CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Ken Hechler on Tuesday called for an "upbeat and positive" race, but he still had a few words of criticism for opponent Gov. Joe Manchin.

"I think he has turned a deaf ear to the pleas of those people that are adversely affected by mountaintop removal," the former congressman and secretary of state said at a Capitol news conference to discuss his campaign.

Hechler and Manchin are both seeking the seat left empty by the death of Sen. Robert C. Byrd. They are joined in the Democratic primary by former state Delegate Sheirl Fletcher.

Hechler is running solely on his opposition to mountaintop removal, in which mine operators blast off hilltops, dumping rock and dirt into valleys and burying streams.

"As many of you know, I've been an opponent and in favor of complete abolition of strip mining, ever since I served in the Congress in the 1970s," he told reporters. "And mountaintop removal is strip mining on steroids."

He considers his campaign a referendum on the practice, saying a vote for him is "tantamount to a vote against mountaintop removal."

Public opinion polls say the majority of West Virginians oppose mountaintop removal. But Manchin, who supports it, is highly popular in the state.

"If I lose, it will not be a defeat for mountaintop-removal [opponents] because there are other reasons for why people will vote for Governor Manchin," Hechler said.

Hechler said he has the body of a 95-year-old, but "my mind, my heart and my passion are that of a teenager." He is managing his own campaign.

"I entered this campaign with great enthusiasm and vigor," he said. "It's going to be a fun campaign for everybody participating."

He said he would reach out to "the average people of West Virginia" rather than to special interests.

Asked later Tuesday about Hechler's comments, Manchin said he has "always been willing to learn and listen" to both sides of the mountaintop removal debate.

"Everyone has a different side, and it's important for me to hear all different sides," he said.

The governor is a strong supporter of the coal industry and often says West Virginia must find a balance between the environment and the economy, a theme he emphasized Tuesday.

"I believe there has to be a balance, and if there's not a balance, you shouldn't do it," he said, adding that he believes former mountaintop removal sites can be put to good use in West Virginia.

In discussing the governor's environmental record, the Manchin administration often touts several of his legislative initiatives -- one to make utilities get a certain proportion of their energy from alternative sources, and another meant to promote economic development on former mountaintop removal sites. Environmentalists say both laws give too much leeway to the coal industry.

The primary election is set for Aug. 28.

Ten Republicans, including businessman John Raese and developer Mac Warner, are vying for the GOP nomination. Jesse Johnson is running on the Mountain Party ticket.

Reach Alison Knezevich at alis...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1240.