WASHINGTON – A super political action committee supporting Patrick Morrisey’s U.S. Senate bid has announced its top staff.
D.J. Eckert, co-founder of Matchstick Media Strategies, will be executive director of the 35th PAC, according to Roll Call. Eckert is based in Columbus, Ohio. He has ran many campaigns across the country, including ones for state Supreme Courts and state Attorneys General.
Phil Cox will be a senior adviser. He is the former executive director of the Republican Governors Association and is chairman of IMGE, which will do digital advertising for the PAC.
Fabrizio, Lee and Associates will do polling for the PAC. It did similar work for President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Larry Weitzner from Jamestown will be doing television advertising for the PAC, and communications strategist Lenny Alcivar will handle communications. Martin Baker from Political Ink is the mail vendor.
“We are very pleased D.J. has agreed to help lead our effort to elect conservative Patrick Morrisey as West Virginia’s next U.S. Senator," Cox said. "D.J.’s extensive experience managing and advising tough campaigns, including helping to flip West Virginia’s state Legislature from Democrat to Republican control, makes him an ideal fit in our organization.”
An October poll by Fabrizio, Lee and Associates had Morrisey ahead of Jenkins 40 to 34 percent, with 26 percent of likely primary voters undecided. The poll also had Morrisey’s favorable rating at 51 percent and his unfavorable rating at 13 percent. It showed Jenkins’ favorable rating at 39 percent and his unfavorable rating at 5 percent. The firm surveyed 400 likely primary voters from Oct. 19 to Oct. 22. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.9 percent.
Mountain State PAC is the super PAC supporting Jenkins.
In addition to Morrisey and Jenkins, former coal miner Bo Copley has announced plans to run as Republicans for the Senate seat currently occupied by Democrat Joe Manchin for the 2018 election. Manchin will face primary competition from environmental activist Paula Jean Swearengin, who already has been endorsed by the Brand New Congress political action committee formed by former staff members and supporters of Bernie Sanders. Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship also has hinted as running as a Republican or an Independent.