Republicans get Justice in West Virginia Senate race

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice filed paperwork to run for the Senate on Thursday and is expected to make an official announcement this evening. He is seeking the Republican nomination to take on the seat held by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in what will likely be one of the most hotly contested and closely watched Senate contests in the country.

Justice is a well-liked and wealthy coal magnate who is an ally to former President Donald Trump, and Republicans believe his campaign kickoff goes a long way toward retaking the Senate next year. Trump won the state by 39 percentage points in 2020, and the Mitch McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund recently commissioned a poll showing Justice is the strongest candidate against Manchin.

Justice is set to make remarks this evening at The Greenbrier, his luxury resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

Manchin has said he will not decide whether he will run for reelection until the end of the year. He has also left the door open to a presidential bid.

"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," Manchin said in a statement released Thursday. "But make no mistake, I will win any race I enter."

The National Republican Senatorial Committee played an active role in recruiting Justice. With a 64 percent approval rating, Justice is the fifth-most popular governor in the country, according to a survey conducted last year by Morning Consult.

Before taking on Manchin, Justice must face GOP Rep. Alex Mooney in the Republican primary. The conservative group Club for Growth has vowed to spend at least $10 million on the race, and has already reported spending from its super PAC this week.

Mooney’s campaign said in a statement that “Republican primary voters will soon see that [Justice] is nothing but a Democrat in sheep's clothing.” The congressman is launching an TV ad on Thursday that bashes Justice as a “liberal.” Justice was previously registered as a Democrat and switched parties in 2017.

Both candidates would benefit greatly from Trump's endorsement and are angling for that support. Mooney flew down to Florida for a congressional fundraiser on Friday — and also chatted up Trump at the event. Mooney's campaign wants Trump to at least stay neutral if he won't endorse the conservative congressman, according to a person briefed on the event.

“West Virginia’s GOP Senate primary is going to be a nasty, messy and expensive fight,” said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Amanda Sherman Baity, “and whichever candidate manages to hobble out of their intraparty battle will be damaged and out of step with the voters who will decide the general election.”

POLITICO previously reported that Justice planned to launch his campaign on Thursday.

Burgess Everett, Ally Mutnick and Meridith McGraw contributed to this report.