West Virginia Democrats: Obama 59.4%, Federal Inmate 40.6%

West Virginia Democrats: Obama 59.4%, Federal Inmate 40.6%


President Barack Obama has won the Democratic party primary in West Virginia--but it was closer than expected. The president's only opponent in the race, Keith Judd, is an inmate at the Beaumont Federal Correctional Institution in Texas. Obama received 59.4 percent of the Democratic primary vote, Judd received 40.6 percent.


Judd is in prison for extortion on a 210 month sentence, but he was "able to get on the state ballot by paying a $2,500 fee and filing a form known as a notarized certification of announcement," the AP reports. He is Inmate No. 11593-051.

And Judd now should be eligible for a delegate at the national Democratic party convention: "Attracting at least 15 percent of the vote would normally qualify a candidate for a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. But state Democratic Party Executive Director Derek Scarbro said no one has filed to be a delegate for Judd. The state party also believes that Judd has failed to file paperwork required of presidential candidates, but officials continue to research the matter, Scarbro said."

It's a clear sign of how unpopular President Obama is in West Virginia--even among Democrats. 

The state's two biggest Democrats, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and Senator Joe Manchin, have not expressed support for President Obama--or even have indicated that they will be voting for Obama in November.