Former President Trump, who is wildly popular in West Virginia, on Wednesday endorsed Gov. Jim Justice in the state’s Senate Republican primary. 

Trump’s endorsement of Justice over Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.), whom the former president endorsed in a House race last year, is a major political development in a key Senate battleground.  

The winner would challenge Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) in the 2024 general election if Manchin decides to run for a fourth Senate term.  

Mooney posted a press release of Trump’s 2022 endorsement on his Senate campaign website.

But Trump on Wednesday made it clear he wants Justice to win the nomination to challenge Manchin next year if he runs for reelection. 

“Big Jim will be a Great UNITED STATES SENATOR, and has my Complete & Total Endorsement. HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!!!” Trump posted on his social media site, Truth Social.  

Top Stories from The Hill

He praised Justice as “Strong on the Border, our Great Military & Vets, CLEAN COAL & Energy Dominance, the Economy, Stopping Inflation, & Protecting our 2nd Amendment.” 

Justice has led Manchin by comfortable margins in multiple polls, while Manchin runs ahead of Mooney in a hypothetical match-up. 

An Emerson College survey of 539 West Virginia voters conducted from Oct. 1-4 showed Manchin trailing Justice by 13 points. 

The same poll showed Manchin leading Mooney 37 percent to 31 percent in a hypothetical match-up.  

<div class="sailthru-signup-widget sailthru-signup-display-area sailthru-signup-hill-position-main"> <span class="sailthru-signup-widget-close"><a href="#sailthru-signup-widget">Close</a></span> <div class="sailthru_form"> <div class="sailthru-signup-success-message" hidden="hidden">  <p class="thanks">Thank you for signing up!</p> <p class="watch">Subscribe to more newsletters <a href="http://nxslink.thehill.com/join/7aa/signup">here</a></p> </div> <div class="sailthru-subscribe-grid-display"> <div class="sailthru-signup-display-message-wrapper">  <div class="sailthru-signup-display-message"> <span>The latest in politics and policy.

Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Campaign and Election News newsletter

Manchin allies have argued that a bruising Republican primary battle between Justice, a former Democrat, and Mooney would soften up the eventual Republican nominee ahead of a general election race against Manchin.  

But Trump’s endorsement of Justice could swing the primary race decisively toward the governor.  

Trump carried West Virginia with 68 percent and 69 percent of the vote in 2016 and 2020, respectively.  

The Emerson College poll showed him leading President Biden 59 percent to 23 percent.