New Gov. Patrick Morrisey exhorted West Virginians to aim for improvements in areas like education, health outcomes and economic prosperity.
“Our state’s gonna stand as an example for the rest of the nation. We are gonna rise, and once again, we will be that shining state in the mountains,” Morrisey, a Republican, said during his inaugural address at the state Capitol.
Adding a personal catch phrase, Morrisey concluded, “Keep the faith West Virginia. We’re coming.”
Morrisey took the oath as West Virginia’s 37th governor on a brisk Monday morning and then delivered an address of about 25 minutes to a crowd that included several of his predecessors — outgoing Gov. Jim Justice, who is taking a seat in the U.S. Senate, former Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, and departing Senator Joe Manchin, who previously served as governor.
Also swearing oaths at the ceremony were Haley Bunn and Charles Trump for the state Supreme Court, Ryan White for the intermediate appeals court and statewide officeholders J.B. McCuskey as attorney general, Larry Pack as treasurer, Mark Hunt as auditor, Kris Warner as secretary of state and Kent Leonhardt as agriculture secretary.
Morrisey’s speech was heavy on flourishes of aspiration.
“Taking the oath of office, it’s more than a ceremonial gesture. It’s a promise. It’s a promise to fight every day, to help West Virginia reach her potential,” Morrisey said.
“Today is the dawn of a new era, a symbolic new start for our state. Today we set our sights on something truly great, a future where West Virginia is thriving in that shining state in the mountains.”
And like Justice, who regularly characterized West Virginia as “a diamond in the rough,” Morrisey characterized the state as striving against the low expectations of the outside world.
“The D.C. elites, the news media, Hollywood, they all look down on us. They don’t think we can overcome our challenges. They don’t think we can succeed. They don’t want us to succeed. They stand in our way,” he told the crowd of state senators, delegates, agency leaders and supporters.
“I have a message for them. We’re gonna prove you wrong. We all know that our best days are ahead of us. No longer will we be content to watch other states passes us by. We’re gonna lead.”
Morrisey served three terms as West Virginia’s attorney general. Last spring, he emerged from a bruising Republican primary where one of the most prominent issues was the participation of transgender athletes on sports teams.
Morrisey received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who remains popular in West Virginia. He underscored his political alliance with Trump throughout the campaign.
On other issues, Morrisey has described his advocacy for school choice initiatives, saying “West Virginia will always have the broadest school choice law in the country.”
He has also regularly touted a “Backyard Brawl” to assess West Virginia’s performance up against surrounding states. He has emphasized reducing taxes, regulations, and workforce rules to improve West Virginia’s economic standing compared to its closest neighbors.
In his inaugural address, he returned to those issues yet again. Morrisey’s path toward instituting policies will be laid out in more detail as he makes a State of the State address next month and lays out legislative priorities.
On social issues, Morrisey said “we will eliminate the woke virus from the schools. And that means starting now. There will be no more DEI. No more radical agendas, no more brainwashing, no more confusion about the differences between boys and girls. Under my administration, West Virginia schools will be for learning, not social experiments.”
On government, Morrisey promised a state version of the kind of Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) that is represented by tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy at the federal level.
“Look, West Virginians deserve a government that works for them, not the other way around. That’s why we’re launching West Virginia’s version of DOGE, a dedicated program to drive out government excess and government overreach, that will perform audits to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and efficiently,” he said.
“When it comes to accountability, we won’t just talk, we will deliver.”
Morrisey again called for economic competition against surrounding states.
This economic revival though, it’s more than just cutting taxes and red tape. It’s about unleashing the full potential of our people and engaging in spirited competition every day,” he said.
“Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky, we’re coming for you economically.”
Morrisey also talked about improving West Virginia’s education standards while also continuing to expand “school choice” initiatives like the Hope Scholarship.
“Our education initiatives, they’ll empower parents, support teachers, and ensure that every child has access to the tools they need to succeed. We’ll expand the Hope Scholarship, putting more control in the hands of parents to choose the best educational path for their children,” he said.
“Families are gonna be able to meet their child’s unique needs, assuring every child has the chance to thrive. We will leave no one behind.”
Morrisey, a former lobbyist who spent much of his tenure as attorney general representing the state in lawsuits against drug companies, said his administration would continue to fight against the results of the opioid epidemic.
“Now there are many fights worth having here in West Virginia. One of them is the drug crisis. No challenge has been greater or quite frankly, more personal for me than the fight against the opioid epidemic. As your attorney general, I fought to hold those responsible accountable,” he said.
“We’ve done a lot of good things. We’re making progress, but let’s be clear, this fight is far from over. The drug crisis. It’s touched every corner of our state. We’ve all seen it, the toll it takes on our friends, our families, and our communities. It’s a crisis that doesn’t discriminate by age, race, income, or zip code. As governor, I’ll continue attacking this plague.”
Morrisey asked West Virginians to join him in pursuing those goals.
“This is our moment to rise, to dream bigger, to achieve more. We’ve seen tough times before, and as a state, we’ve always come out of it stronger,” he said. “Our story — it’s still being written. And every West Virginian will play a role in shaping the next chapter. The so let’s be bold, let’s be courageous, and let’s move forward together.”