Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) may have some competition from a former Democrat who is seriously considering mounting a campaign against Manchin to unseat him.
Two-term Gov. Jim Justice (R-W.V.) revealed that a run for U.S. Senate is highly possible in 2024.
"I'm seriously considering running for U.S. Senate,” Justice wrote on Twitter. “I want continued goodness for our state. I'll continue helping West Virginia no matter if I'm at home or in Washington, DC.”
Manchin, however, has yet to announce if he plans to seek another six-year term in the Senate come 2024.
Justice was previously registered as a Republican but switched to the Democratic Party in 2015 to run against Republican Bill Cole in 2016. A year later, the West Virginia Governor made it back over to the Right side.
Therefore, Justice cannot seek another term as governor in the next election.
“I’m seriously considering running for Senate… I want continued goodness for our state. I’ll try to help in any way, whether it be the Senate or the House or the next governor to be, whatever it may be," Justice said in a video he posted on Twitter. "And I may very well be doing it from home. Or I may very well be doing it from Washington. That’s just my thought.”
I'm seriously considering running for U.S. Senate. I want continued goodness for our state. I'll continue helping West Virginia no matter if I'm at home or in Washington, DC. #WVSen pic.twitter.com/oQs9EdxGwX
— Jim Justice (@JimJusticeWV) January 12, 2023
Senate Republicans have already deemed Manchin as a top target in 2024, as their rocky relationship with the Senator continues.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said that Manchin “deeply disappointed” his state by supporting the Democrat’s progressive Build Back Better bill, losing trust in the people.
The Hill reported that many Republicans feel extra motivated to remove the Democrat from the Senate after he announced a deal with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to raise corporate taxes and spend $370 billion on programs to fight climate change.
“I expect a lot of money to pour into West Virginia to try to beat him. It’s by no means a gimme but given the makeup of the state, given Manchin’s record, I expect to see the [National Republican Senatorial Committee] spend big and I’d expect a lot of outside money to pour into the state,” a Senate Republican strategist said. “It would be malpractice not to at least try to take him out.”