By Shania Shelton, David Wright and Manu Raju | CNN
Republican Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia announced his Senate candidacy on Thursday, setting up a potential challenge to Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, among the most vulnerable incumbents in 2024.
“I am officially announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate,” Justice told a roomful of supporters in White Sulphur Springs. “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 term-limited governor was joined by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who praised Justice during introductory remarks.
“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. He added that “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.”
CNN has reported that GOP leaders are expected to close ranks behind Justice in the primary, which also features Rep. Alex Mooney, who has the backing of the influential conservative group Club for Growth.
“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 Chair Steve Daines said in a statement Thursday.
Justice avoided mentioning Mooney or Manchin in his remarks, instead focusing his criticism on the Biden administration.
Manchin, who has not yet said whether he is running for a third full term, responded to Justice’s announcement by saying he was “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…
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