Prisoner Gets 41 Percent of Vote Against Obama in Democratic Primary
Keith Judd, who is currently behind bars in a federal prison, received 41 percent of the vote to President Barack Obama's 59 percent in West Virginia's Democratic presidential primary Tuesday. He beat Obama in several counties, making him eligible for at least one delegate to the Democratic convention.
Judd is serving a 12 1/2 year sentence at a federal prison in Texas for making threats at the University of New Mexico in 1999. He got his name on the ballot by paying a $2,500 fee and filling out a form.
One West Virginian who voted for Judd told The Associated Press that it was more about voting against Obama than for Judd.
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"I voted against Obama. I don't like him. He didn't carry the state before and I'm not going to let him carry it again," said Ronnie Brown, who described himself as a conservative Democrat.
Hillary Clinton easily won the West Virginia primary in 2008 and John McCain carried the state in the general election.
One of the state's two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin, who was elected in 2010, has said he is unsure whether he will vote for Obama in the general election.
Many in the state who support its large coal mining industry, including Manchin, have been angered at administration policies that have limited the industry.
According to his profile on Project Vote Smart, this is the fourth year that Judd has been a candidate for president of the United States. He also ran for mayor of Albuquerque and governor of New Mexico in the 1990s.
His reason for seeking public office is "to make the world a better place."
