His worth peaked at $1.7 billion, but he was taken off Forbes’ prestigious list of billionaires in 2021.
Justice reached billionaire status through family-owned farms and coal mines. Within a year he constructed a bunker casino beneath the resort’s 721-room hotel and established a PGA Tour golf event that was held on the Old White TPC for 10 years. He blames others for the work he hasn’t done.”īefore going into politics, Justice bought the 6,500-acre (2,630-hectare) Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs out of bankruptcy for $20.1 million. Manchin returned fire, saying “knowing Jim Justice’s character, it’s not a surprise for him to make a comment like this. He blamed Manchin, a former two-term governor, for the state’s neglected road system. In 2019, Justice in a news release called Manchin “one of those loud Washington liberals” who hadn’t embraced Trump. Now foes, the pair have traded jabs ever since. Manchin said the switch disappointed him. Justice said he told Manchin about the party switch the day before his announcement, keeping it secret even from the governor’s own staff. Justice was first elected as a Democrat, then switched to the GOP seven months after taking office, taking the stage at an event with Trump to make the announcement in 2017. Bernie Sanders, a progressive, has suggested he would support a primary opponent to the conservative Democrat, who was responsible for watering down much of Biden’s social spending agenda.Īs governor, Justice took advantage of Trump’s popularity amid a red wave in West Virginia. No Democrats have announced a challenge to Manchin.
If Manchin seeks reelection, Justice’s announcement means Manchin is likely in for his toughest test in his three decades in West Virginia politics. Manchin’s federal campaign filings show he already has more than $9.7 million cash on hand. “But make no mistake, I will win any race I enter.”
“I am laser focused on doing the job West Virginians elected me to do - lowering healthcare costs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, shoring up American energy security and getting our fiscal house in order,” Manchin said in a statement. Manchin didn’t wait for Justice to make his announcement to throw out a warning Thursday morning. Manchin, who endorsed Justice in his first gubernatorial bid before Justice switched parties six years ago and their relationship deteriorated, has said he’ll decide his future political plans in December. “Jim Justice is a proven winner whose record of creating jobs, cutting taxes, and fighting for conservative values has made him one of the most popular governors in the country,” National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman Steve Daines said in a statement. Lindsey Graham.Įarlier Thursday, Justice’s campaign filed a statement of organization for a Senate run on the Federal Election Commission’s website. senator, Republican Shelley Moore Capito, and South Carolina GOP Sen. He has been the only Democrat elected to statewide office in West Virginia since Justice switched his party affiliation in 2017.Īmong the speakers at the announcement were West Virginia’s other U.S. Manchin is one of three Democratic senators up for reelection in 2024 who represent a state won by former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. Senate, with the GOP hoping to flip the seat in the overwhelmingly Republican state. Justice’s entry increases the spotlight on what will be one of the most watched 2024 races in the closely divided U.S.
“I absolutely will promise you to God above that I will do the job, and I will do the job that will make you proud,” Justice told a crowd to a standing ovation. Justice, an ultrawealthy businessman who is barred from running for a third consecutive term as governor, ended months of speculation with the announcement at a posh resort he owns in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Senate seat in 2024, setting up what could be a hard-fought campaign between two of the state’s most prominent politicians. Jim Justice announced Thursday that he is running for Democrat Joe Manchin’s U.S.
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