Jim Justice
James Conley Justice II (born April 27, 1951) is an American businessman and politician who has served as the 36th governor of West Virginia since 2017. Justice was once a billionaire, but his net worth had declined to $513.3 million as of 2021. He inherited a coal mining business from his father and built a business empire with 94 companies, including the Greenbrier, a luxury resort in White Sulphur Springs.
Jim Justice | |
|---|---|
Justice in 2021 | |
| 36th Governor of West Virginia | |
| Assumed office January 16, 2017 | |
| Lieutenant | Mitch Carmichael Craig Blair |
| Preceded by | Earl Ray Tomblin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Conley Justice II April 27, 1951 Charleston, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (before 2015, 2017–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (2015–2017) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Governor's Mansion (official) |
| Education | Marshall University (BA, MBA) |
| Website | Government website |
| Nickname | "Big Jim" |
In 2015, Justice announced his candidacy for governor in the 2016 West Virginia gubernatorial election. Although a registered Republican before running for governor, he ran as a Democrat and defeated the Republican nominee, Bill Cole. Less than seven months after taking office, Justice switched back to the Republican Party after announcing his plans at a rally with U.S. president Donald Trump in the state. In the 2020 gubernatorial race, he was reelected over Democratic challenger Ben Salango.
On April 27, 2023, Justice announced his candidacy for the 2024 United States Senate election in West Virginia, looking to unseat incumbent Democrat Joe Manchin. On November 9, despite having filed paperwork to run for reelection, Manchin announced that he would retire at the end of his term, leaving the seat open.