The final full week before the November 6 General Election began with a rally sponsored by the United Mine Workers Union.

Hundreds of coal miners from West Virginia and across the Mid-Atlantic region of the country gathered here in Morgantown with one common goal: keep Senator Joe Manchin in office.

“It’s just a natural thing to stand up for a person who stands up for us,” Cecil Roberts, UMWA President said. 

Medal of Honor recipient Hershal Woody Williams was one of many campaigning for U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

Williams said, “There’s things that we have in West Virginia that we would not have if it would have not been for him. I’ll just name two, the Nursing Facility at Clarksburg and the Veterans Cemetery Institute West Virginia.”

Senator Manchin is locked in a tight battle with Attorney General Patrick Morrissey.  

“The people know who I am. They don’t look at me as democrat, republican, independent, or political. They look at me as Joe Manchin from West Virginia and I’m going to fight for whatever. If the President does things and they are helping West Virginia and helps our country then I’m for it. If not, I’m going to stand up to him. The only people I work for is the people in West Virginia,” said Manchin.  

The biggest applause of the afternoon went for fixing miners pensions and healthcare.

Roberts added, “We are here to make sure those who don’t have health care have healthcare. We are here to make sure that those who are earned a pension, earned social security, and earned Medicare have those things.” 

Monday’s rally kicked off to what’s expected to be busy final week of campaign.

“My little state’s called West Virginia and when you come you probably want to stay. Lets go get em,” said Manchin.