GOP Moves Toward West Virginia Suit
Top GOP strategists are plotting ways to force WV to hold a special election this year, in hopes of giving the party a better chance to pick off the seat of the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), according to several party sources.
The RNC and the WV GOP are exploring ways to bring a lawsuit that would force the Mountaineer State to hold an election earlier than planned, the sources said. That could be the best option for the GOP, which believes it can win Byrd's seat in this favorable political climate.
But it will involve compelling the state to actually hold the contest. WV Sec/State Natalie Tennant (D) said last week that Gov. Joe Manchin's (D) eventual appointee would be able to serve until the '12 elections. And election law precedent appears to be on Tennant's side, given a WV Supreme Court decision from '94.
The RNC has already transfered money to the state GOP, according to a committee source.
Momentum appears to be slowly moving toward holding a special election. Tennant asked Manchin last week to ask the state legislature to address murky special election laws in a special session this summer, and the state GOP is calling on the state legislature to take matters into their own hands.
But GOPers may not win anything by spending money on a special. A pair of strange bedfellows -- the state AFL-CIO and the Chamber of Commerce -- are among the groups calling on Manchin to reverse an earlier decision and appoint himself.
Just after Byrd's death, Manchin said he would not appoint himself, even though his interest in the seat is little secret among the state's political class. If the special election is held in '12, as originally planned, Manchin has said he will appoint a caretaker, and many expect Manchin to run for the eventual open seat.
Is there any polling that shows any Republican candidate that would even have a chance of winning, thus warranting the investment of resources?
West Virginia is about 10 years behind Georgia in transforming from a Democrat to a Republican state. Conservative dominance is coming. The next couple of years will see the GOP take both senate seats and the Governor's office.
Troy is correct, it is coming and quickly. I don't see WV going like North Carolina, which went from Dem to Republican and is now a blue state again.
Troy B will be out of a job on July 24 along with his buddy Doug McKinney.
The only Republican of note in WV is Shelley Moore-Capito. While she might acquit herself well against nearly any other Democrat she would go up against, if Joe Manchin runs, I don't think anyone can beat him. He's teflon. As of THIS MOMENT, he's a pro-gun, pro-life, pro-business, fiscally conservative democrat and WV could definitely do worse as dems go. But how long those good qualities would last in WDC is anybody's guess. I'd rather have Capito unseat Rockefeller when he comes back up for reelection.