Civibus

Biography

James Conley Justice II (born April 27, 1951) is an American politician and businessman serving since 2025 as the junior United States senator from West Virginia. A member of the Republican Party, he served from 2017 to 2025 as the 36th governor of West Virginia. Justice was once a billionaire, but his net worth was estimated at $664.2 million in 2025, making him the richest U.S. senator as of that year. He inherited a coal mining business from his father that included 94 companies. He and his family own the Greenbrier, a luxury resort and National Historic Landmark in White Sulphur Springs. In 2015, Justice announced his candidacy for governor in 2016. Although a registered Republican before running for governor, he ran as a Democrat and defeated the Republican nominee, Bill Cole. Less than seven months after taking office, Justice switched back to the Republican Party after announcing his plans at a rally with President Donald Trump in the state. He was reelected in 2020. Justice was elected to the Senate in 2024, winning the seat previously held by Joe Manchin. Defeating U.S. representative Alex Mooney in the primary and the Democratic nominee, former Wheeling mayor Glenn Elliott, in the general election, Justice became the first Republican to win that seat since 1956.

Biography source Licensed (CC BY-SA)