Trump Makes Final West Virginia Election Push
HUNTINGTON — It’s the final countdown for candidates, and President Donald Trump made one last plea to West Virginia’s voters to send people he can work with to Washington, D.C.
Trump flew into Huntington Tri-State Airport on Friday afternoon for his third visit to the Mountain State since August, when he made a trip to Charleston. He also rallied for Republican candidates in Wheeling in September.
“I’m proud to be back in this state with hard-working patriots,” Trump said. “America’s comeback is continuing, and we’re moving full-speed ahead like nobody thought was possible.”
Friday’s stop was part of an eight-state campaign tour Trump started Wednesday to rally voters behind Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. An analysis by Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight website shows that Democrats have an 84.9 percent chance of taking the House on Tuesday.
But West Virginia might be immune from the blue wave in the House. Trump still enjoys a high approval rating in West Virginia. An Emerson College poll conducted Oct. 28-31 shows Trump with a 56 percent favorable number compared to a 39 percent unfavorable rating.
And FiveThirtyEight’s most recent analysis of West Virginia’s House races shows them as leaning Republican.
Talking to the crowd in Huntington Friday, Trump encouraged everyone to get out and vote for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Morrisey and 3rd Congressional District Republican candidate Carol Miller.
“In just four days, the people of West Virginia are going to send Carol Miller to the House and Patrick Morrisey to the Senate, so we can keep making America great again,” Trump said. “This election will decide if we build on the extraordinary prosperity that we’ve unleashed, or whether we let the radical Democrats take control of Congress and take a giant wrecking ball to our economy.”
Morrisey, the Mountain State’s two-term attorney general, secured the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in the May primary. He faces U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who is running for his second full term in the Senate. Manchin, a former West Virginia governor, ran in a special election in 2010 to fill the remaining term of the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd, who also was a Democrat.
“President Trump is truly making America great again,” Morrisey said Friday. “He is also making West Virginia great again. If you look at everything that’s been done the last few years, there is a real sense of optimism in West Virginia.”
The Emerson College poll shows a five-point difference between the two Senate candidates. Manchin leads Morrisey 47 percent to 42 percent with 8 percent undecided. Emerson polled 1,013 voters with a 3.2 percent margin of error. Manchin and Morrisey held their first and only debate Thursday. Morrisey stressed the importance of getting out and voting.
“There is a very clear choice coming up on Tuesday,” Morrisey said. “I’m going to be that conservative fighter to advance the Trump agenda. You know what that means? Joe’s got to go.”
“We have work left to do,” Morrisey said. “All West Virginians need to know one simple thing: President Trump came in because he wants Patrick Morrisey as senator. Do this president proud and get the vote out.”
“Patrick has been tough on crime and strong on the rule of law,” Trump said. “He’s won statewide. He knows your state as well as anybody.”
Miller, the majority whip of the West Virginia House of Delegates, is wrapping up her sixth term representing Cabell County’s 16th district. In her race to replace former two-term Congressman Evan Jenkins, she faces Logan County state Sen. Richard Ojeda as the Democratic nominee. Miller leads Ojeda 52 percent to 45 percent, with 3 percent undecided. Emerson polled 328 voters with a margin of error of 5.5 percent.
“I can’t wait to get to work with President Trump in Washington,” Miller said. “If you vote for me, I promise you I will always stand for West Virginia. I will always stand for coal. I will always stand for a strong economy. I will always stand to protect Social Security and Medicare. I will always stand for strong borders. I will always stand for our veterans. I will always stand for America, and I will always — always — stand for our national anthem.”
Miller attacked Ojeda, a U.S. Army veteran, as anti-America, referring to a clip of Ojeda being interviewed by documentarian Michael Moore, where Ojeda said America isn’t the greatest country in the world.
“I love America, and it is the greatest country in the world,” Miller said. “Richard, you may feel comfortable at your San Francisco fundraisers, but I always feel at home in the America I grew up in — an America that is safe, strong, secure and successful.”
Trump touted the most recent economic numbers from the U.S. Labor Dept., showing that the U.S. added 250,000 jobs in October. The employment rate remained unchanged at 3.7 percent — the lowest number in 50 years. Earnings grew at 3.1 percent over the last year, and the labor force participation rate grew from 62.7 percent in September to 62.9 percent in October.
“We have the greatest economy in the history of our country,” Trump said. “Our economy is unbelievable. You know that better than anyone. … More Americans are working in the history of our country than ever before.”
Talk at the rally turned to immigration, with the president stoking fears about a caravan of migrants from Central America heading slowly toward the U.S. border with Mexico. Trump sent 7,000 troops to the border to provide support for the U.S. Border Patrol. He also threatened to use his executive order power to do away with birthright citizenship.
“Wait until you see what our great military is doing on the border,” Trump said. “The Democrats want to invite caravan after caravan … that’s going to be stopping.”
Today is the last day to vote early at county courthouses and designated polling locations in West Virginia. The polls are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Go to GoVoteWV.com for locations.
People who miss the early voting window can vote Tuesday at polling places across West Virginia. Polls will be open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“You’re going to decide which party controls the United States Senate,” Trump said. “Loyal citizens like you helped build this country, and we’re returning power to you.”
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