Seven weeks remain before the primary election.
Voters should expect the governor's race between Joe Manchin and Lloyd
Jackson (Left)to intensify.
"I'm sure the public should expect in the next two weeks [Democratic candidate
Lloyd] Jackson will go negative and try to save his campaign and make it close"
said Robert Rupp, a West Virginia Wesleyan political science professor.
Jackson, who will make an appearance in Calhoun this Saturday at the former
Army Reserve Building at Mt. Zion between noon and 2 p.m., is reportedly dragging
in the polls.
Cody Corliss with the Jackson campaign in Charleston said Jackson's Calhoun
appearance is being sponsored by oil and gas businessman James Morris of
Grantsville.
Secretary of State Joe Manchin's Democratic gubernatorial campaign says they
are getting ready for the attack.
Former Senator Jackson has been the principal architect of school
consolidation, closing hundreds of community-based schools.
A long time supporter of coal and energy companies, he is part owner of Jackson
and Son oil and gas company. Part of his platform for governor is now attached to
environmental causes.
Mike Plante, a Manchin campaign consultant says Jackson has
refused to sign the "Common Sense Clean Campaign Pledge" as being "indicative
of what [Jackson's] intentions are."
Plante said "For anybody sick of mudslinging and negative campaigns, I think the
fact he failed to sign that campaign pledge, the result will be brutal, misleading
attack ads."
Millionaire Jackson continues to tout his country roots in Lincoln County. He lives
in what reporters call the high-rent district of Charleston.
Jackson campaign manager Dave Callaghan says their campaign has no specific
plans to run negative advertisements.
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