The Club for Growth announced Tuesday it is endorsing Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV) in the 2024 West Virginia Senate race.
The endorsement comes as most believe Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) is the favorite out of the GOP field to challenge Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).
PATRICK MORRISEY WON’T CHALLENGE MANCHIN, ANNOUNCES RUN FOR WEST VIRGINIA GOVERNOR
“Rep. Mooney has proven in his time in Congress that he is a conservative champion who will fight for lower taxes, safer streets, school freedom, and parental rights for the people of West Virginia,” Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh said in a statement.
“Mooney will be a great U.S. Senator and we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he’s elected,” McIntosh added.
Mooney announced his run for Senate in November 2022 after winning reelection to his House seat. In his 2022 House reelection bid, he faced a contested primary against fellow incumbent Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) after the state lost a congressional seat due to redistricting. The Club for Growth endorsed him in the 2022 House primary as well.
Mooney is the only major GOP candidate who has declared for the 2024 Senate race, as Justice has not made an announcement regarding a 2024 bid.
Justice is term-limited as governor and has teased a run against Manchin in recent months.
“I’m not one to jerk people around,” Justice told journalist Julie Mason in February. “We’re on the home stretch now. … I’ve pretty much made my decision on what I’m going to do, and I thought really seriously about it, my family talked about it a bunch of times. We’ll get to a decision here real quick.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Justice, a popular governor, has significantly higher approval ratings than Manchin, although Manchin has not said whether he will run for reelection to his seat. If Manchin does not seek reelection, it could make the GOP primary more consequential than the general election in the heavily Republican state.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced on Tuesday he would not seek a rematch against Manchin in the Senate race, opting to run for governor in 2024.