Christaman Backs O'Neil, Blankenship In Veroche Senate Primaries

Former Senate candidate says endorsement a matter of 'principle over party'

TWIN LAKES, VER--Former Senate candidate and businessman Don Christaman (Conservative) has endorsed incumbent Senator Evelynn Blankenship and Conservative challenger Talley O'Neil for the Senate.

Christaman made the announcement Tuesday morning in Twin Lakes, telling members of the local Conservative party that his endorsement of the strongly conservative Blankenship and O'Neil is a matter of "principle over party."

"The party establishment wants you to support Richard Scholinger and Niles Gilcrest," Christaman said. "But I'm here to tell you that we need to support Evelynn Blankenship and Talley O'Neil because of what they stand for and what they believe in--not because the party establishment tells us to."

Christaman, who shares a strongly conservative ideology with Blankenship and O'Neil, ran unsuccessfully for office in 2008, losing to Nationalist Aaron Tobias Griffith 63%-37%, respectively.

Blankenship and O'Neil welcomed Christaman's endorsement, and thanked him for joining the "conservative revolution" that is "sweeping" through Veroche.

"Don is part of a growing group of people that are standing up to the politicians and saying 'no more,'" Blankenship said. "We need more people like him to stand with us and join the conservative revolution that is making its way from border to border in this country."

The so-called "conservative revolution" may be hampered by the more moderate members of Veroche's Conservative party, who are supporting incumbent Niles Gilcrest and former Lake City Mayor Richard Scholinger, who is challenging Blankenship. Last month, several moderate CNS senators campaigned in Veroche for Gilcrest, demonstrating just how divided the Conservative party is in the Plains State.