West Virginia Democrats predict 'battle royale' Republican primary with Jim Justice and Alex Mooney

FILE – Rep. Alex Mooney, R-WVa., attends a campaign rally at the Westmoreland Fair Grounds in Greensburg, Pa., May 6, 2022. In 2024 Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., will be up for reelection. Manchin has already drawn a GOP challenger in Mooney, who declared a week after winning reelection that he was setting his sights on higher office. Manchin has not yet said whether he’ll run for reelection. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) // West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice delivers his annual State of the State address in the House Chambers at the state capitol in Charleston, W.Va., on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Chris Jackson)

by: Alexandra Weaver

Posted: Apr 27, 2023 / 12:53 PM EDT

Updated: Apr 27, 2023 / 12:53 PM EDT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — Ahead of Gov. Jim Justice’s anticipated campaign announcement, the West Virginia Democratic Party (WVDP) is predicting a “brutal, high dollar, Republican primary” that “will help ensure this Senate Seat stays blue,” and Sen. Joe Manchin (D) himself seems confident he will win.

Gov. Justice is expected to formally announce his run for long-time friend, Manchin’s, Senate seat Thursday evening from The Greenbrier resort, which he owns.

Rep. Alex Mooney (R, WV-2) has already announced his run for Manchin’s Senate seat.

The WVDP Thursday sent a press release criticizing Justice and Mooney for receiving “outside money” for their campaigns, including what it says was a more than half-million dollar ad campaign from group One Nation, which it said has ties to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R, KY), and the “Club for Growth PAC” endorsing Mooney. The WVDP said that PAC has pledged to spend more than $10 million in support of Mooney’s campaign.

“Whoever survives this brutal, high dollar, Republican primary will come out badly bruised and weakened which will help ensure this Senate Seat stays blue,” West Virginia State Party Chair Mike Pushkin said in the press release.

At the same time, Sen. Manchin released the following statement:

I am laser focused on doing the job West Virginians elected me to do – lowering healthcare costs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, shoring up American energy security and getting our fiscal house in order. But make no mistake, I will win any race I enter.

Manchin is considered by Nexstar affiliate The Hill to be one of the most vulnerable Democrat senators up for re-election in 2024. He also told NBC News in a February interview that he believed Justice is the “overwhelming favorite to win the Republican Primary,” and that he hopes for a “clean campaign” if they do end up facing off.