Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia indicated that he would announce a Senate campaign on Thursday, giving Republicans a strong recruit against Senator
Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia indicated that he would announce a Senate campaign on Thursday, giving Republicans a strong recruit against Senator Joe Manchin III, one of the most vulnerable Democrats up for re-election in 2024.
In a media advisory sent out Wednesday morning, Mr. Justice’s team teased a “special announcement” at 5 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. It made a point to note that his English bulldog — Babydog, known for a memorable appearance last year at his State of the State speech — would be present for the announcement.
While the advisory did not specify the nature of the announcement, it offered a livestream link to a YouTube page with the description “The official YouTube channel for Jim Justice for U.S. Senate, Inc.”
Mr. Manchin, the only Democrat who has proved able to win a Senate election in West Virginia in recent years, has not confirmed whether he will run for re-election. But if he does, Mr. Justice could prove a formidable opponent: He is popular in West Virginia, and the state is overwhelmingly Republican.
If Mr. Manchin doesn’t run, the path for Republicans to retake the seat would be even clearer.
First, though, Mr. Justice would need to make it through a Republican primary. He will have at least one major opponent, Representative Alex Mooney, who is closely allied with former President Donald J. Trump.
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