Ex-Con Who Calls Black People 'Negroes' Skyrockets to Top of West Virginia Poll After Racist Campaign Ad

Republican voters in West Virgina's primary race to choose a candidate to face Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Manchin appear to be getting ready to choose a conservative former convict who calls Black people "negroes" and Asians "China people."

Don Blankenship, a divorced 68-year old coal baron who was convicted after 29 people died in one of his mines spent a year in jail for conspiracy before running for the U.S. Senate. He's now in first place among three Republicans vying for the GOP nomination in Tuesday's West Virginia primary election.

In this campaign ad Blankenship uses the phrase "China people" and refers to the family of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who was born in Taiwan and is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, his "China family."

What in the world did I just watch pic.twitter.com/4eudpGAxp0

— Liam Donovan (@LPDonovan) May 3, 2018

He also calls McConnell "cocaine Mitch," apparently a reference to cocaine being found aboard a ship owned by a company founded by Chao's father.

Slate notes that "when a reporter from Roll Call asked him why he’d done such a racist ad," Blankenship said: "We’re confused on our staff as to how it can be racist when there’s no mention of race. There’s no race. Races are Negro, white Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian. There’s no mention of a race. I’ve never used a race word."

At the time, the latest poll showed Blankenship in third place.

After his racist attacks, he's now in first place, according to Politico.