Gov. Justice Defeats Rep. Mooney in West Virginia GOP Senate Primary

Trump-endorsed governor in reddest of red states to face Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott in November election for Senate seat occupied by Democrats since 1958.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice delivers his State of the State address in Charleston, W.Va., on Jan. 10, 2024. Chris Jackson/AP Photo

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, recruited by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to enter politics as a Democrat in 2016, is now the overwhelming favorite to succeed the retiring Mr. Manchin in the U.S. Senate in 2025 as a Trump-endorsed Republican.

Mr. Justice easily outpaced Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) in the May 14 GOP Senate primary in a race called by the Associated Press, among others, with less than 10 percent of the tally counted around 8:15 p.m.