# The candidacy of Don Blankenship (US Senate - WV) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 7, 2018, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764 "2018-05-07T15:52:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764/61 "2018-05-21T18:07:37Z")
Somebody please reassure me he won’t take votes from Manchin. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764/62 "2018-05-21T22:00:20Z")
Of course he’d take a nonzero number of votes from Manchin. That’s not the question. The question is just whether he’d take more from Manchin or from the Republican, and I think the answer to that is pretty clear. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764/63 "2018-05-22T00:10:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Of course he’d take a nonzero number of votes from Manchin. That’s not the question. The question is just whether he’d take more from Manchin or from the Republican, and I think the answer to that is pretty clear. I’m not up on WV politics, but I’m guessing Joe Manchin’s probably having an extra martini right about now. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764/64 "2018-05-22T00:34:30Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > Will he have any trouble getting on the ballot in WV? Anyone familiar with WV law in this area? > > Even so, a write-in campaign might be enough help Manchin seat. Yes. It’s illegal. West Virginia has a “sore loser” law, which says if you run for and fail to win a primary election for one of the two main parties, you can’t then get on the ballot for a third party. He’s going to challenge it in court, I’m sure, but… ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764/65 "2018-05-22T00:40:22Z")
Go, Splitters, go! ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764/66 "2018-05-22T01:37:44Z")
This is hilarious. Good luck in court Don. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764/67 "2018-05-22T12:35:51Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The question is just whether he’d take more from Manchin or from the Republican, and I think the answer to that is pretty clear. Certainly that’s the question, but it’s so hard (and distasteful) to get inside the mind of the average WV Republican that I don’t agree it’s all that clear. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764/68 "2018-05-22T13:30:02Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Yes. It’s illegal. West Virginia has a “sore loser” law, which says if you run for and fail to win a primary election for one of the two main parties, you can’t then get on the ballot for a third party. He’s going to challenge it in court, I’m sure, but… Yes and no. The law is poorly worded and there is a debate over its applicability to Blankenship: > **[Experts: Door could be open for Blankenship to pursue independent Senate run](https://www.wvgazettemail.com/election_2018/congress_2018/experts-door-could-be-open-for-blankenship-to-pursue-independent/article_45484eeb-656a-5250-b05b-709d32c56da1.html)** > > While it would likely require a legal challenge, some experts say there may be room for former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship to pursue an independent run for the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764/69 "2018-05-22T14:17:06Z")
Sore loser laws don’t make sense to me . Just another example of the 2 big parties making sure they keep control. I hope the laws are thrown out in every state that has them. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764/70 "2018-05-22T14:47:56Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Yes and no. The law is poorly worded and there is a debate over its applicability to Blankenship: > > [Experts: Door could be open for Blankenship to pursue independent Senate run](https://www.wvgazettemail.com/election_2018/congress_2018/experts-door-could-be-open-for-blankenship-to-pursue-independent/article_45484eeb-656a-5250-b05b-709d32c56da1.html) That article does throw out one huge blocking wall: > [@](#): > > However, a different code section could trip up Blankenship, which states a candidate cannot have been registered with any other political party within 60 days of filing the announcement. And he can’t wait out the 60 days because the amended law that fixed the are/was loophole goes into effect on June 7. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764/71 "2018-05-22T14:57:47Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > That article does throw out one huge blocking wall: > > And he can’t wait out the 60 days because the amended law that fixed the are/was loophole goes into effect on June 7. The problem with that law is that it seems to only apply for persons filing to run in a partisan primary. The intention of that law was so that a person couldn’t cherry pick an easy path through the primary by registering as a Democrat or Republican as the strength of the field indicated. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764/72 "2018-05-22T15:19:17Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Sore loser laws don’t make sense to me . Just another example of the 2 big parties making sure they keep control. I hope the laws are thrown out in every state that has them. Do you know what the [spoiler effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoiler_effect) is? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764/73 "2018-05-22T19:59:54Z")
yes I know about spoilers. For those that don’t know Lisa Murkowski from Alaska lost her senate primary and then won as a write in candidate in 2010. She won again in 2016 on the ballot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-candidacy-of-don-blankenship-us-senate-wv/813764.md?page=3)