West Virginia Governor to Switch from Democrat to Republican
Jim Justice of West Virginia, a Democrat who was elected last year even as President Trump carried the state by 42 points, is expected to announce Thursday night at a rally with Mr. Trump
that he is changing parties, according to three sources familiar with the plans.
“Joe Manchin has been and always will be a proud West Virginia Democrat,” said Jonathan Kott, Mr. Manchin’s communications director.
In West Virginia, Representative Evan Jenkins, one of the Republicans seeking
Mr. Manchin’s Senate seat, said he would welcome the governor to his party.
Mr. Justice’s decision to change parties will further isolate Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat and himself a former governor.
“I simply couldn’t be a part of a liberal agenda that was so contrary to who we are
and what we believe in West Virginia,” said Mr. Jenkins, who switched parties several years ago
Mr. Justice scaled back his television advertising campaign late in last year’s gubernatorial campaign, telling Democratic
officials that, while wealthy on paper, he had limited liquidity, according to a Democrat involved in the conversations.
In his first months as governor, Mr. Justice, a colorful
and hulking figure who stands over six feet, seven inches, drew headlines beyond West Virginia’s border for bringing a plate of cow excrement into the state capitol to express his anger at a Republican-passed budget proposal.
Mr. Kott also said Mr. Manchin was still not interested in joining the Trump cabinet.