MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins has a message for West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey: Don’t run for Senate in 2018.

Jenkins said Monday on MetroNews “Talkline” Morrisey should not campaign for the position because of his obligation to serve in state office.

Morrisey, who was elected to re-elected as attorney general in 2016, announced June 6 he is considering challenging Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and a final decision would be made in the next two months.

The term of attorney general is four years, and Morrisey’s current term would end in January 2021.

Jenkins announced May 8 his campaign for the Republican nomination.

The 3rd District representative said if Morrisey runs and defeats Manchin, his term would be filled by means of appointment.

“What happens if he runs and wins?” Jenkins said. “He leaves that job at the end of 2018, and guess what? Gov. (Jim) Justice can appoint — and I’m sure will appoint — a Democrat for the last two years of Morrisey’s term.”

Jenkins added Morrisey’s position is too important to be given to a Justice appointee.

“He ought to be honest with the people of West Virginia and say, ‘If I win, you lose,'” he said. “Because if he wins, that means Jim Justice will probably put a liberal Democrat, Darrell McGraw — remember, McGraw was on the ballot last year — Doug Reynolds. Can we imagine two years of Attorney General Darrell McGraw back?”

McGraw, a Democrat, served as state attorney general from 1993 to 2013. Morrisey succeeded him following McGraw’s defeat in the 2012 election. He unsuccessfully ran for state Supreme Court in 2016.

Reynolds, a former state delegate, ran against Morrisey in the 2016 election.

Morrisey has commented multiple times about the 2018 election on Twitter, saying on May 28 “no conservatives are currently running.”

Bo Copley, a former coal miner, also announced his intention last month to run for the Republican nomination.