Blankenship said he "didn't get it done" and "failed West Virginians," but he warned that "the Republican Party needs to be careful about being hijacked." Greg Pence addresses supporters during the Bartholomew County Republican Party election results watch party at the Hamilton Community Center & Ice Arena in Columbus, Ind., on Tuesday. Trump accuser running locally in OhioIn Ohio, U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, with Trump's support, won the Republican primary to challenge Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in November. The head of the Senate Republican campaign arm highlighted Blankenship's criminal history. Republicans have long seen the state as a prime opportunity to expand the party's two-seat majority in the Senate by defeating Manchin.

Source: CBC News May 08, 2018 20:45 UTC