{"id":563927,"date":"2020-11-03T22:07:36","date_gmt":"2020-11-04T03:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.the74million.org\/?p=563927"},"modified":"2020-11-05T18:00:11","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T23:00:11","slug":"west-virginia-gov-jim-justice-wins-second-term-after-two-teacher-strikes-and-charter-school-bill-in-first-four-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.the74million.org\/west-virginia-gov-jim-justice-wins-second-term-after-two-teacher-strikes-and-charter-school-bill-in-first-four-years\/","title":{"rendered":"West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice Wins Second Term After Two Teacher Strikes and Charter School Bill In First Four Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

2020\u2019s KEY EDUCATION VOTES:<\/strong>\u00a0See our full coverage of\u00a0the 46 races that could reshape America\u2019s schools<\/a>\u00a0following Election\u00a0Day \u2014 and get the latest updates on state policies and students\u2019 challenges during the pandemic by signing up for\u00a0The 74 Newsletter<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

W<\/span>est Virginia Governor Jim Justice has easily won re-election for a second term, despite two teacher strikes and a controversial bill that allowed charter schools to open in the state.<\/p>\n

Both the New York Times and Associated Press called the race in his favor, largely based on pre-election polling showing him 18 or more points ahead<\/a> of Democratic challenger Ben Salango, a county commissioner in Kanawha County, the state\u2019s largest.<\/p>\n

Vote counts shortly before 9:30 p.m. show him winning more than 62 percent of the votes<\/p>\n

Justice, 69, first won the seat in 2016 as a Democrat then turned Republican and became a backer of President Donald Trump less than a year later. A coal industry billionaire<\/a>, J<\/a>ustice\u2019s business dealings<\/a> are frequently part of lawsuits and controversy over late payments.<\/p>\n

Education was a tumultuous issue in his first term, with teachers striking twice for better wages. Teachers were the second-worst paid out of every state<\/a> a few years ago and struck after Justice offered a 1 percent raise<\/a>. The two strikes in 2018 and 2019 brought them two five percent raises.<\/p>\n

Justice also signed a bill last year to create charter schools in the state. He had previously been cautious about starting charters and had called for just a pilot program<\/a> before signing the bill that allows them to start this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

His campaign web page calls for \u201cempowering parents with options that are best for their children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teachers recently sued him <\/a>over his use of a color-coded map of COVID-19 cases and risks that determine how and when schools reopen. The West Virginia Education Association claimed in the suit that Justice was manipulating ratings by changing the factors used in it several times to get the results he wanted.<\/p>\n

A judge dismissed that request for an injunction<\/a> on Oct. 23.<\/p>\n

2020\u2019s KEY EDUCATION VOTES:<\/strong>\u00a0See our full coverage of\u00a0the 46 races that could reshape America\u2019s schools<\/a>\u00a0following Election\u00a0Day \u2014 and get the latest updates on state policies and students\u2019 challenges during the pandemic by signing up for\u00a0The 74 Newsletter<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n