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, a chest bump at the same time the two-term governor was in a behind-the-scenes battle to kept some of his family businesses in good shape.
In a state where Donald Trump won every district in the last two presidential elections, Justice was crowned as the runaway successor to retiring Sen. Joe Manchin, whose seat had been one of the last lines of defense for Democrats trying to hold on to the majority. their few.
“I keep saying, judge me by my works,” Justice told reporters on Sept. 19.
This challenge could have had a different meaning, serving as a reminder to banks, creditors, federal agencies and others who have been chasing justice for years to pay his debts, including loan defaults, late payments, court fines. It has faced threats of closure. Early in his administration, the governor was accused of not living in the governor’s mansion in Charleston as required by law, and when he was there, his list of accomplishments was not particularly long or significant.
Justice’s family recently paid off a debt obligation to avoid a collection company’s threat to auction off his historic Greenbrier resort hotel.
And yet Justice’s boast was probably justified. The politician with the folksy demeanor and a pet bulldog named Babydog at his side is in line for a seat that national Democrats pretty much conceded once Manchin decided not to run again. Republicans had made him a top target, and leaders of both parties had come to believe that even Manchin could not win a third full term as a Democrat in a state that had become one of the most Republican in the country.
According to AdImpact, which tracks campaign spending data, Democrats have been outspent in the race by Republicans by more than a 5-to-1 margin, with Democrat Glenn Elliott receiving less than $3 million in contributions from outside groups. .
Whether voters ignore Justice’s baggage remains to be seen. Elliott was surprised by Justice’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 parts of the campaign is all the problems the governor has, for whatever reason, don’t seem to be sinking in with your average voter,” Elliott said.
Declining to argue, Justice simply said he was too busy.
“I want to run to the finish line as governor,” he said. “That’s all there is to it.”
As governor, Justice pushed for income tax cuts and billions in road repairs and construction. He toyed with high government revenue surpluses, job creation and tourism.
But he has been criticized for underfunding public schools and the state’s foster care system, and advocates for low-income residents say he has failed to address the challenges facing the neediest citizens. During the pandemic, some lawmakers attacked Justice’s awards to people who were 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 over the past decade, an exodus that cost it a seat in Congress and continued through Justice’s second term, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates for 2023.
While it’s not certain how far back Justice’s family debts go, they predate his time as governor and disqualify him from calling himself a billionaire.
“I’m surprised that his business obligations and other things haven’t hurt his popularity,” said Robert Rupp, a retired West Virginia Wesleyan College professor of political history.
The lawsuits filed more than a decade ago sought unpaid contract bills or debts owed to the Justice family’s mining operations in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. Shortly before he was elected in 2016, Justice’s coal companies owed millions in back taxes to some of Appalachia’s poorest counties. His companies also had millions in West Virginia state tax liens.
The challenges continued to pile up, culminating this year. Earlier this month, Justice’s family said it settled the debts to avoid foreclosure of the Greenbrier Hotel, which has hosted presidents and royalty at the resort he bought out of bankruptcy in 2009. A union official at the Greenbrier said in August that Justice’s family was at least $2.4 million behind in payments to an employee health insurance fund, putting workers’ coverage in jeopardy.
Justice, who switched parties seven months after taking office, has repeatedly said the attempts to seize the hotel were political vendettas. The state Democratic Party said it was “a direct consequence of his financial incapacity.”
Elliott, looking to spread the word, began a summer tour of all 55 counties. Justice made several fall campaign stops, instead making economic development announcements and school visits, bringing Babydog with him.
Elliott said residents should pay attention to who Justice is, “not the one they see on TV with the dog and the checks to hand out at various ribbon cuttings. But the one who doesn’t pay the bills and doesn’t pay the taxes. He doesn’t respects the process. Doesn’t show up at 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 stayed the course he took during a narrow GOP primary victory over U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney.
Even Justice marvels at how smooth his journey has been.
“I don’t mean this in a selfish way,” Justice told reporters last month. “In the primary, I didn’t put up a sign. Think about that for a second. I didn’t do a single registration and I won by 35 plus points. The people of this state know me. They know me and they know me very well. I’ve done almost zero campaign.
“From the point of view of the Senate race and everything, the Senate race is over. We’re going to win the race and we’re going to win the race by going far.”