Two-term West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is the latest high-profile Republican lawmaker to endorse former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Justice, who is term-limited and will seek the state's GOP senate nomination to likely face Democrat Joe Manchin in 2024, announced his endorsement Monday on Twitter.
"I'm proud to support President Donald J. Trump!" Justice, 72, tweeted. "President Trump secured our Southern Border, built a strong and prosperous economy, and supported West Virginia coal, gas, and oil to achieve American energy independence. West Virginia is Trump country!"
West Virginia's support for Trump is one reason why many see Manchin's Senate seat as the most vulnerable for Democrats in 2024. Trump won the state with 68.5% of the vote in 2016 and 68.6% in 2020.
"The leadership and success exhibited by President Trump could not be more different than what we see today under Joe Biden," Justice wrote in another tweet. "I support President Trump and firmly believe he will be our nominee and be reelected as our next President."
Justice has been wildly popular as governor of West Virginia, and that popularity hasn't waned as he pursues Manchin's seat. In a poll released in late May, Justice had a 22-point lead over Manchin (54% to 32%) in a hypothetical matchup.
The poll also showed that Justice had a 57% job approval rating; Manchin's approval rating was 33%. Manchin has yet to declare his intention to run for a third full term in the Senate; he is considering running for president as a third-party candidate, according to some reports.
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