Michelle Obama backs Natalie Tennant in US Senate race [View all]

[Lasher]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- First Lady Michelle Obama told attendees at a fundraiser Monday it's critical West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant becomes the state's next U.S. senator.

That's not an endorsement, a Tennant campaign spokeswoman said Tuesday, and further tried to distance Tennant from the deeply unpopular Obama administration.

Tennant attended the New York fundraiser, said spokeswoman Lisa Duvall. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee hosted the event, with tickets selling for anywhere from $250 to $50,000, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader, New York Times and other media reports.

The 2014 elections are key if Democrats want to maintain their six-seat majority in the Senate, Obama said, according to a transcript of her speech.

http://www.dailymail.com/News/statehouse/201311190209

West Virginia's primary election will occur on Tuesday, May 13, 2014. Our state has a closed primary, meaning that voters can only vote the ballot of the party in which they are registered, although some parties allow unaffiliated voters to vote their ballots upon request. I consider Natalie Tennant (D) and Shelley Moore Capito (R) presumptive nominees. So far it doesn't appear the Tea Party will cause much trouble for Capito in the primary but we can always hope.

It looks like Natalie could be closing the gap. An August 22 poll puts her behind Capito, at 40% to 45% with 15% undecided. Two subsequent polls look less hopeful, however.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_West_Virginia,_2014#Polling_3

Capito has $3,256,700 cash on hand, compared to Natalie's $151,066.

http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.php?id=WVS2&cycle=2014