(CNN) – An incarcerated 53-year-old man is beating President Barack Obama in eight West Virginia counties following the state's Democratic Presidential Primary Tuesday, according to the latest figures from the West Virginia secretary of state.
Keith Judd, who is currently serving a 210-month sentence at a correctional facility in Texarkana, Texas for extortion, is trailing the president 42.28% to 57.72% in the state based on the unofficial vote totals, but is leading in eight counties.
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Judd only needs 15% of the vote to qualify for at least one delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina this summer, according to The Charleston Gazette. His expected release date is June 24, 2013, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Obama has not had electoral success in West Virginia, a reliably red state in presidential politics. He was crushed by then-Sen. Hillary Clinton in the state's Democratic presidential primary in May 2008 by a 67% to 26% margin. And he lost the state to Sen. John McCain, the then-Republican presidential nominee, 56% to 43% in the November 2008 general election.
The Mountain State's Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and junior Sen. Joe Manchin have also recently distanced themselves from the president ahead of their 2012 elections.
In Tuesday's election, presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney received nearly 70% of the vote, according to the latest unofficial figures, while former candidate Rick Santorum garnered over 12% support and Rep. Ron Paul captured just over 11% of the vote.
From CNN Politics
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West Virginia always was a "blue" state up until recently, but since the public's attention span only lasts a day or two, I guess understand why the label's changed.
The people of West Virginia are good at showing their ignorance to the world. Stupid is as stupid does.
Couldn't expect more from the "clean" coal folks now could we?
That says a lot!!!
Who cares, he's a felon and can't vote, but if he can let all the felons out of prison and restore their voting rights.
if those 8 counties have a heavy population of undereducated white males over the age of 52 that would explain the results of the polling. Plus it IS West Virginia.
In other words, West Virginia ain't changed.
WV is one of the least educated states in the country...of course they'd vote for a criminal...heck...they voted for Bush! And they eat dirt!
Doesn't say much for obama when a convicted felon can beat him and I'm sure he didn't spend millions of dollars running and had no media coverage.
I'm not surprised by this. It is afterall West Virginia, one of the most backward states in the union.
Now we have a choice .
No doubt about it, Keith Judd would make a better President than Obama.
ABO 2012
West Virginia.... you folks are hilarious! Go on with your Appalachian selves.
Hmmmm – but those who voted for an extortionist over the former editor of the Harvard Law Review aren't bigotted. And the sun will rise in the west tomorrow.
Does this say more about President Obama or the people of West Virginia?
So, the president isn't doing well in a red state. This is news?
LOL – I really Love this article – as a former resident – born there, raised there, went to school there, worked there for over 30 years, I finally left that welfare state when the factory shut down, and I was 48 years old. I'm so glad that I've been living here for the last 8 years. Otherwise I would have been on welfare, like the most of them are doing. From what I've been hearing, Manchin and his people are voting republican because of their most valuable asset in that state. (Coal) Obama has got restrictions & regulations to the point where they aren't allowed to mine it like they should. If the truth be known, W.Va. has enough Coal to run this country for the next 300 years, plus the Coal that is in other states, would or could give us enough energy for another 200 + years. But the government won't let them mine it in a successful manner. That State was Democrat for almost 50 years, til Senator Byrd Finally Died, when he was in a wheel chair, he gave them hundreds of billions and billions over a 60 yr span. He got more money from earmarks than anyone has or ever will. That's why they call him the king of earmarks. He must have got re-elected for around 70 terms, and I will have to admit, that I voted for him in the 70's & 80's, because he brought so much federal money to that state, it was pitiful. I can now see why people in that state would rather live on gov't help, instead of going to work. But Now, they turned Republican, because they are starting to get off their duff, and getting a Job, no matter what Job it is. I'll bet 'ol Manchin's dad is rolling over in his grave, since he's going against a Democrat, or voting republican this time. Manchin took Byrd's place, after he was governor, but he will never get what 'ol Byrd ever got, as far as earmarks goes. It would take him 10 lifetimes to do it. If that. No wonder the kids that are graduating from high school, are moving to other states, to get a decent Job, unless you want to work at fast foods, or malls all your life. I googled the population in W.Va. in the 70's, then google it now. It went from 2.7 million (yes the whole state) to Now 1.7 million. Does that tell anyone anything ?
Another reason why West Virginia is so backwords. Why is a prisoner allowed to run for office!!
Shocking!
Inbred 'Deliverance' types prefer an incarcerated white man over an educated and accomplished black man.
Who would have thunk it?
I think it's safe to say Romney will win WV.
This is what happens when an American President turns on the American people.
Get used to it.....November is coming.
One more reason to not visit West Virginia
And Andrew is right. Of the presidential elections from statehood through 2008, voters went Democratic 20 out of 37 times.
Why is CNN calling WV "reliably red"?
My post keeps moving down I'm sure it's about to be removed. Can't let the truth be told. The media is afraid to tell the truth. That most people that will vote repub this year don't really want Mitt, they just don't want the black man.
OBAMA 2012!
Now we will see how Obama campaign trash this guy ..