West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced via video Monday he is running to unseat Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in the 2018 election, casting himself as the true conservative in the race and vowing to help President Trump “drain the swamp” in Washington, D.C.
Before he can go head-to-head with Mr. Manchin, though, he will have to best Rep. Evan Jenkins in what could prove to be a competitive GOP nomination race, which also includes Bo Copley.
“We need someone who is going to take on Washington corruption and advance conservative values. There’s so much we can do if we have a conservative with principles going to Washington and someone who is committed to taking on the mess,” Mr. Morrisey said in his campaign launch video. “As your senator, I’ll stand with President Trump, and we will beat the Washington elites.
Mr. Manchin is viewed by many as one of the most vulnerable incumbent Democrats in 2018.
In the video, Mr. Morrisey vows to do away with Obamacare and overhaul the nation’s tax code, while standing up for Second Amendment gun rights, pro-life legislation and efforts to bring back coal jobs.
“Unlike my opponents, I’ve never supported Hillary or Obama, or Obamacare, or higher taxes, or cap-and-trade,” he said. “You’ll never have to worry about me wavering in my conservative values.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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