[RAY BOGAN]

West Virginia’s Republican Governor Jim Justice has been elected the state’s next Senator, replacing former Democrat turned Independent Joe Manchin who is retiring. This race is a long expected flip for Republicans as they try to win a majority in the chamber. 

Justice won his governor’s race in 2016 as a Democrat. In August 2017, he made a surprise announcement at a Donald Trump rally that he was changing parties. Flipping Manchin’s seat is the culmination of West Virginia’s decades-long transition from Democratic stronghold to ruby-red. 

When it came to key issues including the economy, the border, the second amendment and abortion, Justice ran with the national Republican platform. He criticized the Biden Administration as weak and promised to help West Virginians with America first policies. 

Justice owns more than 100 businesses around the state. He was once a billionaire but due to a downturn in the coal business and other financial difficulties his wealth has plummeted, some estimates say by half. 

In August, his family avoided foreclosure on their 710-room, 11,000 acre Greenbrier Resort. Beltway Capital, which had taken over the property’s loan from J.P. Morgan, was going to auction the property. Justice said the family originally took out a $200 million unsecured loan on the property, which the family paid all the way down to $9.4 million. A couple days before a court hearing and auction, Justice announced they made a deal and said the Greenbrier would be in their family “forevermore”. Other businesses owned by the family have had problems with debts, fines and late taxes. 

While Governor, he continued coaching a high school girls basketball team which he’s led since 2000. 

Justice ran against former Wheeling, West Virginia Mayor Glenn Elliott who has multiple degrees from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and a law degree from Georgetown.