West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice once vetoed Congressional funding by displaying cow manure brought from his farm to the state Capitol on a silver platter. He responded to criticism by hoisting up the rear end of his pet English bulldog in the House chamber. And he always had poster boards and props to illustrate his points.
The justices will deliver their final State of the State address on Wednesday night, bringing an unusual and unpredictable avenue of speeches almost to a close. The popular two-term Republican governor is running for Democrat Joe Manchin's U.S. Senate seat in November.
At 6-foot-7, Justice will have a big job, both literally and figuratively.
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Justice, 72, a former billionaire who owns dozens of businesses, has always put on a never-before-seen show under the Capitol dome.
This time next year, state legislatures will be rid of adverbs that judges have overused, such as “really, really,” the informal “lotta-lotta,” or “beyond common sense” to convey a judge's point.
He refuses to use a teleprompter or speak from a script, and admits that his staff is often as surprised as others by his behavior.
West Virginia's Justice Governor speaks at the Greenbrier Resort after Stuart Appleby's victory in the Greenbrier Classic on August 1, 2010 in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia. Governor Justice plans to run for the U.S. Senate in 2024. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
In his first State of the State address in 2017, he called West Virginia's budget an “18-carat dog mess.”
Usually at Justice's side or in his lap is Babydog, a grumpy-looking English bulldog. Sometimes he dresses up, such as when he wore a hat with a giant bow at a news conference before the Kentucky Derby.
In 2022, after Manchin refused to support President Joe Biden's “Build Back Better,” singer and actress Bette Midler tweeted that West Virginians were “poor, illiterate, and debilitated.” In response, Justice ended his televised speech by pointing Baby Dog's butt at the audience. agenda.
“Baby Dog says to Bette Midler and everyone there, 'Kiss her high knees,'” Justice said with a laugh, to a standing ovation.
Justice has been described as “snobbish'' due to his unique, rambling way of speaking, which he accepts. He says West Virginia is “on a rocket” economically and calls himself a frog who is proud of his pond.
“I speak in a real common language. …Really, really, you know I'm talking to you, just like we're sitting in your house and talking to you.” he said in his 2022 State of the Union address. “I'm not badmouthing anyone. I don't believe in that.”
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To his inauguration in 2017, he brought an ax and tackle box that he bought for $200 from a woman who was struggling on the street.
“I carry my tackle box and ax with me every day,” he said. “I can't stand how good we are, how much trouble we have, and how many people are being hurt.”
Not everyone was enamored with Justice, who has sparred with politicians from both sides. He has been criticized for not spending enough time in Charleston, instead focusing on other activities such as coaching a women's basketball team near his home on the Virginia border.
The attorney general has also been criticized for underfunding everything from public schools to the state's child care system, and advocates for low-income residents say he has failed to address the challenges facing the poorest citizens. He claims that there is no.
Some lament that stunts like the ending episode of Baby Dog are unprofessional and tarnish the state's image. Justice has also been in the spotlight for failing to pay fines for safety violations at his family-run mine and millions of dollars in unpaid business debts.
State Democratic Party Chairman Mike Pushkin blasted the attorney general in November, saying residents deserve politicians who “come to work, pay their debts, and bring more to the U.S. Senate than just a cute dog.”
Six months after becoming governor as a Democrat, Justice announced his switch to the Republican Party at a rally for then-President Donald Trump.
He oversaw the response to two statewide teacher strikes, COVID-19, and the ongoing opioid epidemic that is claiming lives at a higher rate in West Virginia than any other state. .
During the pandemic, the pro-vaccine governor said residents who didn't get vaccinated “will see more deaths.”
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He has also focused on economic development and tourism. West Virginia has long ranked near the bottom of the nation's health and economic statistics. Judiciary officials have consistently condemned the joke at the state's expense.
“I don't agree with that idea, and I know you don't either,” he said in his 2021 State of the State address.
Instead, Justice calls West Virginia a “diamond in the rough.”
The judge said that when he reintroduced a proposal to lower the state's personal income tax, he was told by legislative leaders to either abandon it or “create a big story.”
“And here I am throwing a cannonball into the pool,” the governor said during his State of the State address last year. “By God, I’m going to make a big splash.”
The attorney general signed it in early March after lawmakers agreed to a 21.25% compromise.
