Poll: Democrat Joe Manchin up Eight Points in West Virginia Senate Race

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) leads by eight points against West Virginia Attorney General (AG) Patrick Morrisey, according to a poll released on Monday.

The Gray Television poll found that Manchin leads by eight points over Morrisey, 46 to 38 percent, while the Libertarian candidate Rusy Hollen has three percent, and 13 remain undecided about the West Virginia Senate race.

Sen. Manchin had a 46 percent favorable rating, while 33 percent had a negative view of the Democrat senator. Morrisey, in contrast, had a 34 percent favorable rating, and a 44 percent unfavorable rating. More West Virginians were unfamiliar with West Virginia Attorney General Morrisey, whereas, more citizens knew of Manchin, who previously served as the state’s governor.

Sixty-two percent approved President Donald Trump, while only 34 percent disapprove of the president. Fifty-eight percent of poll respondents said that they voted for Trump during the 2016 presidential election, while only 24 percent voted for Hillary Cliton.

Sen. Machin faces increasing pressure to support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. Fifty-four percent of West Virginians support the confirmation of Kavanaugh, while only 27 percent oppose the nominee’s confirmation to the nation’s highest court.

A similar poll from the West Virginia Metro News found that 58 percent of West Virginians want Kavanaugh confirmed, while only 28 percent do not want him confirmed.

New poll shows West Virginians support Kavanaugh confirmation by a 30-point margin, 58-28. cc: @JoeManchinWV #WVSen #SCOTUS https://t.co/kB20SpDOJy

— Senate Leadership Fund (@Senate_Fund) September 28, 2018

Another survey released last week from 1892 Polling found that Morrisey is tied with Manchin, with 45 percent each. The poll also found that Morrisey leads with independent voters by four points.

Morrisey continues to argue that Sen. Machin is complicit in the Senate Democrats’ “disgraceful treatment of Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh. The West Virginia AG said that Manchin has been following Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) strategy to prevent Kavanaugh form joining the nation’s highest court.

“Regardless of how he votes, Joe Manchin has proven to be complicit in Senate Democrats’ disgraceful treatment of President Trump’s Supreme Court pick,” said Morrisey. “The voters of West Virginia can fully expect the resist and obstruct circus to be unleashed if Joe Manchin, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and Maxine Waters take control of Congress.”

Schumer, immediately after Trump nominated Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, announced that he will oppose Kavanaugh “with everything I have” because the “stakes are simply too high.”

Immediately after Manchin left his meeting with Kavanaugh, the West Virginia Democrat went straight to Schumer’s office.

Schumer suggested in July that vulnerable Senate Democrats should hold off on their decision whether to support Kavnaaugh as long as possible.

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said, “All Chuck ever says in caucus [meetings], it’s pretty well known: ‘Keep your powder dry. Don’t commit. Stay as neutral as you can, as long as you can.”

Morrisey contended that Manchin holding his vote until the last-minute has given Schumer room to maneuver, and hopefully, tank the nominee.

Morrisey charged, “The bottom line, Manchin should be ashamed for giving Schumer and Senate Democrats the ‘room to maneuver’ to ultimately try to destroy President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee.”