West Virginia candidate hospitalized after being bitten by snakes while removing campaign signs

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A candidate for West Virginia secretary of state is hospitalized for copperhead snake bites sustained while he was removing election campaign signs. News outlets report Doug Skaff was bitten in the left leg and the right foot Wednesday in Danville. Skaff says he expects to be in a hospital in Charleston for a few days. Skaff ran in the secretary of state’s race as a Republican on Tuesday. In unofficial returns, Skaff finished second to Kris Warner. Skaff was the House of Delegates Democratic leader before resigning last year and switching to the GOP. Skaff is president of HD Media, which owns the Charleston Gazette-Mail and other state newspapers.