West Virginia governor launches Senate bid against Joe Manchin

The two-term governor filed his statement of candidacy to run just hours before an expected announcement, per the Daily Caller.

However, Justice is expected to have a long road ahead, as he first has to run against Republican Representative Alex Mooney in the primary. The victor of the primary will have to take on Manchin, who has held a seat in the Senate since being elected in 2010.

"While we welcome Jim Justice's decision to run for U.S. Senate in West Virginia against Alex Mooney, we'd also like to be the first to tell him what a terrible idea it is," Mooney wrote on Twitter.

"[Jim Justice] has a liberal record and Republican primary voters will soon see that he is nothing but a Democrat in sheep's clothing," he added. "Supporting over $3 trillion in Biden spending, proposing massive tax hikes, and gun control are just a few examples of Justice's extreme liberal postures. The DC establishment can call [Jim Justice] a frontrunner all they want."

In a February poll conducted by the Tarrance Group, the results suggested that Justice would defeat Manchin 52 percent to 42 percent in the primaries, going on to defeat Mooney for the Senate seat by 15 points. However, the findings are not necessarily accurate predictors of how the vote will actually turn out. The Daily Caller also noted that West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrissey, who ran against Manchin in 2018 and lost, has announced that he is running for governor.

Justice recently made known that he is hoping for an endorsement by former President Donald Trump, someone he is reportedly close with. Trump rumbled through West Virginia, winning the state by nearly 40 points back in 2020.

The current governor is expected to receive a significant amount of support from other Republican state legislators in his bid for the Senate, per CBS News.

"Just look at how I am accepted by the voters. I have a (high) approval rating. You don’t just get that by falling off a log," Justice said.

The governor is thought to be much more popular than Mooney in conservative circles, predicted to win in a head-to-head race by up to 31 points, according to a March National Public Affairs Poll.

Justice, a coal magnate, has reportedly made his family’s coal business available for purchase in an effort to launch his campaign for Senate. He is widely considered to be the wealthiest individual in the state of West Virginia.