Politico reports: 

Elated Senate Republicans believe they are on the cusp of landing their highest-profile recruit of the 2024 campaign: West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice.

Justice, a Democrat-turned-Republican with sky-high approval ratings, is increasingly expected to launch a bid for Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) seat after consulting with top party officials in Washington this month, according to a half-dozen GOP senators and aides. A Justice candidacy would notch two big wins for Republicans, breaking their losing streak in recruiting popular governors and reshaping next year’s battleground map.

Manchin, who won reelection by just three points in the “blue wave” of 2018, would have a very tough time running against Justice in 2024, when the GOP presidential candidate at the top of the ticket will likely carry the state by more than 30 points. 

While West Virginia is a key battle for control of the Senate, it’s very unlikely it would have an impact on Democratic efforts to nuke the legislative filibuster given Manchin’s staunch support to date for the 60-vote rule. The Democrats’ path to scrapping the filibuster depends on replacing Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona and reelecting incumbents Jon Tester in Montana and Sherrod Brown in Ohio.