A Democratic super PAC is boosting its spending against Rep. Evan Jenkins, R-W.V., in an effort to prop up Don Blankenship's campaign for the GOP nomination to take on Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V.
Over a week before the May 8 primary, Duty and Country PAC, a new Democratic outside group, has dropped over $1.2 million against Jenkins in just under two weeks, with $517,000 coming since Thursday alone. They have also spent $47,000 against West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey in total. They have not spent against Blankenship.
"Our data has shown that either Jenkins or Morrisey will be the likely nominee, and obviously we'd like to see Joe Manchin re-elected," said Mike Plante, a spokesman for Duty and Country. "We felt like it was important to help define these two candidates before the end of the primary,"
"We continue to evaluate," Plante said when asked about the heavy spending against Jenkins. "We're continuing to look at this race and continuing to get data back and that influences what we do in the campaign."
The new spending also comes on the heels of a Fox News poll showing Jenkins on top of the three-way GOP field, leading with 25 percent to Morrisey's 21 percent. Blankenship trailed the pair with 16 percent, giving off the impression that Democrats view Jenkins as the most formidable challenge to Manchin's re-election chances. One GOP consultant with familiarity of where polling sits in the race said the Fox poll is an accurate representation of where the race stands.
Jenkins has been outspoken about Duty and Country's attacks since they began nearly two weeks ago and has invoked them while on the stump back home. His campaign says the individuals behind the attacks are "hellbent on destroying" President Trump and his presidency.
"The same Washington liberals who are hellbent on destroying Donald Trump's presidency are now spending millions to take down Evan Jenkins' candidacy," said Andy Sere, a consultant for Jenkins. "But West Virginians will see through this meddling and send a message that they want to send Trump his strongest in ally in this race."
The uptick in spending comes just over a week out from the primary contest, which has turned into one of the most vicious and contentious of the 2018 cycle thus far, due in large part to Blankenship's presence in the race.
A high-profile coal baron who was recently in prison, Blankenship has given agita to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his allies, who believe that any chance to beat Manchin in November will be lost if Blankenship wins. The energy executive spent a year in prison after he was convicted of conspiracy to violate mine safety standards after the 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine that killed 29 workers.
McConnell has made it clear that he wants either Jenkins or Morrisey to win, and national Republicans with ties to him launched a similar group on the right — the Mountain Families PAC — with the goal of discrediting Blankenship.
"I don't pay a whole lot of attention to these primaries We'll wait and see who the nominee is and get behind a Republican candidate," McConnell told reporters nearly two weeks ago, adding while wearing an ear-to-ear grin, "and hopefully it'll be one that's actually electable."
Blankenship also drew the ire of McConnell last week when he brought up his marriage to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and questioned if he has a conflict of interest in foreign relations due to his father-in-law being a "wealthy Chinaperson."
It is also unknown who exactly is funding the Duty and Country PAC. The group has been connected with high-level Democratic vendors and firms, but does not have to report donors until the May 20 deadline with the Federal Election Commission.