West Virginia's Senate race between Jim Justice and Glenn Elliott: What to know

Previewing Maryland, West Virginia Senate races

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West Virginia’s U.S. Senate race between Gov. Jim Justice and Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott will likely end in Democrats losing the seat that’s been held by Sen. Joe Manchin for 14 years.

Manchin, 76, was the only Democrat holding statewide office in West Virginia before he left the party in May and registered as an independent.

His decision to step down has hampered Democratic hopes of holding on to the coal country seat. It marks the end of an era for West Virginia, which voted reliably blue for decades before flipping red and becoming one of former President Donald Trump’s most loyal states.

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Justice, the two-term GOP governor of West Virginia, is leading Elliott, a Democrat, 62% to 28% in the latest poll by West Virginia MetroNews.

Who is Jim Justice?

Justice, 73, has served as West Virginia’s governor since 2017. He was elected as a Democrat, but switched to the Republican Party once in office.

A native of Raleigh County, Justice and his family own dozens of companies and are worth upwards of $1.5 billion, according to Forbes. He has been accused in numerous court claims of being late in paying millions of dollars he owes in debts for family businesses and fines for unsafe working conditions at his coal mines.

Jim Justice, governor of West Virginia and US Republican Senate candidate, and his dog Babydog during the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcateg

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Justice also owns the financially beleaguered Greenbrier hotel and luxury resort, a 710-room hotel that has hosted U.S. presidents, royalty, NFL teams, PGA Tour golf tournaments, and congressional retreats.

Now, he’s fighting to keep the historic hotel from going up for auction due to unpaid debts. As of Aug. 20, the Justice family hadn’t made contributions to employees’ health fund in months.

His family also owns The Greenbrier Sporting Club, a private luxury community with a members-only "resort within a resort." That property was scheduled to be auctioned off this year in an attempt to recover more than $300 million in business loans defaulted by the governor’s family, but a court battle between the Justice family and the bank delayed that process.

Justice regularly brings Babydog, his 4-year-old English bulldog, to public appearances, including at his State of the State address in 2022 and his speech at the Republican National Convention in July.

He and his wife Cathy have two children.

Who is Glenn Elliot?

Elliott, 52, is a lawyer who has served as Wheeling mayor since 2016.

Before he became mayor, he had a solo law practice in downtown Wheeling. He got his start in law and politics in Washington, D.C., as a legislative assistant to the late U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd.

Glenn Elliott with his wife, son and family dog (Glenn Elliott campaign)

Elliott has said he’s a Democrat because of an intrinsic identification with "the underdog," and a belief that unions built the American middle class and separated the U.S. economy from other nations in the mid-20th century.

He also said he knows the campaign for Senate is an uphill climb. He believes Trump’s success speaks to how frustrated West Virginians are that, "they don’t feel like Washington is listening to them — and they’re not entirely wrong."

"This part of the country is called flyover country for a reason — people often disregard us," Elliott said. "And I think a lot of West Virginians feel like they’ve been talked down to, ignored."

Elliott lives in Wheeling with his wife Cassandra and their 2-year-old son.

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What Justice has said

Justice is "rock-solid against abortion."

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Justice released a statement applauding the ruling that ended the constitutional right to an abortion.

"I’ve said many times that I very proudly stand for life and I am rock-solid against abortion, and I believe that every human life is a miracle worth protecting," the statement read.

A few months later, he signed into law a ban on abortions at all stages of pregnancy, making West Virginia the second state to enact a total ban. He also opposed a proposal by Democratic lawmakers to let voters decide whether abortion should continue to be allowed in the state.

What Elliott has said

Elliott is pro-choice and made reproductive rights the top issue on his campaign website. According to his website, Elliott believes a woman’s right to choose touches "on the core of what it means to live in a free society."

He said he would support and work to pass federal legislation that restores abortion rights nationwide, "ensuring that reproductive healthcare remains a decision between a woman and her doctor."

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What Justice has said

Justice has touted 25 new tax cuts since taking office – including a 4% cut in state income taxes effective next year – and believes the key to growing the economy is "slashing burdensome regulations, supporting small businesses, and rewarding hard work, not punishing it," according to his campaign website.

Unlike his opponent, he believes Biden’s economic policies are to blame for inflation, and he supports more oil drilling, coal and natural gas production.

He says he supports new investment in artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and cryptocurrencies as avenues for economic growth. Justice says he would support legislation establishing a "clear regulatory framework" for each sector.

"We cannot keep heading in the same direction," his website platform states. "Hardworking West Virginians deserve to keep more of their money and be able to find good paying jobs."

What Elliott has said

Elliott said he supports much of what President Joe Biden has done during his administration, especially the passage of economic development spending packages like the bipartisan infrastructure bill. That legislation gave Wheeling $33 million to revamp its downtown streetscape.

But Elliott said he, like Manchin, is not afraid to speak out against proposals from his party he doesn’t think are best for West Virginia.

Elliot is pro-union and says if elected, he’ll advocate for laws that protect the right to organize, according to his campaign website.

"It’s about building an economy where prosperity is shared," his platform states.

Issue: Immigration

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What Justice has said

Justice’s legislative track record shows a hardline stance on immigration.

In May 2023, he joined 24 other Republican-led states in sending troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas.

"If you don’t think there’s a serious problem at the border that affects West Virginia, you’re out of your mind," Justice said at the time.

He also signed into law a bill banning so-called migrant sanctuary cities in West Virginia, and he supports building more wall along the southern border and returning to "Trump era" immigration policies.

What Elliott has said

Immigration and border issues aren’t listed on the issue page of Elliott’s campaign website, but his campaign told FOX TV Stations that he supported this year’s bipartisan border security bill, which was endorsed by the Border Patrol union and would have beefed up immigration infrastructure.

Despite bipartisan support in crafting the bill, most Republicans voted against it in May when Trump told them not to give the Biden administration anything that could be interpreted as an election-year win.

Elliott also said he supports a path to citizenship for undocumented workers, which "would help get more people paying into social security, in turn strengthening that program which is a key issue among West Virginians," he said.