A group of West Virginia political activists has launched an effort to replace Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) and his political machine.
The centerpiece of the effort is a website – ReplaceJoeManchin.com.
“The only hope to persuade a West Virginia politician is to fight like hell to replace them,” said WV Can’t Wait Co-Chair Katey Lauer. “Manchin’s network of corporate lawyers, financiers, coal and gas executives, lobbyists, and party bosses will not be defeated in one election, or in one race. This is a guy who has weekly check-in calls with Exxon. It took a generation for his machine to rise to power. It may take a generation for us to replace it. The threat we build must be fearless, homegrown, and permanent. We have to start at the root. And we have to start now.”
Manchin is a long-time ALEC member, whose top donors are corporate lawyers and banking interests.
“You don’t win high office in West Virginia because you’re a servant of the people,” said WV Can’t Wait Co-Chair and former Gubernatorial Candidate Stephen Smith. “You win by being rich, or because your daddy was a politician. We’re out to change that.”
On the website, people can take action by making a donation or by nominating someone in their community to run for office.