Sen. Jim Justice says he could run for his old job as governor of West Virginia in 2028 — while suggesting the state has experienced a “disappointing” slowdown since his successor took office last year.
Justice will “100%” consider a run against sitting Gov. Patrick Morrisey, he told West Virginia outlet MetroNews on Thursday. The two Republicans have had a number of public spats, and Justice contended the state has lost its “spark” since he left office in 2025.
“When I had the opportunity to be governor, we kept our foot on the gas, and we tried so, so hard to compete with other states,” he said. “We’ve gotta do that. We’ve got to continue to compete.”
Justice would have to exit his Senate office early to run, though he has not spent a long time in D.C. The senator reportedly commutes several times a week between D.C. and West Virginia via a private plane, and has stayed in hotels in the capital from “time to time” instead of finding permanent housing. Justice just recently passed his first bill since taking office in January 2025.
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The relationship between the former governor and his successor has been tense since the gubernatorial election: Justice endorsed Morrisey’s opponent, Moore Capito, in the 2024 Republican primary, and Morrisey announced upon taking office that he had “inherited” a $400 million budget deficit from Justice’s administration.
Justice also last month finalized a financial deal for a partnership in his family’s luxury resort, The Greenbrier. Morrisey rejoiced in public statements that the resort and casino would now be controlled by new owners, a comment Justice considered a cheap shot.
On Thursday, Justice said the state has failed to invest aggressively in its coal and gas portfolio in recent years, which he said would be the state’s best bet to support struggling families. He did not outright criticize Morrisey when asked to compare their leadership styles, however, and even wished the current governor well.
“As far as Patrick and everybody here, I hope they knock it out of the park and they knock it out of the park every single day, but we’ll make a decision and we’ll make a decision real soon,” Justice said.
Those comments came just hours after Morrisey announced $81 billion in energy sector investments throughout the state, which the governor estimated will create thousands of jobs. He responded to reporters about the news Justice was then eyeing his job.
“It’s literally, what, 20 months into my first term,” Morrisey said. “That’s the last thing I want to focus on. I want to deliver. I want to keep delivering on big wins for West Virginia, like we announced today. Helping our families, not playing politics.”
This story has been updated with a comment from Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
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