WV-Sen: Politico reports that Republican senators and staffers think that Gov. Jim Justice, who's been publicly considering a bid for Senate, will in fact enter the race, possibly next month. But the term-limited governor has already blown past his own deadlines for making an announcement more than once: On Feb. 23, he said he'd make up his mind in the next 15 to 20 days, a point that passed more than a week ago; prior to that, on Jan. 31, he said he'd decide within 30 days, so he may continue to keep his boosters waiting.
Justice did just succeed in convincing a resistant legislature to pass a major income tax cut prior to adjourning earlier this month, a goal that Inside Elections' Jacob Rubashkin previously noted could impact his decision-making process. If he does get in, though, he won't have a clear path to the nomination: Rep. Alex Mooney has been running since mid-November, and there's nothing but bad blood between the two.
The antipathy ratcheted up last year, when Justice backed Rep. David McKinley after he and Mooney wound up in the same district due to West Virginia losing a seat in reapportionment. Justice even said he had "serious concerns" about Mooney's "ability to represent West Virginians well, after spending the majority of his time and life representing Maryland" (where he'd served in the state Senate), but primary voters didn't share those worries. Mooney, who had Donald Trump's endorsement, handily ended McKinley's political career with a 54-36 win.
A similar divide would likely ensue should Justice and Mooney square off. Justice, a former Democrat who switched parties during his first term in office, supported Joe Biden's infrastructure bill, which Mooney mercilessly attacked McKinley for voting for. The deep-pocketed Club for Growth, which spent $1 million to aid Mooney last year, has also said it could support the congressman once again. Justice, though, is still very rich despite a recent decline in his net worth, and a Morning Consult poll from earlier this year showed him 64-31 approval rating.