I was going to add something about WV Democratic Senate Candidate Glenn Elliott as I've mentioned his name before in previous discussions on DKE and The Downballot:
While he's not likely going to win the election, from a qualitative standpoint, I believe Elliott's become a surprisingly effective messenger as a Democrat in WV while recogni…
I was going to add something about WV Democratic Senate Candidate Glenn Elliott as I've mentioned his name before in previous discussions on DKE and The Downballot:
While he's not likely going to win the election, from a qualitative standpoint, I believe Elliott's become a surprisingly effective messenger as a Democrat in WV while recognizing how deep red the state has become. He also happened to be a delegate for Kamala Harris at the DNC Convention, which shows how dedicated he is to the Democratic Party.
What percentage does he need to get to deserve to be called a "surprisingly effective messenger for Democratic Party"? I don't think we can say he is until the votes are counted.
I actually think he could get to 35% but this is also an open Senate race. What helps Elliott is that Governor Jim Justice has been getting bad press with the businesses he owns and has become more aloof in the state. This doesn't assure Elliott will win the race as Justice and the WV GOP have a stranglehold on the state, but he has an opening with this.
Even though this was back in 2014, Democratic Senate Candidate Natalie Tennant did receive 34.47% of the votes in an open Senate race against Shelley Moore Capito when she was first running for the Senate. 2014 wasn't of course a good year for Democrats but the main reason why 2020 Senate Candidate Paula Jean Swearengin got 27% of the votes was that she was too liberal for WV and she was running against Capito when she was already a Senator.
This is purely my opinion but in Elliott's interviews as well as statements, he's aimed to keep the right balance between being a Democrat vs. what WV needs are. I'm not sure how this will end up translating into votes but essentially, Elliott has positioned himself not to be divisive and is more of a unity candidate. He has a good grasp on the issues but still mindful that he has to appeal to more than just simply the Democratic Party base. According to Elliott himself, Wheeling (where he's served two terms as Mayor), is a conservative city so if that's the case, he has the ability to be bipartisan as needed to get things done.
As far as the votes are concerned, it remains to be seen how far through WV Elliott will be able to make an impact. The biggest problem he faces isn't being a Democrat but getting enough visibility to the degree where voters think they know him. That's been evident in polls. It's hard to mount a Senate campaign in a mountain state like WV without help from the DSCC and other significant grassroots groups. In a way though, it actually makes things easier for Elliott. I don't think the DSCC getting involved would help the race.
I was going to add something about WV Democratic Senate Candidate Glenn Elliott as I've mentioned his name before in previous discussions on DKE and The Downballot:
While he's not likely going to win the election, from a qualitative standpoint, I believe Elliott's become a surprisingly effective messenger as a Democrat in WV while recognizing how deep red the state has become. He also happened to be a delegate for Kamala Harris at the DNC Convention, which shows how dedicated he is to the Democratic Party.
What percentage does he need to get to deserve to be called a "surprisingly effective messenger for Democratic Party"? I don't think we can say he is until the votes are counted.
I'm hoping he gets to 30%; I will leave it to you guys to discuss the significance
I actually think he could get to 35% but this is also an open Senate race. What helps Elliott is that Governor Jim Justice has been getting bad press with the businesses he owns and has become more aloof in the state. This doesn't assure Elliott will win the race as Justice and the WV GOP have a stranglehold on the state, but he has an opening with this.
Even though this was back in 2014, Democratic Senate Candidate Natalie Tennant did receive 34.47% of the votes in an open Senate race against Shelley Moore Capito when she was first running for the Senate. 2014 wasn't of course a good year for Democrats but the main reason why 2020 Senate Candidate Paula Jean Swearengin got 27% of the votes was that she was too liberal for WV and she was running against Capito when she was already a Senator.
I re-edited my original comment for clarity.
This is purely my opinion but in Elliott's interviews as well as statements, he's aimed to keep the right balance between being a Democrat vs. what WV needs are. I'm not sure how this will end up translating into votes but essentially, Elliott has positioned himself not to be divisive and is more of a unity candidate. He has a good grasp on the issues but still mindful that he has to appeal to more than just simply the Democratic Party base. According to Elliott himself, Wheeling (where he's served two terms as Mayor), is a conservative city so if that's the case, he has the ability to be bipartisan as needed to get things done.
As far as the votes are concerned, it remains to be seen how far through WV Elliott will be able to make an impact. The biggest problem he faces isn't being a Democrat but getting enough visibility to the degree where voters think they know him. That's been evident in polls. It's hard to mount a Senate campaign in a mountain state like WV without help from the DSCC and other significant grassroots groups. In a way though, it actually makes things easier for Elliott. I don't think the DSCC getting involved would help the race.