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Jim Justice is getting the itch. And it could set up a battle of GOP titans.
The West Virginia GOP senator is considering a run for his old job as governor in 2028, which would potentially set up a race between him and incumbent Gov. Patrick Morrisey. Justice told Semafor he’s “sure thinking about it” before quickly interjecting that he loves “what I’m doing here” in the Senate.
He also jabbed at Morrisey but insisted he wants the governor to be successful: “Gov. Morrisey has a more difficult time bonding with people and everything, but beyond that, I want him to do great, I really do. I’m not in a food fight at all.”
“I do love the people of West Virginia, and I spent eight years trying to build it back. Got it really going,” Justice continued. “I just want goodness for West Virginia, but I want goodness for the whole nation too. We’ll make a decision.”
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West Virginia is a small state that’s also the home of bare-knuckled politics and big personalities. Republicans recruited Justice, a former Democrat, to run against former Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., in 2024, though Manchin ultimately decided against seeking reelection. Manchin narrowly defeated Morrisey in 2018, but Morrisey mounted a political comeback in 2024 by emerging from a crowded GOP primary and winning the governor’s mansion.
A Morrisey ally told Semafor that Justice has myriad vulnerabilities and hasn’t had to win a tough GOP primary against someone like the incumbent governor (though Justice did easily defeat former Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., in 2024). The ally added that the conservative Club for Growth is already committed to opposing Justice, put Morrisey’s war chest at nearly $5 million across several political entities, and noted that Justice is in debt and is now sharing control of his family’s Greenbrier resort.
But Justice said people in West Virginia are encouraging him to run: “You’re going to hear people come to you and say, ‘Boy, we’d love to have you back as governor.’ You know, that’s natural and everything. I don’t pay a whole lot of attention.”
Manchin also flirted repeatedly with running for his old job as governor, which he used to call the “best job in the world.” Manchin never ran after serving in the Senate, but Senate Republicans believe Justice is more likely to run than not, according to several GOP sources. Regarding the 2028 governor race, Manchin said on Tuesday: “Can’t we get through this election before worrying about the next election?”