1 0 , ▁He ch ler ▁file d ▁to ▁run ▁in ▁the ▁special ▁election ▁to ▁succeed ▁the ▁late ▁Senator ▁Robert ▁By rd , ▁running ▁in ▁the ▁primary ▁against ▁G ov . ▁Joe ▁Man chin . ▁He ch ler ▁indicated ▁that ▁his ▁primary ▁goal ▁in ▁entering ▁the ▁race ▁was ▁to ▁draw ▁attention ▁to ▁what ▁he ▁viewed ▁as ▁the ▁dev ast ating ▁impact ▁of ▁mount aint op ▁removal ▁min ing ▁in ▁West ▁Virginia . ▁He ch ler ▁lost ▁to ▁Man chin , ▁with ▁less ▁than ▁ 2 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁He ▁then ▁end ors ed ▁J esse ▁Johnson ▁of ▁the ▁Mountain ▁Party ▁for ▁the ▁Senate ▁seat ▁in ▁the ▁general ▁election . ▁ ▁On ▁August ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁He ch ler , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 9 8 , ▁married ▁his ▁long - time ▁companion , ▁Carol ▁K itz m iller , ▁in ▁Win chester , ▁Virginia . ▁On ▁September ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁he ▁turned ▁ 1 0 0 . ▁" The ▁secret ▁of ▁lon ge vity ▁is ▁to ▁exercise ," ▁He ch ler ▁said . ▁" I ▁always ▁exerc ised ▁on ▁the ▁tennis ▁court ▁until ▁I ▁had ▁to ▁give ▁that ▁up , ▁but ▁I ' ve ▁got ▁a ▁new ▁hip ." ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁He ch ler ▁was ▁placed ▁into ▁hosp ice ▁care ▁in ▁Rom ney , ▁West ▁Virginia ▁after ▁suffering ▁from ▁a ▁rec urr ing ▁lung ▁in fection . ▁