Jim Justice has now been sworn in to the U.S. Senate.
Most other senators were sworn in more than a week ago, Jan. 3. But Justice remained in his role as governor until his successor, Patrick Morrisey, was sworn in Monday.
So Justice, a Republican, was sworn in to the Senate on Tuesday afternoon by Chuck Grassley, who is president pro-tempore.
“Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that you take this oath obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you God?” asked Grassley, R-Iowa.
“I do,” Justice responded.
Justice then wrapped a big side hug around Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., who was accompanying him.
“We had a great relationship while he was governor and accomplished a lot, especially in areas of economic development, and I am looking to continue that success through our partnership here in the Senate,” Capito said in a written statement distributed by her office.
“Senator Justice played a pivotal role in flipping the Senate majority to Republicans, giving us the opportunity to enact President Trump’s agenda. Together, we can work in tandem to implement the changes that West Virginians demanded for our country at the ballot box in November.”
Justice is a two-term governor who first won that office as a Democrat in 2016. He switched parties in 2017 at a rally for then-President Donald Trump, citing his close relationship with Trump and saying he could accomplish more as a Republican. Trump announced an endorsement for Justice in his race for Senate.
He is taking over the seat formerly held by Joe Manchin, most recently an independent, who declined to run again.
Justice had support in the race from the Republican leadership in the U.S. Senate, including Mitch McConnell. He received an early endorsement from Capito.
During Justice’s final administration briefing as governor, Justice described an interaction with McConnell a few weeks ago when Republicans selected a new Senate leader, John Thune.
Justice said McConnell told him, “You know, when I came to your house and I talked you into running running [sic] for the Senate, when you looked at me that day, you absolutely made the commitment that you were going to do it.”
“On that day, on that very day, it will go down in history and this is exactly what he said ‘On that day as Republicans we were going to be 50-50, and we changed our strategy from absolutely always being on defense to going on the offense.’ And that way in many ways changed the path of our nation to a good path.”
Justice in that same briefing said he feels called to take part in the Senate, which will have a 53-47 Republican majority.
“You may wonder, ‘Why doesn’t Jim just retire and go hunt and fish and enjoy the rest of his life?’ And I really believe this — I really believe God made me Jim Justice for a reason. And I really believe God made you who you are for a reason. And if you choose retirement or whatever, that’s great, nothing wrong with that at all. That’s your choice.
“But in my world, I really believe that God above — you know if I just hang out and would hunt and fish and just do the things that I like to do, I really believe at the end of the day the Lord looks back at me and says ‘I made you Jim Justice for a reason and you have a real creative mind and all the right instincts and I’m really not happy with what you’re doing.'”
So Justice said that’s the reason he is continuing in public life.