Republican West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice emerged victorious in the state’s GOP Senate primary, defeating his main rival Rep. Alex Mooney with a significant margin of 61.5% to 26.6%. While several other candidates in the GOP field failed to attract more than 3.1% of the vote individually, Justice secured the majority support of West Virginia voters. Following his win, Justice expressed gratitude to the state for their support and trust in him and emphasized his commitment to winning in November to advance the America-First agenda.
In the upcoming general election, Justice will compete against the Democratic nominee, who is yet to be determined from a three-way race between Glenn Elliott, the mayor of Wheeling, Zachary Shrewsbury, a community organizer, and Don Blankenship, a former coal company CEO. The Democratic primary remained too close to call as of 9 p.m. ET. Justice’s transition from a Democrat to a Republican occurred at a rally for former President Donald Trump in 2017, and Trump endorsed Justice’s Senate bid in 2024. With his popularity and Trump’s support, Justice is considered a heavy favorite in the general election to succeed retiring Sen. Joe Manchin in the U.S. Senate.
Sen. Manchin, a centrist Democrat who announced he would not seek re-election in November, currently holds the seat that Republicans are aiming to flip. Trump has enjoyed significant support in West Virginia, winning over 68% of the vote in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. The Democrats hold a slim 51-49 majority in the Senate, but they need to defend 23 seats in this election cycle, compared to the Republicans’ task of protecting just 11 seats. Justice, who is term-limited, was ineligible to run for a third term as West Virginia governor, creating an opportunity for new leadership in the state.
In the race to replace Justice as governor, the Democratic primary saw Steve Williams, the mayor of Huntington, running uncontested. The Republican primary featured a tight race between West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Moore Capito, the son of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, which was undecided as of 10:15 p.m. The outcome of the governor’s race will have implications for the future direction of West Virginia and the representation of the state at both the state and federal levels. As the political landscape in West Virginia evolves with new leadership and candidates emerging, the results of the primary elections set the stage for an important general election where both parties vie for control and influence.
