Perhaps a deficit of prosperity leads to a surplus of candidates running to fix things; West Virginia, for example, does not lack gubernatorial candidates for its special election this October, with 14 candidates filing papers:
One of the final candidates to declare was state Sen. Jeffrey Kessler, D-Marshall, who announced his candidacy Saturday shortly before the 5 p.m. deadline. Kessler, the acting Senate president, has served in the Senate since 1997.
Other Democrats in the race are acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, House Speaker Rick Thompson, Kanawha County resident Arne Moltis, Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, and state Treasurer John Perdue, according to the state’s elections website.
Running as Republicans are former Secretary of State Betty Ireland; Sen. Clark Barnes, R-Randolph; Putnam County prosecutor Mark Sorsaia; former Berkeley County Delegate Larry Faircloth; Jackson County Delegate Mitch Carmichael; and Monongalia County residents Cliff Ellis, Ralph William Clark and mine-drilling consultant Bill Maloney.