West Virginia Senate: Jim Justice (R)
West Virginia Gov. James C. Justice II is a lifelong West Virginian, who attended the Raleigh County public schools and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1969.
Following his high school graduation he attended the Greenbrier Military Academy, before eventually going on to Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
At Marshall he was captain of the golf team for two years before earning his undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in Business Administration.
Justice’s career took off in 1976 when he joined his family’s business and established the Justice Family Farms in Monroe County, West Virginia.
Following the death of his father in 1993, Justice became president and CEO of Bluestone Industries, Inc. and Bluestone Coal Corporation. Over the next 15 years, he oversaw a substantial expansion of diverse businesses, including coal reserves, Christmas tree farms, cotton gins, turfgrass operations, golf courses and land development projects.
Prior to becoming governor, he helmed 102 companies, demonstrating his expertise in job creation.
In 2008, Justice orchestrated the sale of Bluestone Industries, Inc. to Mechel, OAO, a prominent Russian mining company.
In 2015, Justice announced his candidacy for the office of governor, an office he won with a broad coalition of support from Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
In November 2020, Justice won a second term earning more votes than any Republican incumbent governor in state history.
On April 27, 2023, his 71st birthday, he announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate, surrounded by family, friends, and supporters at The Greenbrier Resort,
Justice has long said he and his wife, First Lady Cathy Justice, have been best friends since high school, and they recently celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary.
They have two adult children and spend much of their time with their four grandchildren. In addition, they have three dogs: Lucy and Ellie, Boston Terriers, and their famous Babydog, an English Bulldog.
The above information was sourced from the candidate’s website.
