WASHINGTON, D.C., — A national conservative group has decided to spend more money in the Alex Mooney-Nick Casey race for the Second District Congressional seat now that U.S. Senator Joe Manchin has appeared in a new ad for Casey.
The American Conservative Union launched a $350,000 ad campaign Wednesday in support of Mooney. ACU Chairman Matt Schlapp said Manchin is popular but he crossed the line when he said Casey would be the better pro-life, pro-gun, pro-coal candidate than Mooney.
“Alex Mooney can be counted on to defend and protect hard-working West Virginians’ jobs,” Schlapp said. “Joe Manchin has done his best in the home stretch to fool voters in West Virginia. Alex Mooney is the true conservative who will stand up and say ‘no’ to President Obama and his radical agenda of cap-and-trade, the War on Coal, Obamacare, and attacks on our cherished Second Amendment rights.”
Recent ads from the Casey campaign have focused on Mooney’s political career in Maryland and his decision to move to West Virginia. A Forbes magazine contributor recently described Mooney as “the portrait of a political prostitute, having never paid property taxes in West Virginia, nor voted there until his primary win in May.”
Schlapp said he believes it’s great when someone wants to get involved in a state’s politics.
“West Virginia ought to be pleased that people actually want to represent them and work with them and live in their community,” he said. “I think the people of West Virginia realize what is important in this race and who will stand up for their values.”
Schlapp said the race in the Second District Nov. 4 is “very much about (President) Obama.”
The ad is scheduled to run in the Charleston market until Election Day.