Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott speaks during the 10th annual Wheeling Police Department Law Enforcement Memorial ceremony at Wheeling Heritage Port on May 18, 2023.
FILE — Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., speaks during the Politics and Eggs event, Jan. 12, 2024, in Manchester, N.H. Manchin endorsed Glenn Elliott’s, the mayor of Wheeling, on Monday, April 22, 2024, in the Democratic primary race for his seat representing deep-red West Virginia, where Manchin is currently the only Democrat holding statewide office.
Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott speaks during the 10th annual Wheeling Police Department Law Enforcement Memorial ceremony at Wheeling Heritage Port on May 18, 2023.
Eric Ayres - member, ASSOCIATED PRESS
FILE — Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., speaks during the Politics and Eggs event, Jan. 12, 2024, in Manchester, N.H. Manchin endorsed Glenn Elliott’s, the mayor of Wheeling, on Monday, April 22, 2024, in the Democratic primary race for his seat representing deep-red West Virginia, where Manchin is currently the only Democrat holding statewide office.
CHARLESTON — Outgoing U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin named Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott as his appropriate replacement in the U.S. Senate, endorsing him over his two Democratic primary challengers.
Manchin, D-W.Va., made his endorsement announcement Monday morning by video recorded last week.
“The character of the candidate we choose in the Democratic primary is crucial for achieving the results West Virginians need in Washington,” Manchin said according to a press release from the Elliott campaign. “Character is one of the most important factors for our state’s success.”
Manchin announced his retirement last year from the U.S. Senate effective at the end of 2024 after winning a special election for U.S. Senate following the death of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd in 2010. Manchin went on to win two full six-year terms in 2012 and 2018.
Elliott was first elected as mayor of Wheeling in 2016 and is in his second term and final term. After working as a former legislative assistant for Sen. Byrd and for a large law firm, Elliott returned to Wheeling as an attorney and businessman.
In his statement, Elliott said he reached out to Manchin about running for the Senate after Manchin announced his retirement. Elliott made his official candidacy announcement in January.
“I am deeply honored to receive Senator Manchin’s endorsement,” Elliott said. “His support means a great deal to me, and I am grateful for his guidance and encouragement throughout this process. Together, we will build a brighter future for West Virginia.”
Manchin’s U.S. Senate seat is the last elected statewide office in West Virginia still in the Democratic Party’s hands as the state has shifted to a solid red state. The winner of the Democratic Senate primary could face one of several Republicans, including Gov. Jim Justice or U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va.
Elliott faces Princeton-based community organizer Zachary Shrewsbury; and former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, a former Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018, who came in third place that year. Blankenship spent one year in prison following his conviction in 2016 of the misdemeanor for violating federal mine safety standards in connection to the 2010 Upper Big Branch mine disaster that killed 29 miners.
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