MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — More than 175 people attended a campaign event for Gov. Jim Justice on Monday held at the Morgantown Marriott at Two WaterFront Place.
Justice touched on multiple issues, including road conditions and the state’s economy.
Justice told attendees he was dealing with decades of neglect and a significant amount of time is needed to make necessary repairs. State Transportation Secretary Byrd White concurred with the governor and added with an overwhelming volume of work, projects will likely take a lot longer than what people might think.
Justice faced pressure earlier this year to visit Preston County regarding road work. The governor agreed, and he is expected to make a stop next week.
Cheat Lake resident Ed Warnick had previously submitted a petition to the Monongalia County Commission and the governor asking for road work to be done. Warnick and petitioners also paid $2,000 of their own money to have an engineering firm evaluate Sunset Beach and Morgan Hill Roads.
Again, Justice told Warnick he would “get on it.”
Justice told the crowd that over the last three years the financial health of West Virginia has put the state into a position to “move to the launching pad for takeoff.”
He said the state economy is growing and there are more jobs than qualified people to fill them.
Justice did not talk mention his primary opponents — former State Commerce Secretary Woody Thrasher and former Delegate Mike Folk — by name, but said he’s not worried about the competition.
“You never take anyone too lightly, but if you look at the polling today it is a waste of time anyone running against me today,” he said.
According to financial records filed Monday, Justice’s campaign raised $13,450 in donations over the recent filing period. The governor loaned $194,000 to his campaign during the time. The campaign’s manager said the governor focused on other issues rather than fundraising in recent weeks.