CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – More than a month before the Nov. 5 election, Jim Justice declared victory in his Senate race in deeply Republican West Virginia. Behind the scenes, he is fighting to maintain the good reputation of some of his family businesses.
In a state where Donald Trump had won every district in the last two presidential elections, Justice crowned himself the unbeatable successor to outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin, whose seat had been one of the last lines of defense for Democrats trying to tighten their narrow majority preserve.
“I keep saying, judge me by my actions,” Justice told reporters on Sept. 19.
This challenge could have had a different meaning, serving as a reminder to the banks, creditors, federal agencies and others who have been pressuring Justice for years to pay his debts, including loan defaults, delayed payments and court fines. He was threatened with foreclosure. Early in his term, the governor was sued for not staying at the governor’s mansion in Charleston as required by law, and while he was there, the list of his accomplishments was neither particularly long nor notable.
Most recently, Justice’s family paid off a debt bond to fend off a debt collector’s threat to auction off his Greenbrier resort’s historic hotel.
And yet the boast of justice was probably justified. The folksy politician with a pet bulldog named Babydog at his side is on the ticket for a seat that national Democrats effectively ceded as soon as Manchin decided not to run. Republicans had made it a top target, and leaders in both parties had become convinced that not even Manchin could win a third full term as a Democrat in a state that is among the most Republican in the country.
According to AdImpact, which tracks campaign spending data, Democrats were outspent by Republicans in the race by more than 5 to 1, with Democrat Glenn Elliott receiving less than $3 million in support from outside groups.
Whether voters will ignore the baggage of the judiciary remains to be seen. Elliott was surprised by the judge’s public declaration of victory and his refusal to hold a debate. Elliott, a former Wheeling mayor who was endorsed by Manchin before Manchin switched from the Democratic Party to an independent, said voters deserve to know more about Justice, including his finances.
“One of the frustrating things about the campaign is that all the problems the governor has, for whatever reason, don’t seem to resonate with the average voter,” Elliott said.
By refusing to debate, Richter simply said he was too busy.
“I want to cross the finish line as governor,” he said. “That’s all.”
As governor, Justice pushed through income tax cuts and billions for road repairs and construction. He played high government revenue surpluses, job creation and tourism into play.
But he faces criticism for failing to adequately fund public schools and the state’s long-term care system, and advocates for low-income residents say he has failed to address the challenges facing the most vulnerable citizens. During the pandemic, some lawmakers criticized the judiciary’s awards to people who got vaccinated against the coronavirus as “wasteful spending.”
West Virginia has one of the highest poverty rates in the United States. It also lost the highest percentage of residents of any state in the last decade, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates for 2023, an exodus that cost it a seat in Congress and continued into Justice’s second term.
While it is uncertain how far back Justice’s family debts go, they predate his time as governor and deprive him of the right to call himself a billionaire.
“I’m surprised that the liabilities in his business and other things haven’t really dented his popularity,” said Robert Rupp, a retired professor of political history at West Virginia Wesleyan College.
The lawsuits, filed more than a decade ago, centered on unpaid contract bills or debts from Justice family mining operations in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. Shortly before he was elected in 2016, Justice’s coal companies owed millions of dollars in taxes to some of Appalachia’s poorest counties. His companies also had millions of dollars in West Virginia state tax liens.
The challenges piled up and reached their peak this year. Earlier this month, Justice’s family announced that it had settled its debts to prevent the foreclosure of the Greenbrier Hotel, which hosted presidents and royals at the resort he bought out of bankruptcy in 2009 2.4 Millions of dollars are in arrears in payments to an employee’s health insurance, putting employees’ coverage at risk.
Justice, who switched parties seven months after taking office, repeatedly said the effort to seize the hotel was political revenge. The state Democratic Party said it was “a direct result of his own financial incompetence.”
To spread the word, Elliott embarked on a summer tour of all 55 counties. Justice made few campaign stops in the fall, instead making economic development announcements and making school visits, bringing along Babydog.
Elliott said residents should pay attention to who Justice is, “not the one you see on TV with the dog and the checks they hand out at various ribbon cuttings,” but the one who doesn’t pay his bills and doesn’t pay his taxes pays. Doesn’t respect the process. Doesn’t show up for work. Doesn’t think voters deserve a chance to see him debate and basically takes their votes for granted.”
Justice’s campaign has raised $4.3 million, compared to about $800,000 for Elliott. Justice has remained true to the path he took in an basic GOP primary victory against U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney.
Even Justice marvels at how smoothly his ride went.
“I don’t want to say this in a selfish way,” Justice told reporters last month. “I didn’t put up a sign in the area code. Think about it for a second. Not once have I logged in and won by more than 35 points. The people of this state know me. They know me and they know me really well. I hardly did any campaigning.
“From a Senate race standpoint, the Senate race is over. We will win the race and we will win the race away from home.”
