Not content with the prospect of picking a seat in the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate with a can't-miss candidate, a band of disaffected GOP senators are giving Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) heartburn by throwing their support behind a fringe candidate with no chance of winning.
The seat in question is currently held by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who is stepping away, and popular Gov. Jim Justice (R) is expected to waltz to victory not only in the GOP in mid-May but also in the November general election.
According to a report from Politico, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) who is facing a stiff challenge for his own seat from Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX), recently headed to West Virginia to build support for Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV), who is opposing Justice despite McConnell's full-throated endorsement.
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According to Cruz and fellow far-right Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY), Justice — a former Democrat — doesn't pass the conservative purity test despite also getting the nod from Donald Trump.
As Politico is reporting, "Mooney trails Justice badly, according to nearly all public polling, but his candidacy is a way to survey the GOP base about the anti-establishment sentiment that’s spiking among congressional Republicans. Cruz is looking for new recruits to the rabble-rousing crew of GOP senators who thrive on causing headaches for party leaders — so whether or not Mooney beats Justice, and he’s not likely to, Cruz’s endorsement stamps him as a favorite of the insurgent wing."
The report notes that pro-Trump conservatives want to see a much more extremist faction of GOP lawmakers in the Senate and that Justice joining the chamber is a “complete waste of a seat” according to local West Virginia radio host John Fredericks.
Politico's Burgess Everett added, "Mooney does not currently plan to vote to oust Speaker Mike Johnson this week, a sign he’s got a practical side as well. Still, there’s little debate among the top Senate brass that Justice would be more of a team player, in the mold of more pragmatic center-right Republicans who could form a GOP governing wing in 2025. That will probably be helpful for McConnell’s successor as Republican leader."
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