OAN Geraldyn Berry
UPDATED 12:12 PM – Friday, April 28, 2023
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has announced that he is running for Senate on Thursday.
The Republican made his announcement at The Greenbrier, his luxury hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, while celebrating his 72nd birthday.
“I am officially announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate,” Justice said. “And 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.”
The Republican will face off against incumbent Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.).
Justice received the approval and praise of Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) during his announcement.
“We need help in Washington. We need a winner. We need somebody that can win in a general election. A conservative who can move the ball forward in Washington, DC,” Graham said. “We’ve made mistakes in 2022. We didn’t nominate maybe the right person for the state in which they were running – I promise you, Jim Justice is the right person for West Virginia.”
According to reports, GOP officials are anticipated to unite behind Justice in the primary, which also included Representative Alex Mooney (R-W.V.), who is supported by the significant conservative organization Club for Growth.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines praised Justice as “a proven winner.” He cited Justice’s “record of creating jobs, cutting taxes, and fighting for conservative values.”
During his announcement speech, Justice criticized the Biden administration. He also discussed a few key policy concerns, including abortion, gun rights, and the rising conservative emphasis on family engagement and education. The rules banning abortion in this state are unquestionably the strictest in the nation, he claimed.
“I have never seen a gun kill anybody. Ever,” Justice said when discussing Second Amendment rights. “But there’s a heck of a lot of people that kill people.”
Justice was first elected governor in 2016, as a Democrat. He switched parties the following year, announcing his move at a rally alongside 45th President Donald Trump.
In 2020, Justice comfortably secured a second term. Recently, his attention has been on conservative causes. He enacted a bill this year that essentially outlaws all abortions in the state, with the exception of emergency emergencies, rape, and incest instances. He approved a law last month that permits West Virginians with concealed carry permits to bring specific concealed firearms onto college and university campuses.
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