McKinley Opens Congressional Campaign Office in Wheeling

U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind. – the third highest-ranking Republican member in the U.S. House – came to Wheeling Tuesday to help GOP West Virginia 1st District congressional candidate David McKinley open his campaign office at 2066 National Road. The visit came as House Republicans gear up for a campaign to regain the House in the Nov. 2 general election.

“America needs David McKinley,” Pence told those present. “He has the wealth of knowledge and the foundation of values needed in these times.”

Republicans need to win 39 seats to take the majority in Congress come 2011, and Pence noted much of the GOP’s success depends on happenings in West Virginia’s 1st District.

“There are lots of optimistic predictions,” Pence commented. “But I like to compare this year’s elections to a football game. It’s fourth and goal, and we’re going for it. But realistically, I don’t know if we will retire Nancy Pelosi this year unless West Virginians in the 1st District hire David McKinley.”

He noted that this year marks “a profound opportunity for Republicans to win back the House of Representatives,” but Pence acknowledged the effort “may take two elections.” He said GOP hopes were boosted this year following the early defeat of veteran U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va.

“In Washington, we were all amazed by the outcome of the primary. There is no doubt that David McKinley’s candidacy contributed to this,” Pence said. “It was a very big story across the country. It may have changed the dynamics, but it didn’t change the stakes.”

And McKinley said he has much to celebrate these days, as polling released this weekend shows he is closing the gap between he and Democratic opponent Mike Oliverio.

Oliverio last month released polling data showing him with a 16-point lead over McKinley. The poll, commissioned by Oliverio’s campaign and conducted July 20 through Aug. 2 by Hamilton Campaigns of Washington, D.C., stated 52 percent of voters polled said they would vote for Oliverio in the Nov 2. general election, while 36 percent would vote for McKinley. The remaining 12 percent were undecided.

McKinley, though, released figures Tuesday gathered by Public Opinion Strategies on Sept. 1-2. This polling, commissioned by the McKinley campaign, shows just a five-point difference between the candidates – with Oliverio having 41 percent of the vote and McKinley 36 percent.

“The McKinley campaign has been telling lies and distortions since May,” said Randy Coleman, spokesman for the Oliverio campaign. “They just completed a pretty intense negative campaign through direct mail and have started negative media ads. Even with this, their numbers are still at 36.”

Coleman said the Oliverio campaign expects the numbers to vary from week to week and that “there will be other polls.”

McKinley on Tuesday said he was “delighted” with the polling figures, as well as with the turnout for a fundraiser in Parkersburg, W.Va., last week that drew 500 people.

U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, also stumped for McKinley during an event at the Greenbrier Resort last week, and McKinley expects U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., to speak at a fundraiser for him in Washington next month.

“The Obama administration has just had a miserably failed stimulus plan,” McKinley said, pointing to a 35-percent unemployment rate specifically in the construction industry.

“The administration just doesn’t get it,” he continued. “People want jobs. This district is a conservative district. If you want more of the same, vote for my opponent. He will support Nancy Pelosi.”

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