Jim Justice is many things: A billionaire businessman, a basketball coach, the owner and CEO of the Greenbrier, and host of the the PGA Tour’s Greenbrier Classic. Now he is also a governor.
Justice, a Democrat, defeated his Republican rival Jim Cole and won the governorship of West Virginia on Tuesday night. Justice collected 49 percent of the vote to Cole’s 42 percent.
“I wanted to be West Virginia’s governor, because I know I can help,” Justice said. “I didn’t do this for me. I did it for the people of West Virginia. I’m thrilled that the people of West Virginia trust me, and I promise I won’t let them down.”
Justice, 65, is the coach of both the boys’ and girls’ teams at Greenbrier East High School and said before the election that he would continue coaching even in the event he won the race for governor.
No doubt he will remain active in the Greenbrier Classic, too. The tournament was canceled this year after severe flooding ravaged the area. It will resume next July on the Old White TPC at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.V.
The governor-elect will take office in January.
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