Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) beat back his progressive primary challenger Tuesday, easily securing the Democratic nomination in a heated race in a state where President Donald Trump enjoys his highest approval ratings. Swearengin, a self-professed “hillbilly” endorsed by groups aligned with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), raised less than $180,000 by the end of March. Trump won West Virginia by 42 percentage points in 2016 and remains enormously popular in the state. Republicans are so eager to flip Manchin’s seat that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has considered lengthening the Senate workweek to keep the West Virginia senator from campaigning. The Mountain State remains one of the poorest in the country and has struggled with an epidemic of opioid addiction and the continued closures of coal-fired plants.

Source: Huffington Post May 09, 2018 00:33 UTC