Jim Justice

Jim Justice
36th Governor of West Virginia
Assumed office
January 16, 2017
Preceded by Earl Ray Tomblin
Personal details
Born James Conley Justice II
(1951-04-27) April 27, 1951
Charleston, West Virginia,
U.S.
Political party Republican (before 2015, 2017–
present)
Other political
affiliations		 Democratic (2015–17)
Spouse(s) Cathy Comer (1975–present)
Children 2
Residence Governor's Mansion
Education University of Tennessee,
Knoxville
Marshall University (BA, MBA)
Net worth IncreaseUS$1.6 billion (2017)[1]
Website Government website

James Conley Justice II (born April 27, 1951) is an American coal mining and agriculture businessman and politician who is the 36th and current Governor of West Virginia. Owner of over 50 companies, including The Greenbrier, a luxury resort, Justice is one of the few billionaires from the state of West Virginia.[2]

In 2015, Justice switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party and announced his candidacy for Governor in the 2016 election. He defeated the Republican nominee, Bill Cole. Less than seven months after taking office, Justice switched back to the Republican Party.

Early life

James Conley Justice II was born in Charleston, the son of James Conley Justice and Edna Ruth (née Perry) Justice. Justice grew up in Raleigh County, West Virginia. He enrolled at the University of Tennessee on an athletic scholarship for golf, but transferred to Marshall University. At Marshall, he was a two-year captain on the Thundering Herd golf team.[3] He earned his bachelor's degree and Master in Business Administration from Marshall.[4]

Business career

After college, Justice went into the family agriculture business.[4] Justice founded Bluestone Farms in 1977, which now operates 50,000 acres (20,000 ha) of farmland, and is the leading producer of grain on the East Coast of the United States. During that time, he also developed Stoney Brook Plantation, a 15,000-acre hunting and fishing preserve in Monroe County. Justice is a seven time national corn growing champion.[5]

After the death of his father in 1993, Justice inherited ownership of Bluestone Industries and Bluestone Coal Corporation.

In 2009, he sold some of his coal business to the Russian company Mechel for $568 million. In 2015, after a huge drop in the price of coal which led Mechel to close some of the mines, he bought the business back for just $5 million.[6][7] Since buying back the mine from Mechel, Justice re-opened several of the mines and hired over 200 coal miners.[8]

Justice's mining companies have a history of safety violation and unpaid taxes; in 2016, NPR called him the "top mine safety delinquent" in the United States.[9]

Justice serves as the owner or chief executive officer of over 50 companies, including The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, which he bought for $20.5 million in 2009, preventing its bankruptcy.[6] When Justice first took control he immediately brought back all 650 laid-off employees. He added vacation and health benefits to their contracts and offered a 10 percent raise if the hotel regained its fifth star.[10]

Justice is in the process of building a new mountain top golf course with golfers Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Lee Trevino. Arnold Palmer was involved before his 2016 death.[11]

Forbes estimates Justice's net worth at $1.6 billion, making him the richest man in West Virginia.[12]

As of 2014, he owned 70 active mines in 5 states. His charitable activities have included $25 million for the James C. Justice National Scout Camp at The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, $5 million for Marshall University, and $10 million to the Cleveland Clinic.[13]

Justice gives away more than $1 million in Christmas gifts annually through the Dream Tree for Kids campaign.[14]

Before taking office as governor, Justice resigned from all the executive positions he held at his business. He placed his daughter Jill in charge of The Greenbrier and his son Jay in charge of his mining and agriculture businesses. He has said he will place all his assets in a blind trust, but that the process will take time because of their complexity.[15][16]

Political career

Jim and Cathy Justice meeting Vice President Mike Pence in March 2017

In 2015, Justice declared his candidacy for Governor of West Virginia in the 2016 election as a member of the Democratic Party.[6] He had been a registered member of the Republican Party until changing his registration in February 2015.[17] This was his first time running for political office.[18] In May 2016, Justice won the Democratic nomination for governor and ran against Republican nominee Bill Cole in the general election.[19] On November 8, Justice won the election.[20]

Justice was endorsed by the United Mine Workers.[21]

Governor of West Virginia

Justice at his inauguration

Justice took office as governor on January 16, 2017. He is known for using colorful metaphors and digs at political opponents.[22][23]

To improve West Virginia's budget situation, he has proposed raising the state's revenue by $450 million, primarily by increasing the consumer sales tax, reinstituting the business and occupation (B & O) tax, and establishing a "rich man's" tax.[24] He also opposed plans to cut health and education spending.[25] On April 13, 2017, while vetoing a budget bill passed by the Republican-controlled West Virginia Legislature, Justice said the bill was "nothing more than a bunch of political you-know-what" and showed a prop featuring bull feces on a print copy of the bill.[26]

On August 3, 2017, Justice announced that he had decided to switch his party affiliation back to Republican. He made the announcement at a Donald Trump rally in Huntington and also confirmed his support for the sitting President. The announcement came as a surprise to his own staff.[27]

Political positions

According to the Charleston Gazette–Mail, Justice denies the scientific consensus on global warming. In an interview with the paper, he said: "I surely wouldn't sit here and say I am a believer in global warming, but I wouldn't sit here and say that I am not concerned."[5]

Personal life

Justice lives in Lewisburg, West Virginia. He met his wife, Cathy (née Comer) in high school.[28] They have two children, Jay and Jill.[4] He stands at 6 feet and 7 inches.[29]

Justice is a lifelong fan of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL), and spent $30 million to develop a training facility for the team to use in 2014 at The Greenbrier resort, in Greenbrier County, West Virginia.[6][12] He hosts the Greenbrier Classic, a PGA Tour event, at The Greenbrier annually.[6]

Youth sports

Since 1992 Justice has been President of Beckley Little League. His participation has helped the program expand to over 1,000 children playing on 80 teams.

Having lived in Lewisburg since 2001, he has been the girls basketball coach at Greenbrier East High School since 2003, having won the state championship in 2012. In 2011, he also became the head coach for the boys basketball teams. He is the only coach at the AAA level (the state's largest classification) who coaches both the girls and boys basketball teams. Justice stated that though he will place his business interests in a blind trust upon becoming governor, he will still coach the basketball teams while serving.[30] In discussing the coaching position, Justice said, “There are three things I know that I can do, and that’s shoot a shotgun, make a deal and coach basketball. I’m excited about it.”

He has been director of the Mountain State Coal Classic since 1995. The basketball classic has enjoyed tremendous success awarding hundreds of thousands in scholarships and direct support to participating schools.

Electoral history

West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2016, Democratic primary[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim Justice 132,704 51.37%
Democratic Booth Goodwin 65,416 25.32%
Democratic Jeff Kessler 60,230 23.31%
Total votes 258,350 100.00%
West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2016[32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim Justice 350,408 49.09%
Republican Bill Cole 301,987 42.30%
Mountain Charlotte Pritt 42,068 5.89%
Libertarian David Moran 15,354 2.15%
Constitution Phil Hudok 4,041 0.57%
Total votes 713,858 100.00%
Democratic hold

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/profile/jim-justice-ii/
  2. ↑ "A West Virginia dancer performs during the first half at the WVU Coliseum.". WV MetroNews. January 14, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  3. ↑ Houvouras, Jack (Winter 2010). "HQ&A with Jim Justice". Huntington Quarterly. Huntington, WV: HQ Publishing. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Tucker, Neely (March 6, 2011). "W.Va. billionaire Jim Justice’s mission to restore the Greenbrier resort". Washington Post. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Gutman, David. "Justice stresses big ideas over specifics in campaign". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Eyre, Eric (May 11, 2015). "Greenbrier owner Jim Justice enters governor's race". The Charleston Gazette. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  7. ↑ Barrett, Paul (2017-01-10). "Can West Virginia’s New Governor Save Coal Country?". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
  8. ↑ "Justice to put 200 miners back to work". Times West Virginian. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  9. ↑ Berkes, Howard. "Billionaire Gubernatorial Candidate Owes $15 Million In Taxes And Fines". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  10. ↑ Tucker, Neely (February 9, 2011). "W.Va. billionaire Jim Justice's mission to restore the Greenbrier resort". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Justice lures golf legends to build mountaintop course near Greenbrier". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Corbett, Jim (July 24, 2014). "Billionaire Jim Justice gives Saints lavish training camp". USA TODAY. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  13. ↑ Berkes, Howard; Boiko-Weyrauch, Anna; Benincasa, Robert (November 15, 2014). "Billionaire Spent Millions In Charity, But Avoided Mine Fines". NPR. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Dream Tree for Kids distributes $1 million worth of gifts". Beckley Register-Herald. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Billionaire Gov. Jim Justice says he’s pursuing blind trust; Commerce Secretary Thrasher files one". WV MetroNews. 2017-01-30. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
  16. ↑ "Some of Justice’s companies put in blind trust". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
  17. ↑ Maher, Kris (May 12, 2015). "Jim Justice, West Virginia Billionaire, Launches Campaign for Governor". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  18. ↑ Jenkins, Jeff. "WV MetroNews – Jim Justice enters politics, announces 2016 run for governor". Wvmetronews.com. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  19. ↑ Raby, John (May 10, 2015). "Jim Justice wins Democratic nomination for West Virginia gov". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Jim Justice wins WV gubernatorial race". Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  21. ↑ "UMWA endorses Jim Justice for governor". WV MetroNews. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  22. ↑ Jenkins, Jeff (March 6, 2017). "From ‘knuckleheads’ to ‘blockheads’ Justice still critical of legislature over budget". MetroNews. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  23. ↑ McElhinny, Brad (February 24, 2017). "Governor Justice calls himself a grizzly and Senate majority leader a poodle". MetroNews. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  24. ↑ Jenkins, Jeff (April 13, 2017). "Justice vetoes budget by unveiling bull manure". West Virginia MetroNews Network. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  25. ↑ Bidgood, Jess (2017-05-01). "West Virginia’s Governor, an ‘Unusual Democrat,’ Fights a G.O.P. Tide". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
  26. ↑ Stevenson, Peter W. (April 14, 2017). "The governor of West Virginia brought a plate of B.S. to the statehouse, literally". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  27. ↑ Kabler, Phil (August 3, 2017). "WV Gov. Justice switching political parties, returning to GOP". Charleston Gazette. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  28. ↑ "About Jim". www.governor.wv.gov. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  29. ↑ "James C. Justice II, West Virginia's Gentle Giant: Successful Meetings". www.successfulmeetings.com. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  30. ↑ "West Virginia gov-elect plans to keep coaching basketball". Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  31. ↑ "Official 2016 Primary Election Results". West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Statewide Results General Election November 8, 2016". West Virginia Secretary of State. State of West Virginia. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jim Justice.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Earl Ray Tomblin		 Democratic nominee for Governor of West Virginia
2016 		Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by
Earl Ray Tomblin		 Governor of West Virginia
2017–present 		Incumbent
Current U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Mike Pence
as Vice President		 Order of Precedence of the United States
Within West Virginia 		Succeeded by
Mayor of city in which event is held
Succeeded by
Otherwise Paul Ryan
as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Sam Brownback
as Governor of Kansas		 Order of Precedence of the United States
Outside West Virginia 		Succeeded by
Brian Sandoval
as Governor of Nevada
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.