Joe Manchin's Worst Nightmare Could Be About to Come True

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has said he would "seriously consider running for Senate," in a potential blow to Joe Manchin, the state's sole Democratic Senator.

The business tycoon, 71, made the announcement during an interview with West Virginia MetroNews Radio.

The Republican governor said: "I'm sure I would seriously consider running for Senate."

Justice added that he will "run through the finish line with being your governor," before saying he wanted to help West Virginia "in any way, whether it be the Senate or the House or the next governor-to-be, whatever it may be."

The governor has extensive business interests, including a coal-mining company he inherited from his father. In 2020, Forbes estimated Justice had a personal fortune of $1.2 billion. Although this sum has gone down during the pandemic, it would give him the financial muscle for a Senate run, should he choose to make one.

Justice was first elected as West Virginia governor in 2016, standing on the Democratic Party ticket, despite being a registered Republican until February 2015.

However, in August 2017, Justice sensationally announced he had defected back to the Republicans, at a rally hosted by then-President Donald Trump, whom he supported.

In 2020, Justice was again elected as governor of West Virginia, this time as a Republican, taking 64 percent of the vote against 30 percent for Ben Salango, his Democratic opponent.

Manchin is a controversial figure within the Democratic Party, who had enormous power in the last Senate because power was tied between the two parties. The Democrats were able to force their policies only through using the vice president's tie-breaking veto.

Dr. Thomas Gift, director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London, told Newsweek how important Manchin became.

Gift said: "Joe Manchin has been a towering figure on Capitol Hill, and his impact on American politics in recent years is almost impossible to overstate.

"As one of the few Senators with an independent streak, and who's been willing to buck his party, Manchin has proven a key vote in bill after bill. Indeed, the 'Manchin effect' is a phrase that may outlive his time in Washington, reflecting the power he's been able to exert in an evenly divided chamber."

During this time, Manchin either vetoed or watered down a number of the Biden administration's proposals, including the Build Back Better Act, which he rejected over its environmental provisions. Following negotiations between Manchin and top Democrats, much of this legislation was finally passed in August 2022, as the Inflation Reduction Act.

In December, Manchin broke with most Democrats by calling for Title 42 to be extended, a Trump administration policy introduced during the COVID-19 crisis that made it easier to remove migrants from the U.S.

Manchin has yet to confirm whether he will seek re-election in 2024, though CNBC reports that he indicated he will at a fundraiser in April 2022.

Gift said that if Manchin does run again, and loses the seat, it will be a big hit for the Democrats, despite his "independent streak."

"While Manchin is an unapologetic moderate, and often leans conservative on both economic and social issues that reflect the attitudes of his constituents in West Virginia, he's still a Democrat," he added.

"Losing his seat to a Republican would be a blow to his party, even if its ultimate impact would depend largely on what the composition of the new Senate would be."

Newsweek has contacted Senator Joe Manchin and Governor Jim Justice for comment.

Correction 1/17/23 10:15 a.m. ET: This story has been corrected to note Governor Justice was speaking with West Virginia MetroNews Radio, not the West Virginia branch of the AARP, a non-profit group, as previously stated.