REPLACING:

Joe Manchin (I) [i]

WORK HISTORY:

State of West Virginia (Governor); Justice Family Farms; Bluestone Industries, Inc (President & CEO); Bluestone Coal Corporation (President & CEO) [ii]

EDUCATION:

MBA, Marshall University; Greenbrier Military Academy; Diploma, Woodrow Woodson High School [iii]

CAMPAIGNED ON:

Economy & Jobs; Energy; Inflation; Strengthen the Border; Pro-Life Champion; Second Amendment; Conservative Judges; Keeping our Promise to Seniors; Crime, Law, and Order; Health Care; Education; Peace Through Strength [iv]

ON THE ISSUES

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

Justice describes himself as a “pro-life champion.” He applauded the Dobb’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade and touts signing “more pro-life bills into law than any governor” in West Virginia history, “including legislation that stops nearly all abortions in West Virginia.” In 2022, Justice was among several Republican governors who signed an abortion ban into law. Arguing that there should be a “stronger safety net” that grants women parenting resources, Justice signed a funding bill that allocated $1 million to state pregnancy help centers and adoption tax credits. [v][vi]

IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:

Justice has criticized the Biden administration’s border policies, arguing that they have “created a humanitarian crisis” with increased drug and human trafficking. He supports enhanced border security and has advocated for reinstating Trump-era policies, including building a southern border wall to curtail “illegal immigrants” and drugs. Justice also sent West Virginia National Guard soldiers to Texas in 2023 to participate in the state’s southern border military initiative, Operation Lone Star. [vii] [viii]

ECONOMY & JOBS:

Justice supports a regulatory framework that would grant innovation and job creation in emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and cryptocurrency. He has opposed “central bank digital currency,” suggesting it would allow federal intervention to “surveil and restrict Americans’ financial transactions.” Justice has touted investing over “$13.4 billion in West Virginia's infrastructure” and “creating thousands of jobs” while serving as the state’s governor. [ix] [x]

TAXES:

As governor of West Virginia, Justice touts signing legislation that delivered over $1 billion in tax cuts. In October 2024, Justice signed a bill that reduced West Virginia’s income tax rate by 2 percent, which would lead to a $46 million decrease in state revenue. [xi] [xii] He pledges to “rein in out-of-control spending” as a U.S. Senator and reduce America’s national debt to grant the country a “fiscally responsible course for prosperity.” [xiii]

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:

Justice argues that the Democratic Party has implemented “radical soft-on-crime policies” that increased drugs and violent crimes in American neighborhoods. He believes in “backing the blue” and ensuring officers “have what they need to do their jobs and keep us safe.” Justice has approved legislation to increase pay for law enforcement officers, including a $6,000 raise for West Virginia Division of Natural Resources police officers in 2022 and an increase in correctional officer salaries in 2023. [xiv] [xv] He has also argued that addressing crime requires “tackling the root causes” and “supporting those struggling with addiction.” Justice touts overseeing measures to reduce drug trafficking in West Virginia, providing substance abuse prevention and treatment resources, and creating pathways to employment for those in recovery. [xvi]

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:

Justice is a strong supporter of fossil fuels, highlighting the importance of coal, natural gas, and oil in West Virginia. He supports an “all-of-the-above energy program” that leads to job creation and energy independence. [xvii] During a March 2022 speech on energy, Justice implied that renewable power and hydrogen were minor in priority compared to oil, coal, gas, and fossil fuels. Justice also addressed uncertainty about climate change, saying he was unsure if it was “for real or not.” He advocated for prioritizing immediate energy threats over climate change, an issue he suggests may lack legitimacy. [xviii]

FOREIGN POLICY:

Justice called for the United States to “stand in total solidarity” with its ally Israel as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict heightened in October 2023. He argued that the actions of Hamas were “acts of terrorism” meant to “destabilize the region and instill fear in the Israeli people.” Justice argued that the Biden administration’s “hostility” toward Israel was a “disgrace” and urged the administration to support “Israel in its mission to eliminate the cowardly Hamas.” [xix] [xx]

HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:

Justice has implemented programs to address the shortage of healthcare workers, cap insulin prices, and increase resources for those battling opioid addiction as governor of West Virginia. In the U.S. Senate, Justice pledges to introduce healthcare reform policies to lower insurance costs, improve care, and ensure coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. [xxi]

DEMOCRACY:

Justice touts appointing “rock-solid” conservative judges to West Virginia’s Supreme Court of Appeals and vows to continue confirming conservative judges at the federal level. He argued America needs federal judges who will “stop legislating radical policies from the bench that Democrats can’t get through Congress.” [xxii]

SOCIAL ISSUES:

Justice has signed legislation that bans transgender athletes from competing in school sports teams with their identified gender. [xxiii] Justice is also against gender-affirming care for youth, as he signed a bill in March 2023 that prohibited the care and medication to youth, with exceptions for hormone therapy for those with “severe gender dysphoria” diagnosed by two medical providers with parental consent. [xxiv]