Morgantown, West Virginia (CNN) -- Wealthy Republican businessman John Raese has run three times for statewide office in West Virginia over the past few decades and has never won. It wasn't that long ago that most political observers here and in Washington thought his fourth campaign would be a losing battle too -- a Senate race against popular Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin. But now, several public surveys as well as parties' private polls show Raese within striking distance of snatching the seat of the late Sen. Robert Byrd from Democratic hands. In interview at his campaign headquarters, Raese, who joked that the Tea Party is to the left of him, said he believes voters are now more open to his anti-government views.
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Republican millionaire is making a strong run against a popular governor running for Senate
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John Raese's campaign is his fourth attempt to win statewide office
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Raese says he's more conservative than the Tea Party
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Gov. Joe Manchin calls himself "fiercely independent"
The federal government allocated about $1.5 billion in stimulus money for @placeholder, but Manchin said he would only take part of that, and insisted he would spend it slowly and judiciously.