Spotlight: Ex-con lays claim to U.S. Senate seat, sends jitters to Republican Party

WASHINGTON, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A Republican Senate hopeful is surging in the polls just one day before primary election in the state of West Virginia. But instead of relief, the Republican Party is terrified that the candidate may actually clinch the party's nomination in the primaries.

Donald Blankenship, a former coal baron who has just finished a one year jail sentence, is riding on a strong wave of support for calling on upending the Republican establishment and taking racial discrimination to the extreme.

Internal polls released by U.S. media Monday showed that Blankenship has come from behind to top the chart among GOP candidates for the Senate seat, which also include State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Congressman Evan Jenkins.

The result showed that Blankenship had a 31 percent support, while Morrisey and Jenkins had 27 and 28 percent respectively.

To illustrate the momentum Blankenship has gained in the past few weeks, a poll two weeks ago showed him trailing at 14 percent, against Jenkins' 26 percent and Morrissey's 29 percent.

The surge has perplexed the Republican Party, which worry if Blankenship were to win the primaries, he would not be able to topple his Democrat counterpart Joe Manchin, a sitting U.S. Senator.

Blankenship, 68, was the former CEO of a large coal company in West Virginia. He retired in 2010 after a mine explosion in his company killed 29 miners. As the result of the incident, the worst coal explosion in the United States since 1970, Blankenship faced numerous charges that lead to 30 years in prison.

Ultimately he was found guilty of one misdemeanor charge of conspiring to willfully violate mine safety and health standards, and sentenced to one year in jail and a 250,000 U.S. dollar fine in 2016. He was released in May 2017.

The case gained nationwide exposure and Blankenship's notoriety made him the subject of public ridicule. Last Week Tonight, a popular U.S. talk show, dedicated a episode on Blankenship in 2017, citing him as a footnote of the rampant corruption that plague the U.S. coal industry.

But in the Trump era Blankenship seemed to have recovered his voice. In recent TV ads, he vehemently attacked the Republican establishment, vowing to "drain the Washington swamp" and "ditch cocaine Mitch," in a reference to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The nickname seems to have come from a 2014 case in which Colombian officials seized 40 kilograms of cocaine from a ship owned by McConnell's father-in-law that was sailing from Colombia to Europe. According to public records, no charges were ever brought against anyone and McConnell was not implicated in the case.

Blankenship also sought to exploit McConnell's marriage with Taiwan born Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, underscoring his ties with China, him receiving money from his "Chinaperson" father-in-law and creating jobs for "China people."

While Blankenship's campaign has denied that the terminology implied racial discrimination, the explanation was overwhelmingly rejected by scholars and media.

"In 'Chinaperson,' one can hear echoes of societal injustices of the past, as well as current attempts to make amends through linguistic hygiene," Linguist Ben Zimmer said.

As Blankenship determines to go all out against the political mainstream, Republicans fear that though he might gain support among some ultra conservative voters, Blankenship is distancing independents and moderates.

The Republican Party has reportedly poured over one million dollars to run ads against Blankenship, hoping to sour his chances at winning.

Even U.S. President Donald Trump, who preceded Blankenship in attacking the Republican establishment and scapegoating China for U.S. woes during his presidential campaign, weighed in on the election against Blankenship.

"To the great people of West Virginia we have, together, a really great chance to keep making a big difference. Problem is, Don Blankenship, currently running for Senate, can't win the General Election in your State... No way! Remember Alabama. Vote Rep. Jenkins or A.G. Morrisey!" Trump tweeted early Monday Morning.

Trump Jr. also pleaded with West Virginia voters to shun Blankenship, saying the GOP can't risk another "fumble." Enditem