page_title: Jim Justice
section_title: Political career
hierarchical_section_title: Jim Justice / Political career
caption_attribution_description: English: Vice President Mike Pence meets West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and his wife Cathy after arriving at McLaughlin Air National Guard Base, W.Va., March 25, 2017. Pence, along with Small Business Administration administrator Linda McMahon, are visiting the state to meet with small business owners. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Tech. Sgt. De-Juan Haley)
context_page_description: James Conley Justice II is an American coal mining and agriculture businessman, who has been serving as the 36th governor of West Virginia since 2017. With a net worth of around $1.9 billion, he is the wealthiest person in West Virginia. He inherited a coal mining business from his father and built a business empire with over 94 companies, including the Greenbrier, a luxury resort.
  In 2015, Justice announced his candidacy for governor in the 2016 West Virginia gubernatorial election. Although Justice was 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 U.S. president Donald Trump in the state.
context_section_description: In 2015, Justice declared his candidacy for Governor of West Virginia in the 2016 election as a member of the Democratic Party. He had been a registered member of the Republican Party until changing his registration in February 2015. This was his first time running for political office. In May 2016, Justice won the Democratic nomination for governor and ran against Republican nominee Bill Cole in the general election. On November 8, Justice won the election.
  Justice was endorsed by the United Mine Workers.
caption: Jim and Cathy Justice meeting Vice President Mike Pence in March 2017
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