K5, new fuel pump, still won't start

[nebraskasurf]

Here's the story...72 K5 typically runs great. 350, Edelbrock 600 about 4 years old. Replaced fuel filter 3 mos ago. Got gas 3 days ago (Ethanol blend and yes...i know i shouldn't be running that gas) from a Cenex. 40 miles down the road, I get on it and engine starts coughing, sputtering and loses power big time. it seemed as if it was through it's spat and it continues to do it until today. I added Seafoam to the old tank of ethanol blend, ran it to less than an 1/8th of a tank, then added some HEET (red bottle) and filled up the tank with 91 Octane. THAT didn't do the trick either. Figured it had to be the fuel pump. Put new Holley fuel pump on it this morning, truck fired right up, took it out to jump on it and it finally died. I can't get it started, period. Tried the ether trick and nothing. It turns over, but just won't fire off. I can see gas spraying in the carb, smells like gas and the fuel filter is a Mr. Gasket clear gas filter and it appears clean as a whistle. It does seem like some fuel has leaked thru the gasket between the intake and the carb and besides that, I've replace all the vacuum plugs. From everything I'm reading it's telling me that it could be electrical if even a bit of ether spray in the carb gets me nowhere. Where the hell do I start and that STILL doesn't explain why this engine was sputtering at high revving RPM's on the street...
could the float(s) be stuck because I've heard that as an excuse as well. It's killing me to have a little snow on the ground and this truck is stuck indoors....