W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice Officially Files for Senate Run

West Virginia GOP Gov. Jim Justice has officially filed for his run for Senate, hours before his official campaign announcement Thursday night at his family resort in White Sulphur Springs, according to reports.

Justice is going to take on a growing GOP primary field in the Senate GOP bid to unseat moderate Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., in a closely divided Senate.

Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., is already in the race and has received a $10 million boost from the Club for Growth, according to President David McIntosh, who had hoped Justice would “take a pass” on designs for Manchin’s seat, but admitted Justice “is very popular.”

“I know folks here in Washington are recruiting him heavily, but I think Alex is the strong Republican that really represents West Virginia values,” McIntosh said earlier this month.

“Part of it is that Alex only represents part of the state and the governor has been elected statewide.”

Justice is a former Democrat who flipped to the Republican Party, and Mooney is already on the attack, labeling Justice a “RINO” (Republican in name only).

“Look, I’m going to give the voters a choice here,” Mooney told “Talkline” on MetroNews. “You want a proven conservative, I’m your guy. I have a voting record you can look at. You want someone who’s more of a liberal Republican, there’s Jim Justice.”

Manchin’s hold on his seat is tenuous. The latest Morning Consult Poll lists him as the second most unpopular senator behind Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has the highest disapproval rating at 64%. Manchin is not far behind at 55%.

“In West Virginia, Manchin — once one of America’s most popular senators — has seen his popularity crumble, and national Republicans are hoping to recruit Justice, who is term limited, to challenge him,” according to Morning Consult poll analysis. “That contest would pit one of the country’s most unpopular incumbents against one of its most popular, according to the latest quarterly surveys.”

Justice announced his flip to the GOP at a rally with former President Donald Trump in 2017, making it possible Trump gets behind the West Virginia governor, setting up a proxy battle against the Club for Growth.