Gov. Jim Justice was sworn in for a second time, hitting upon familiar themes while expressing hope for a better future in West Virginia.
Justice, who was elected four years ago as a Democrat, was sworn in this time as a Republican. The businessman today said he hadn’t originally anticipated running for a second term. Initially, he thought four years was long enough to serve.
“But there’s more to do. West Virginia is really on the move,” Justice said. “It’s been an honor beyond belief.”
Justice and other state constitutional officers participated in an inauguration ceremony that was scaled back because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The crowd on a windy winter afternoon at the state Capitol was smaller than usual, and participants wore masks and sat at a distance from each other.
Sworn in were newly-elected justices of the state Supreme Court, including Tim Armstead, John Hutchison and Bill Wooton. Also sworn in were Justice, Agriculture Secretary Kent Leonhardt, Auditor J.B. McCuskey, Secretary of State Mac Warner, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and new Treasurer Riley Moore.
Justice described the challenges of his first four years in office, starting with a state government financial crisis and continuing with the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Members of the governor’s coronavirus task force were among the speakers, highlighting a continued challenge.
“Life did, indeed, change for many a year ago,” said Bill Crouch, the state Secretary of Health and Human Resources.
Clay Marsh, the state’s coronavirus response coordinator, urged West Virginians to continue to watch out for each other.
“It is only together that we’re strong,” Marsh said. “West Virginia will continue to be the beacon for the world.”
Justice echoed moments from his first inauguration, again bringing out a hatchet and tackle box that he described buying from a woman alongside the road. As Justice has told the story, the woman said the items were among her only possessions and Justice bought them to help her get by. He has always said he wished he’d given her more.
And, using some touchstones from his past public comments, Justice described progress as well as the challenges that lie ahead.
“West Virginia needed to crawl from 50th to first,” the governor said, describing some ways he believes the state has demonstrated that. “We absolutely built surpluses and we made education our centerpiece We’ve made all kinds of new roads and improved the old roads. We’ve got to do a lot more to combat this terrible drug epidemic.”
The governor began his speech by pointing out the renewed gold on the Capitol dome, which was obscured for months because of ongoing repairs.
He ended by asking audience members to close their eyes and imagine a place with many of the state’s attributes in terms of location, natural resources and temperate seasons.
“People are waking up and realizing it is the place in the world they want to be,” he said. “Open your eyes and know that’s West Virginia. That’s us.”