Sen. Capito, Gov. Justice urge West Virginians to vote

“I like to do (early voting). It is so convenient… That way I know I’m getting my vote in and I can rest easier on Election Day,” said Capito, R-W.Va.

County clerks across the state and the Secretary of State’s Office have reported high early voting turnout at county courthouses and other designated voting locations since early voting started Oct. 23.

“It’s been a banner two weeks,” Capito said. “I think we’re going to have a good turnout. That’s the important thing; more people voting.”

Gov. Jim Justice and First Lady Cathy Justice will vote on Election Day at their precinct in Lewisburg next Tuesday. Speaking after a ceremonial bill signing Thursday afternoon for his 2% personal income tax cut, Justice encouraged West Virginians to make their voices heard at the ballot box, as well as to accept the results of the 2024 election.

“People in all states ought to get out and vote and exercise your right here in this great state and everything,” said Justice, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. “Know absolutely that there’s good days ahead, but you’ve got to step up and vote. I mean, for crying out loud, people have got to go vote. And then…be respectful of the vote. That’s all there is to it.”

National polling averages show a close race between Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for president, and former Republican President Donald Trump. Election experts expect several legal challenges to be mounted in the days and weeks after next week’s election.

Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a new indictment in August, charging Trump in connection with efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, when Trump lost to then former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump is accused of inciting the riot that led to Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol Building by Trump supporters trying to stop the certification of the election for Biden.

Justice, who is friends with the Trump family and was endorsed by Trump in his U.S. Senate primary, called the Jan. 6 riot “terrible” during a COVID-19 briefing two days later, but defended Trump.

“We’re just not this type of people,” Justice said on Jan. 8, 2021. “It’s just impossible for me defend…I know President Trump and I know his family through and through, and there is no way they condoned this either. Naturally, Trump was very frustrated. Me too.”

Speaking Thursday, Justice said he has been asked about whether he believes in the integrity of the 2020 election and whether it was stolen as Trump claims. But Justice said his focus is not on the last election. He is focused on this election and defeating his Democratic opponent, former Wheeling mayor Glenn Elliott.

“To me, it doesn’t matter what happened in 2020,” Justice said. “My dad…would’ve said, ‘son, the only shot in golf that matters is the next shot.’ Now we’re looking at the next shot. We’ve got to go vote. We’ve got to win right now.”

According to the most recent WV MetroNews West Virginia Poll in August, Justice led Elliott 62% to 28%, with 5% preferring another candidate and 5% not sure. Justice defeated U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney in the May GOP primary, where he had the endorsement of Capito and other Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate. The winner in the general election next week will succeed the retiring U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, who switched from a registered Democrat to unaffiliated earlier this year.

Democrats control the majority in the U.S. Senate, with 47 Democratic lawmakers and four independents caucusing with the Democrats. With Republicans controlling 49 seats, Election Day could determine whether Republicans take a slim majority in the Senate.

“We see four states that are really in play,” Capito said. “We do believe that Montana will go Republican, which — with West Virginia going Republican — would give us the majority. And I think it’s a chance…for us to have the voice of the Senate to reflect what people want. They want conservative policies, they want border policies that are strong, and they want to see fiscal responsibility, which we have not seen for the last four years.”

Capito, currently the fifth ranking member of Senate Republican leadership, plans to seek the chairmanship of the Senate Republican Conference, where she serves as vice chair. If selected by her caucus, Capito would become the fourth ranking member of Senate GOP leadership.

Capito could also take the chairmanship of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee if the Republicans take the Senate majority. The EPW committee, where Capito serves as the ranking Republican member, is pivotal in directing funding for infrastructure projects.

“I think who has control of the Senate is important,” Capito said. “The Democrats have had control for the last several years, and they control the agenda, and they hold the chairmanships of different committees. So, I’m very hopeful that the Republicans will take the majority.”

Depending on who becomes president, Capito said Republicans taking the Senate majority would help protect the filibuster and cloture, requiring 60 votes for any legislation to be considered in the Senate. Capito said she is concerned that a potential Harris administration and Senate Democrats could try to end the filibuster in order to add seats to the U.S. Supreme Court and more.

“(Taking the majority) is important because it will retain the filibuster, which will prevent any kind of enlarging of the Supreme Court or…other kinds of Democrat wish lists. You’ve heard Vice President Harris talk about how she would break the filibuster to do that. So that’s important.”

When asked during his weekly administration briefing about keeping the filibuster, Justice said he would support keeping it but was open to learning more about the issue.

“At the end of the day…I would say hands down keep it,” Justice said. “Granted, I would be the first to say I need to get there and get a whole lot more information. It may very well be that more information leads me a different way. But for right now for what I know and everything, I would say keep it.”

If elected to the U.S. Senate next week, he hopes to be appointed next year to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee — which Manchin currently chairs — and the Senate Appropriations committee, on which both Manchin and Capito sit as members.

“What am I the best at? Surely, I know a ton about energy,” said Justice, the owner of multiple coal mines in several states. “In this state, we need absolutely a representative because we need a national energy policy so bad, it is off the chart.”