James C. Justice is a Republican U.S. Senator from West Virginia who took office in 2025. Prior to his Senate service, he served as Governor of West Virginia from 2017 to 2025, initially elected as a Democrat before switching to the Republican Party in 2017. He serves on multiple Senate committees including Energy and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and the Special Committee on Aging. Justice is a businessman who built a career in coal mining, agriculture, and hospitality before entering elected office.

Name

James C. Justice

Party

Republican

State

West Virginia

Committees

Energy Subcommittee, Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources Subcommittee, Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee

Key Fact 1

James C. Justice served as the 36th Governor of West Virginia from 2017 to 2025.

Key Fact 2

He was elected governor as a Democrat in 2016 but switched to the Republican Party in August 2017.

Key Fact 3

Justice is a businessman with interests in coal mining operations, agricultural enterprises, and resort properties including The Greenbrier resort.

Key Fact 4

He serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and its subcommittees focused on conservation, public lands, and water and power issues.

Key Fact 5

Justice is a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee with assignments to subcommittees on livestock and food systems.

Key Fact 6

He sits on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.

Key Fact 7

Justice serves on the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

Key Fact 8

He is one of the wealthiest members of Congress, with business holdings primarily in West Virginia.

Data from Congress.gov