"Don Blankenship's Surprising Move: Filing as a Democrat for U.S. Senate"
Don Blankenship, a former coal titan and controversial figure, has registered as a Democrat to run for the U.S. Senate seat in West Virginia, a move that has been met with disapproval from the state's Democratic Party. Blankenship, who spent time in jail on a mine safety conspiracy conviction, has expressed significant policy differences with the Democratic Party but believes he can pull them out of what he calls a "doldrum" and get them to think about real issues. He plans to act independently if elected, forming his own caucus called the America First caucus, and has criticized both major parties as "criminal organizations."