Justice eliminates possibility of four governors in 10 days

West Virginia won’t be getting four governors in January; Justice is ‘tickled to death’ with Senate Committee appointments

By Autumn Shelton, RealWV

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – On Thursday, Senator-elect Jim Justice announced during a press briefing that he will remain West Virginia’s governor until January 13. 

This announcement eliminated the possibility that the Mountain State will have four different governors in just 10 days during the first month of the new year. 

“My whole thing behind all this is the continuity of government is essential during transitions,” Justice said. “And my whole focus is simply just this, you know, when I took this job, I took this job to serve the people of West Virginia. Now in many ways I could move on, and I could be sworn into the Senate on January 3 . . . but there won’t be anything happening, really, until President Trump takes office.” 

Prior to Justice’s announcement, there was some concern that should he be sworn in as a Senator with new members of Congress on January 3, Governor-elect Patrick Morrisey wouldn’t be sworn in as governor until Jan. 13. This would have left 10 days that current Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, and Senate President-elect Randy Smith, R-Tucker, would have served as governors. 

According to Justice, he made his decision to continue on as the state’s governor after speaking with Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and incoming Senate GOP Leader John Thune. 

“The people of West Virginia put a lot of trust in me and so I’m going to serve as your governor, and I’m going to serve and do exactly what I’m supposed to do until the end of my term,” Justice said. “Again, in thinking about the people of West Virginia, and in thinking about what I should do in consultation with these people that I’ve already mentioned, I think this is the right decision.” 

Justice said that when he is sworn in to the Senate, he will strongly support President-elect Trump. 

“I’m his biggest ally. That’s all there is to it,” Justice said of Trump. “I love him with all my soul. I think the world of his family, and everything, and I’m going to be there and I’m going to be super supportive of what he’s doing, and we are going to try in every way to move the ball forward in the benefit of, maybe, putting this nation back on the right track.”

“We have lost our way in this country beyond belief,” Justice continued. “And, now, let’s go and do it and do it right.” 

Senate Committee Appointments

On Dec. 20, incoming Senate GOP Leader John Thune announced that Justice has been appointed to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and the Aging Committee.

During Justice’s Thursday press briefing, he said that they are “homerun picks” for him. 

“Without any question, I really need to be on the energy committee,” Justice said. “I’ve got a wealth of knowledge in regards to energy, and whether it be, you know, for our gas workers or our coal miners or whatever . . . energy is everything.” 

Justice also said that his experience in agriculture (starting out as Bluestone Farms in Gap Mills) brings a wealth of knowledge to the table as does his experience in small business and job growth. 

Lastly, Justice said that he has “stood rock solid” with trying to help seniors in the state of West Virginia. 

“I was tickled to death,” Justice said of his committee assignments. “I mean, I was tickled to death. I mean, because you don’t really know at the end of the day where they’re gonna put you. Those are my selections, and everything, and I was tickled to death with all four of them to tell you the truth.”