Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) is considering a return to the governor’s mansion in a political gamble that could oust a fellow Republican, open his Senate seat, and set off a domino effect across West Virginia politics.
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that → consider → politics
Justice, who served two terms as governor before joining the Senate in 2025, is considering a 2028 primary challenge against his successor, Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R-WV), setting the stage for a potential clash between two of the state’s political heavyweights.
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who → serve → heavyweights
Of course, Justice’s first step is to launch a campaign, a move he appears to be inching toward.
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he → launch → move
He’s broadcast his interest in primarying Morrisey and teased that a decision is likely to come after the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
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decision → broadcast → elections
Morrisey was West Virginia attorney general under Justice before becoming his successor as governor.
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Morrisey → become → governor
Morrisey has not announced his reelection plans and has largely dodged media questions about Justice’s consideration.
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Morrisey → announce → consideration
But regardless of Justice’s plans, Morrisey is expected to run, according to those involved in state GOP politics.
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Morrisey → expect → politics
And he’s already amassing a war chest as if he’s made a decision.
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he → amass → decision
“This is clash of the titans,” a West Virginia GOP insider told the Washington Examiner, who was granted anonymity to discuss internal state party dynamics.
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who → tell → dynamics
“Everybody is talking about it.
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Everybody → talk → it
I’d be surprised if [Justice] didn’t” challenge Morrisey, they added.
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they → challenge → Morrisey
The conservative Club for Growth has made an early pledge to back Morrisey, who has around $5 million across his campaign accounts or entities supporting him, according to a Morrisey ally.
“I don’t know if [Justice] runs or not … but it is gonna be an absolute brawl,” the Morrisey ally said.
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ally → make → ally
If reelected governor and required to vacate his Senate term, Justice would make an appointment from among three names selected by the state party.
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Justice → reelect → party
A special election would be required within four months of the vacancy taking place.
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vacancy → require → place
The winner would hold the seat until the next election in 2030.
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winner → hold → 2030
Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV), the nephew of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and West Virginia Republican Treasurer Larry Pack are seen by Republican insiders as the leading contenders and among the most natural successors.
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Moore → see → successors
Moore would be interested in the appointment, according to a source familiar with the matter.
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Moore → accord → matter
Capito is slated to be reelected to her third, six-term year term this fall, meaning the family duo would continue serving alongside one another.
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duo → slat → one
Both Moore and Pack have close ties to Justice.
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Moore → have → Justice
Moore served as state treasurer when Justice was governor before they began serving in Congress in 2025.
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they → serve → 2025
Pack served in Justice’s administration as a senior adviser and acting secretary of revenue.
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Pack → serve → revenue
In Moore’s case, Justice would not be able to make an appointment to his open House seat if he moves to the Senate, but the vacancy would trigger another special election.
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vacancy → make → election
“It’s not a matter of will somebody run against [Morrisey].
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somebody → ’ → Morrisey
It’s going to be who’s going to run and how many different people will run?” Greg Thomas, a longtime West Virginia GOP operative, told the Washington Examiner.
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Thomas → go → Examiner
“I think if Justice gets in, it probably clears the field from everybody else.”
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it → think → everybody
Republicans without skin in the game see Justice has holding an initial advantage, particularly in the wake of poor polling from two separate state Senate districts showing 45% and 61% of respondents disapproving of Morrisey’s job performance.
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% → see → performance
But they also note a win wouldn’t come easy for either candidate.
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win → note → candidate
Justice’s consideration coincides with statements made in Washington that distance himself from the Trump administration and mirror concerns expressed by other Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.
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that → coincide → elections
Justice criticized his party last month for having “glossed over” everyday people “out here really hurting” from affordability issues.
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Justice → criticize → issues
“We, as Republicans, can become tone-deaf,” he recently told the Washington Examiner, citing Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland as an example.
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he → become → example
“I think we, as Republicans, should own it.
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we → think → it
This is not to say, ‘Well, our president screwed up, or Congress screwed up,’ or whatever it may be.
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it → say → ?
We ought to own it.
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We → own → it
Around the same time, he backpedaled criticism that the Trump administration’s deportation agenda was hurting rural communities amid warnings from the cattle industry about hits to the agriculture labor force.
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agenda → backpedal → force
After initially suggesting the administration should “adjust” its immigration enforcement strategy, Justice said he “full stop” supports Trump’s efforts and accused the media of “twisting my words to score political points.”
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he → suggest → points
Justice cited his past successes as governor for fueling his interest and suggested the state was at risk of sliding backward under Morrisey in an interview last month with the Washington Examiner.
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state → cite → Examiner
He stopped short of saying Morrisey was performing poorly.
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Morrisey → stop → ?
“I wouldn’t say that at all,” he said, adding the subtle jab that perhaps others were “probably not as happy as I think they ought to be.”
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they → say → jab
David Sivak contributed to this report.
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Sivak → contribute → report
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