The next major election for West Virginians is still about a year away, but already polls are being released showing who might win among a slate of potential candidates for two of the highest offices set to go on the ballot.

On Monday, National Public Affairs released a poll claiming current West Virginia Governor Jim Justice would soundly defeat U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney in the race for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Joe Manchin.

An earlier poll, conducted in February by National Research Inc., indicated current Attorney General Patrick Morrisey would have a strong lead over those Republicans declared for governor, including House Judiciary Committee Chair Moore Capito, Secretary of State Mac Warner and State Auditor J.B. McCuskey.

Polling can be a good indicator of many things when it comes to politics, although recent years have definitely shown they are never a sure thing.

This might be a little too early to put any stock in such numbers, though, especially when, at the time both of these polls were released neither of their focus candidates had even declared their intentions for 2024. Morrisey announced his plans to run for governor Tuesday morning, and we’ve yet to hear anything concrete from Justice, despite promises over the last few months for an announcement of some sort.

On top of that, as has been noted in our own reporting, these polling groups also happen to have connections with the candidates in question. Black Bear PAC, which commissioned the National Research poll, is run by an individual who has been involved with Morrisey’s campaign in the past, while one of National Public Affairs’ founders was an advisor in Justice’s 2020 campaign.

Perhaps, once the full field of candidates for these offices is secure and we’ve seen more of their campaigns in operation, we can consider these polls more fully, but, for now, it’s just too early.