A Republican candidate in the West Virginia Senate race released a campaign ad featuring an image of his opponent shaking Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Poll: 51 percent of voters want to abolish the electoral college MORE’s hand — an event that never happened.

Rep. Evan Jenkins Evan Hollin JenkinsWest Virginia New Members 2019 Republican Carol Miller holds off Democrat in West Virginia House race Trump to fundraise for 3 Republicans running for open seats: report MORE's (R-W.Va.) campaign ad shows GOP primary opponent Attorney General Patrick Morrisey shaking hands with Clinton, despite the original image being one of him shaking hands with President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE, Yahoo News reported.

Jenkins spokesman Andre Seré told FactCheck.org that the campaign had taken “creative license” with the image.

ADVERTISEMENT

“[J]ust as Morrisey’s campaign and his super PAC do in each of their ads portraying Evan with Hillary, [former President] Obama, [Rep. Nancy] Pelosi [D-Calif.], etc., we sometimes take creative license while arranging images in order to help make a substantive point,” Seré told the website.

Morrisey ripped Jenkins’s campaign for the use of the doctored image

“Despicable @EvanJenkinsWV photoshopped my photo with @realDonaldTrump and substituted it with Hillary, who I have always strongly opposed,” he tweeted last week. “Where is the accountability as this liar tries to deceive voters?”

Despicable @EvanJenkinsWV photoshopped my photo with @realDonaldTrump and substituted it with Hillary, who I have always strongly opposed. Will the media call out Jenkins for his lying and dishonesty? Where is the accountability as this liar tries to deceive voters? #wvsen pic.twitter.com/Od2YxpXOzz — AG Patrick Morrisey (@MorriseyWV) April 27, 2018

Jenkins and Morrisey are among the six Republican candidates competing for the GOP nomination in the West Virginia Senate race. Strategists are predicting that two men will be the main competitors in the race, despite a previously strong showing by ex-coal CEO Don Blankenship.

The two officials are running as part of a GOP push to unseat Sen. Joe Manchin Joseph (Joe) ManchinThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump, GOP allies prepare for SCOTUS nomination this week Trump meets with potential Supreme Court pick Amy Coney Barrett at White House Names to watch as Trump picks Ginsburg replacement on Supreme Court MORE (D-W.Va.) and shift control of his seat to Republicans.