Jim Justice to run for U.S. Senate

And so it begins:

West Virginia GOP Gov. Jim Justice to reveal 2024 plans amid Senate run speculation https://t.co/bpfjPl5de7

— John Raby (@jrabyap) April 26, 2023

And Justice knows what is important (I’m sure the timing on this is not coincidental):

I strongly support the Second Amendment.

I proudly signed the Campus Self-Defense Act, allowing law-abiding West Virginians to protect themselves on our college campuses.

I'll do everything I can to protect West Virginia's Second Amendment rights. https://t.co/OjDvo9ny8v

— Jim Justice (@JimJusticeWV) April 26, 2023

West Virginia media can’t wait

Yes, over a year’s worth of political ads for what will likely be WV’s most expensive election ever. And they’ll start tomorrow:

#WVSen: Alex Mooney is placing his first TV ad spending. Start date is tomorrow, 4/27

— Medium Buying (@MediumBuying) April 26, 2023

For Alex Mooney, some things don't change

From the Gazette-Mail's Mike Tony:

Rep. Mooney's latest campaign finance report amid his Senate bid has raised questions given past ethics concerns with his campaign finances: https://t.co/nMhhf1DtVX

— Charleston Gazette-Mail (@wvgazettemail) April 25, 2023

From that article:

Mooney’s campaign reported 13 small-dollar expenses at Starbucks totaling $536 from January through March.

The Office of Congressional Ethics found in 2021 that past Mooney campaign finance reports had shown a “clean pattern” of day-to-day individual meals not properly chargeable to the campaign, including frequent small-dollar meal expenses at Chick-fil-A, Panera Bread, Taco Bell and pizza vendors near Mooney’s Charles Town home and office.

The money spent at Starbucks was classified as “meeting expenses.” The Starbucks locations weren’t specified.

Of course, using campaign money for personal expenses is illegal. Note -- we still have not received a decision on Mooney’s previous ethics problems. (See here for why we will likely never see a decision.)

For members of WV’s Trump Party, there is only one question: which candidate will Donald Trump endorse?

The former president endorsed Mooney in last year’s congressional primary, but a number of politic commenters seem to think that this time it will be Justice. For example:

WV Governor, a powerful Trump ally, expected to challenge for Senate seat held by Joe Manchin (D-WV)

Jim Justice tells @CBSNews he’s expecting GOP endorsements and has called Trump teamhttps://t.co/PacqkCBzm7

— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) April 26, 2023

Stay tuned.