankenship was one of six candidates seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2018 to face U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. Attorney General Patrick Morrisey won the nomination with 34.9% of the vote, with Blankenship coming in third with 19.97% of the vote.

Blankenship later tried to get on the 2018 general election ballot as a Constitution Party candidate for U.S. Senate, but the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals denied an appeal when Blankenship was removed from the ballot for running afoul of the state's "Sore Loser" law. The law prevents candidates who were previously candidates in the primary for a major party nomination from switching to independent or a minor party to get on the general election ballot after losing the primary.

Blankenship was convicted in federal court in 2016 of a misdemeanor and spent a year in prison for conspiring to violate mine safety laws in connection with the 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in Southern West Virginia, where 29 coal miners died.

Blankenship joins Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott and community organizer Zachary Shrewsbury in the Democratic primary to succeed Manchin, who announced last year he will retire from the Senate at the end of 2024.

Also filing in person Friday was retired Brig. Gen. Chris "Mookie" Walker, who traveled to Charleston to file for the Republican primary for the 2nd Congressional District. Walker said he was running to represent the interests of military veterans and active duty military in West Virginia.

"I've been poked in the chest literally by hundreds of West Virginia veterans as I travel around the state, as well as veterans and actively serving members outside of the state, saying after you retire you have to run," Walker said. "There were a lot of things I was very furious about while I was in uniform that I had to bite my lip, because in uniform we cannot get political ... I could be an old man on a porch shaking my fist complaining about it, or I can go in and fight to make sure we don't lose West Virginian values."

Walker announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 9, releasing a video introduction. He also filed his statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission that same day.

Walker became chief of staff in the West Virginia Air National Guard in 2016, becoming assistant adjutant general and commander in 2019. A 1988 graduate of the Air Force Academy, Walker spent most of his military career around C-130 cargo aircraft as a navigator. He left active duty service in 1997 and joined the Air National Guard with several assignments with the 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg as an instructor navigator.

Walker joins a crowded GOP primary field for the seat held by U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va. A five-term Congressman, Mooney is seeking the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Manchin. Mooney faces Gov. Jim Justice in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate, along with Beckley resident Bryan Bird, Princeton resident Zane Lawhorn, Baker resident Don Lindsay, Inwood resident Bryan McKinney, and Martinsburg resident Janet McNulty.

State Treasurer Riley Moore was the first to file for the 2nd Congressional District on the opening day of the West Virginia candidate filing period on Jan. 8. The former Jefferson County Republican member of the House of Delegates was first elected as State Treasurer in 2020, defeating long-time Democratic state treasurer John Purdue.

Moore announced his congressional campaign in November 2022 shortly after Mooney announced his U.S. Senate campaign after securing the 2022 general election for the newly-redistricted 2nd Congressional District, combining part of Mooney's previous district with the 1st Congressional District.

Also filing the first day of the 2024 candidate filing period was Bridgeport veteran Joe Earley and Nate Cain of Hedgesville. Cain came to notoriety as a FBI whistleblower in 2018 after the FBI raided his home after he disclosed information regarding investigations into former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Last week, Alexander Gaaserud of Elkins filed his candidacy paperwork for the 2nd Congressional District GOP primary.

"After prayer and careful consideration with my family, I am running for Congress to give the citizens of West Virginia a voice and to fight to save our Republic, which I believe is in its final hours without new leadership," Gaaserud said in a statement.

Only one Democratic candidate has filed for the 2nd Congressional District to date. Steven Wendelin of Lost River is a retired U.S. Navy commander who filed his FEC paperwork to raise money in October.

Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com

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