Jim Justice
Jim Justice (Republican Party) is the Governor of West Virginia. He assumed office on January 16, 2017. His current term ends on January 13, 2025.
Justice (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent West Virginia. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Justice was born on April 27, 1951, in Charleston, West Virginia. Justice received his bachelor's and M.B.A. from Marshall University, where he also was captain of the golf team for two years.[1] Justice joined his family's business, Bluestone Industries, in 1976. He became president and CEO of Bluestone Industries and Bluestone Coal Corporation in 1993 following his father's death. According to his official biography, Justice was the largest farmer east of the Mississippi River as of 2024, with more than 50,000 acres across four states.[2]
Justice was first elected governor in 2016 as a Democrat. On August 3, 2017, Justice announced a change in his party affiliation to the Republican Party at a rally with President Donald Trump (R). Politico wrote that Justice's change was "further confirmation of his state’s sharp rightward turn, and reflects Trump’s widespread popularity in a state the president won by a landslide in 2016." Before Justice's party switch, Democrats had held the governorship of West Virginia since 2001.[3] Justice won re-election in 2020 with 64% of the vote.
Justice announced he would run for West Virginia's U.S. Senate seat held by Joe Manchin (D) on April 23, 2023.[4] Trump endorsed Justice on October 18, 2023, in a post on Truth Social.[5] Manchin announced his retirement on November 9, 2023.[6]
In his final State of the State address in January 2024, Justice highlighted accomplishments during his time as governor. Those included creating a state budget surplus, the Roads to Prosperity program that funded new roads and bridges across the state, cutting taxes, protecting access to firearms, limiting access to abortion, and improving the state's standard of living.[7][8]
In February 2024, The Wall Street Journal's Julie Steinberg described Justice as "arguably West Virginia’s most popular politician and most prominent businessman. The dual feat is all the more impressive given how many people he owes money to." Ernie Thrasher, a coal marketing and logistics executive Steinberg interviewed for the piece, said of Justice: "If you just meet him and get to know him as a friend, he’s one of the nicest people in the world. The moment you do business with him, he’s a totally different person."[9]
Biography
Justice graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1969. He received an undergraduate degree and an M.B.A. from Marshall University.[2]
Justice started Justice Family Farms in 1977 and expanded the business to cover 50,000 acres in West Virginia and neighboring states. Justice assumed control of Bluestone Industries, Inc. and Bluestone Coal Corp. following his father's death in 1993. He sold his interests in the Bluestone companies in 2009 and purchased his controlling interest again in early 2015. Justice bought The Greenbrier resort in 2009. As of 2021, he'd been president of Beckley Little League since 1992.[2]
Political career
Governor of West Virginia (2017-present)
Justice was elected governor of West Virginia as a Democrat on November 8, 2016. He assumed office on January 16, 2017.[10]
Elections
2024
See also: United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2024
General election
General election for U.S. Senate West Virginia
The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate West Virginia on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jim Justice (R) | 70.2 | 433,428 |
 | Glenn Elliott (D)  | 26.2 | 161,538 | |
 | David Moran (L) | 3.6 | 22,446 | |
 | Lewie Andrews (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | |
| Tim Stevenski (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | |
| Joshua Standridge (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | |
| Total votes: 617,412 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Christopher Rose (R)
- Michael Sigmon (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Glenn Elliott defeated Zachary Shrewsbury and Don Blankenship in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Glenn Elliott | 45.4 | 46,176 |
 | Zachary Shrewsbury | 36.1 | 36,754 | |
 | Don Blankenship | 18.5 | 18,778 | |
| Total votes: 101,708 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Joe Manchin III (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Justice | 61.8 | 138,307 |
 | Alexander Mooney | 26.5 | 59,348 | |
 | Bryan Bird | 3.1 | 7,001 | |
 | Bryan McKinney | 2.9 | 6,573 | |
 | Zane Lawhorn | 2.0 | 4,517 | |
 | Janet McNulty | 2.0 | 4,404 | |
| Don Lindsay | 1.6 | 3,503 | |
| Total votes: 223,653 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Justice received the following endorsements.
- U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R)
- U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R)
- U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R)
- U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R)
- U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R)
- Frmr. state Rep. Moore Capito (R)
- Frmr. Pres. Donald Trump (R)
- Republican Main Street Partnership PAC
- West Virginia Business & Industry Council
- West Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association
- West Virginia Sheriffs' Association
- West Virginians for Life PAC
- West Virginians for Manufacturing Jobs
Pledges
Justice signed the following pledges.
2020
See also: West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2020
West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2020 (June 9 Republican primary)
West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2020 (June 9 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for Governor of West Virginia
The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of West Virginia on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Justice (R) | 63.5 | 497,944 |
 | Ben Salango (D) | 30.2 | 237,024 | |
 | Erika Kolenich (L) | 2.9 | 22,527 | |
 | S. Marshall Wilson (Independent) (Write-in) | 1.9 | 15,120 | |
 | Daniel Lutz Jr. (Mountain Party) | 1.4 | 11,309 | |
 | Michael Folk (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 199 | |
| Mitch Roberts (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 152 | |
 | Quintin Gerard Caldwell (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 6 | |
| Kimberly Gross (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 6 | |
| Total votes: 784,287 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- David Sartin (Independent)
- Larry Trent (Constitution Party)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of West Virginia
Ben Salango defeated Stephen Smith, Ron Stollings, Jody Murphy, and Douglas Hughes in the Democratic primary for Governor of West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ben Salango | 38.7 | 74,554 |
 | Stephen Smith | 33.8 | 65,056 | |
 | Ron Stollings | 13.3 | 25,686 | |
 | Jody Murphy | 9.3 | 17,968 | |
| Douglas Hughes | 4.8 | 9,201 | |
| Total votes: 192,465 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Cecil Silva (D)
- Edwin Ray Vanover (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of West Virginia
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Justice | 62.8 | 133,026 |
 | H. Woody Thrasher | 18.3 | 38,796 | |
| Michael Folk | 12.5 | 26,461 | |
| Doug Six | 2.1 | 4,419 | |
| Larry Brooke Lunsford | 1.8 | 3,844 | |
| Shelby Fitzhugh | 1.3 | 2,762 | |
 | Charles Sheedy | 1.2 | 2,535 | |
| Total votes: 211,843 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for Governor of West Virginia
Erika Kolenich advanced from the Libertarian convention for Governor of West Virginia on April 8, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Erika Kolenich (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Mountain Party convention
Mountain Party convention for Governor of West Virginia
Daniel Lutz Jr. advanced from the Mountain Party convention for Governor of West Virginia on June 20, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Daniel Lutz Jr. (Mountain Party) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2016
Justice ran for election to the office of governor of West Virginia. Justice was seeking the Democratic nomination in the 2016 primary. He defeated former United States Attorney Booth Goodwin and state Senate Majority Leader Jeff Kessler in the primary. Incumbent Earl Ray Tomblin (D) was unable to run for re-election due to term limits.[11]
General election results
Jim Justice defeated Bill Cole, Charlotte Jean Pritt, David Moran, and Phil Hudok in the West Virginia governor election.
| West Virginia Governor, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Jim Justice |
49.09% | 350,408 | |
| Republican | Bill Cole | 42.30% | 301,987 | |
| Mountain Party | Charlotte Jean Pritt | 5.89% | 42,068 | |
| Libertarian | David Moran | 2.15% | 15,354 | |
| Constitution Party | Phil Hudok | 0.57% | 4,041 | |
| Total Votes | 713,858 | |||
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election results
Jim Justice defeated Booth Goodwin and Jeff Kessler in the Democratic primary for governor.
| Democratic primary for Governor, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Jim Justice |
51.37% | 132,704 |
| Booth Goodwin | 25.32% | 65,416 |
| Jeff Kessler | 23.31% | 60,230 |
| Total Votes (1,745 of 1,745 precincts reporting) | 258,350 | |
| Source: MetroNews | ||
| Click [show] for background information on the primary | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jim Justice did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Jim Justice did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Noteworthy events
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| Coronavirus pandemic |
| Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.
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Justice announced on January 11, 2022, that he tested positive for COVID-19. He said he was vaccinated at the time he contracted the virus.[17]
Party switch (2017)
| Donald Trump's remarks at the Huntington rally where Gov. Justice announced his party switch |
On August 3, 2017, Justice announced at a rally in Huntington, West Virginia, that he would switch to the Republican Party, effective August 4, 2017. Donald Trump joined him there. This gave the Republican Party control of 34 governorships—the most it had held since 1922. Since both the West Virginia House of Delegates and West Virginia State Senate were majority-Republican, this made West Virginia the 26th state with a Republican trifecta. Since the attorney general and secretary of state were Republicans, this also made West Virginia the 23rd state with a Republican triplex. It also meant that West Virginia became the 21st state where Republicans held a triplex and trifecta.
Ballot measure activity
The following table details NAME's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:
| Ballot measure support and opposition for NAME | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Status |
| West Virginia Amendment 2, Authorize Tax Exemptions for Vehicles and Personal Property Used for Business Measure (2022) | 2022 | Opposed[18] |  Defeated |
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Justice and his wife, Cathy, have two children.[2]
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate U.S. Senate West Virginia |
Officeholder Governor of West Virginia |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ The Washington Post, "W.Va. billionaire Jim Justice’s mission to restore the Greenbrier resort," March 6, 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Office of the Governor, "About Jim," accessed May 6, 2021
- ↑ Politico, "West Virginia Democratic governor switches to GOP," August 3, 2017
- ↑ CNN, "West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announces run for Senate, setting up potential challenge to Manchin," April 23, 2023
- ↑ The New York Times, "Trump Endorses Gov. Jim Justice in West Virginia Senate Race," October 18, 2023
- ↑ ABC News, "Sen. Joe Manchin, moderate West Virginia Democrat, won't seek reelection," November 9, 2023
- ↑ WCHS, "Gov. Justice delivers final State of the State address ahead of U.S. Senate run," January 10, 2024
- ↑ Bluefield Daily Telegraph, "Justice touts accomplishments as final state-of-the-state address approaches," January 4, 2024
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Gov. Jim Justice Is Beloved in West Virginia. Just Not by His Creditors." February 1, 2024
- ↑ West Virginia Metro News, "With video: Jim Justice takes midnight oath, promises to make ‘dreams come true,'" January 16, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Morning digest: Now West Virginia Democrats get three gubernatorial candidates to choose from," January 7, 2016
- ↑ Booth Goodwin, "Official campaign website," accessed February 11, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "No Survivors Found After West Virginia Mine Disaster," accessed February 11, 2016
- ↑ Jeff Kessler, "Issues," archived March 18, 2016
- ↑ National Journal, "Democrats faced Crowded Primary in…West Virginia," accessed January 26, 2016
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "Jim Justice, West Virginia Billionaire, Launches Campaign for Governor," accessed January 26, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Office of the governor, "Gov. Justice health update: January 14, 2022," January 14, 2022
- ↑ St. Louis Post Dispatch, "West Virginia Governor Wants to Toss Personal Vehicle Tax," accessed December 15, 2022
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| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
U.S. Senate West Virginia 2025 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by Earl Ray Tomblin (D) |
Governor of West Virginia 2017-Present |
Succeeded by - |
