Republican West Virginia Governor Jim Justice is expected to declare his candidacy for the seat currently held by Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia in 2024, according to multiple sources.
A “special announcement” is scheduled on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Justice’s Greenbrier Resort in White Sulfur Springs, according to an invitation. At this time, sources have told POLITICO and the local CBS affiliate WOWK 13 News that Justice intends to declare his Senate run at that event, which will take place on his 72nd birthday.
In 2016, as a Democrat, Justice was elected governor. He was a wealthy coal tycoon. The next year, he switched parties and became a Republican. His two-year limit as governor is almost over, and he has virtually finished his second term.
Independent, Democratic, and Republican voters in West Virginia all prefer Justice to Manchin, according to a new research by Morning Consult.
Justice announced his plans in January’s “State of the State” address.
Although I won’t be your governor for too much longer, I have no plans to leave. The Chief Justice of the United States stated, “You’ll probably find me at home, but you might also find me in Washington.”
According to media accounts, Republican senators have been lobbying Justice to challenge Manchin for the Senate seat in an effort to wrest power from the Democrats in the upper house.
Manchin is a centrist Democrat who served as West Virginia’s governor. Two years after Trump’s 42-point victory in the state’s presidential election, he was re-elected in 2018. Both Manchin and Arizona’s newly independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema have become stumbling blocks for left-leaning policies in the Senate.
Manchin has been silent on whether or not he plans to seek reelection to the Senate. Earlier this month, the senator told NBC News that he would not make a decision on 2024 “until the end of the year.” Even in recent conversations, Manchin has been evasive when asked about his future political party and whether or not he plans to run for president.
Representative Alex Mooney (R-WV) announced in November that he will run for Senator to replace Joe Manchin.
Last week, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) endorsed Mooney, saying that the congressman is a “strong conservative” who would “represent the values” of West Virginia in the Senate on Fox News. The Club for Growth PAC also supported his campaign.