West Virginia Governor Jim Justice in 2017.

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice in 2017. / Getty Images

This story originally appeared as part of NPR's live coverage of the 2024 election. For more election coverage from the NPR Network head to our live updates page.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has won the state’s open Senate seat, according to a race call by the Associated Press, giving Republicans a boost in their fight to regain control of the hotly contested chamber.

Justice was expected to win the seat in the very conservative state.

He inherits the seat from Sen. Joe Manchin, who for years was West Virginia’s lone congressional Democrat before he announced he was registering as an independent this year.

Justice similarly has changed his political affiliations over the years. He captured the governor’s mansion in 2016 as a Democrat, but in 2017, announced he had registered as a Republican at a rally alongside then-President Donald Trump.

Tags: 2024 election  USPS