CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Natalie Tennant, calling the government shutdown a waste of money in West Virginia and across the country, cast blame on her potential Republican challenger.
Tennant said 2nd District Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate, is partly responsible for that.
“This is where you need accountability and responsibility,” said Tennant. “Here I am, as Secretary of State, saving the state money, and here is Congresswoman Capito voting five times to shut down government, and those effects continue.”
She pointed to a recent report from Moody’s Analytics that showed the October shutdown cost West Virginia’s economy $104 million. “These are dollars that were wasted,” said Tennant on Thursday’s MetroNews “Talkline” with Hoppy Kercheval.
Nationally, government estimates have placed the shutdown’s economic costs at $24 billion.
In a statement released Thursday, Justin Barasky, Democratic Senate Campaign Committee spokesperson, backed up Tennant. “Congresswoman Capito left West Virginians to pay the price for her recklessness and irresponsibility and they will hold her accountable in 2014,” he said.
A recent Wall Street Journal poll found 53 percent of Americans believe the Republicans were responsible for the shutdown with the next highest percentage of blame, 31 percent, going to President Barack Obama.
Tennant is working to raise money for the campaign that will likely pit her against Capito in the 2014 November general election. Tennant raised $150,000 during the two weeks after she announced her candidacy.
According to financial filings, Capito has $3.2 million on hand.
The 2013 primary election in West Virginia will be held on Tuesday, May 13.