WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – West Virginia Governor Jim Justice officially announced his 2024 candidacy for the U.S. Senate at his famed Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs Thursday evening heating up what is an already contentious race.
Although the 2024 West Virginia Primary Election set for May 14 is over a year away, Gov. Justice and Congressman Alex Mooney have already begun throwing shots at one another.
In a statement regarding Justice’s decision to enter the race, Congressman Mooney stated that Justice is a liberal.
“While we welcome Jim Justice’s decision to run for U.S. Senate in West Virginia against Alex Mooney, we’d also like to be the first to tell him what a terrible idea it is. Jim Justice has a liberal record and Republican primary voters will soon see that he is nothing but a Democrat in sheep’s clothing,” Mooney said.
“Supporting over $3 trillion in Biden spending, proposing massive tax hikes, and gun control are just a few examples of Justice’s extreme liberal postures. The D.C. establishment can call Justice a frontrunner all they want. Alex Mooney is the only true conservative in this race and the only candidate that will beat Joe Manchin next November,” Mooney concluded.
During Justice’s announcement event, a two-minute campaign advertisement was posted to his social media accounts labeling Mooney as an “all talk no action D.C. politician.”
At around the same time, Mooney released a thirty-second campaign ad to his social media accounts attacking Justices’ “liberal record.”
As Justice and Mooney continue to take shots, politicians and political organizations are beginning to pick their sides in what is believed to be one of the most contended U.S. Senate races in 2024 as current Democratic Senator Joe Manchin looks to remain the only Democrat in West Virginia to hold a federal office.
Both Republican Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky have made it clear that they back Mooney in this race.
Mooney posted a statement from Sen. Paul on March 20th endorsing his candidacy.
“Alex Mooney is the type of conservative fighter we need more of in the U.S. Senate. I have had the opportunity to get to know Alex personally and I am certain he will join me in the fight to protect our constitutional rights,” Paul said.
“Alex knows we need a much more limited government and a foreign policy that really puts America First. I encourage everyone to support Alex Mooney’s campaign for Senate in West Virginia.”
Sen. Cruz released a statement on his Twitter page on April 21st voicing his support for Mooney.
“Alex is a friend, he’s a fighter and a strong conservative who will ferociously defend the Second Amendment, be a champion for American energy, prioritize bringing jobs to West Virginia, and faithfully and aggressively represent the values of the Mountain State in the Senate,” Cruz stated.
Fellow Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina decided to go a different route than his two colleagues as he both introduced and endorsed Gov. Justice at his announcement event Thursday.
“This is a big country with a lot of ideas. We need people in the United States Senate worthy of a great country that can sit down and find ways to solve problems like you do every day here in West Virginia. When it comes to Jim Justice, you know exactly what you’re getting. You’re getting a solid conservative; a leader; a problem solver,” Graham said before introducing Justice.
Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah has implied that he will not support either GOP candidate in the WV Senate race and will instead stick by Manchin. Romney told CNN, “I won’t in any way campaign against my friend Joe Manchin. He’s a great friend, a good leader.”
Manchin himself seemed to show no worry about who he may face if he were to run again in 2024.
“I am 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 getting our fiscal house in order. But make no mistake, I will win any race I enter,” Manchin said in a statement.
Following the governor’s announcement, the Club for Growth Action, a conservative political action committee (PAC), reiterated their previous support for Mooney while at the same time dissing Justice.
“West Virginia voters want a principled conservative like Alex Mooney who will fight the out-of-control spending and woke policies coming from Washington. The fact is Jim Justice is Mitch McConnell’s handpicked candidate, and would support the reckless spending that Manchin voted for and more,” said David McIntosh, President, Club for Growth Action.
“We expect the former Democrat to do great with the small number of Republican primary voters who are pro-inflation and supported Justice’s push for the largest tax increase in the history of West Virginia.”
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), an annual political conference that is attended by conservative activists, politicians, and media personalities also threw in its support for Mooney.
CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp released a statement on Twitter ahead of Justice’s announcement stating that the conference would be backing Mooney in 2024.
“Alex Mooney is the right choice for conservatives in WV. Alex will stand for the unborn, girl’s and women’s sports and oppose the complicity of the white flag Republican establishment. We are all in for Alex Mooney for U.S. Senate,” Schlapp stated.
Former President Donald Trump has had a good relationship with both Justice and Mooney and supported them in each of their respective reelection campaigns but has yet to make an endorsement in this race.