West Virginia Governor to Switch from Democrat to Republican

[TomSea]

West Virginia Governor to Switch from Democrat to Republican

By JONATHAN MARTINAUG. 3, 2017

Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia in January. Mr. Justice, a coal and real estate magnate, ran as a conservative Democrat and declined to endorse Hillary Clinton in 2016. Credit Walter Scriptunas II/Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Gov. 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.

Speaking to reporters in the White House Thursday, Mr. Trump promised “a very big announcement” at a gathering in Huntington, W.V., that is expected to draw thousands of supporters from across Appalachia, a region that gave Mr. Trump some of the largest margins of his election.

Continued: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/03/us/politics/west-virginia-governor-to-switch-from-democrat-to-republican-trump.html

[Right_in_Virginia]

West Virginia’s governor is switching parties. And Democrats just hit a new low.
The Washington Post, Aug 3, 317, Amber Phillips

In November, Republicans solidified and/or expanded their majorities at all levels of governance, and it looked as if things couldn't get worse for Democrats. Except, it just did.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announced Thursday he is leaving the Democratic Party, just six months after taking office, and becoming a Republican. An extra twist of the knife for Democrats: He did it alongside President Trump, at a rally in West Virginia.

“Like it or not, but the Democrats walked away from me,” he told Trump supporters. " ... West Virginia, I can't help you anymore by being a Democratic governor.”

It's not immediately clear why Justice is doing an about-face. But the fact he is underscores just how fragile Democrats' hold on power is. With one politician's decision to switch parties, Democrats now hold a record-low number of governorships — and Republicans hold a record high.

Justice will be the 34th Republican governor, tying an all-time high for the party. Republicans now control both the governor's mansions and state legislatures in 26 states. Democrats have total control in just six states. (In 2018, they'll have a chance to pick up governorships, with Republicans defending 27 of 38 seats, many in blue or purple states.)


         




More:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/08/03/west-virginias-governor-is-switching-parties-and-democrats-just-hit-a-new-low/?utm_term=.bfe37d99f783

[truth_seeker]

My oh my. GOP holds Governor in 34 states. Trump won 30 states.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Stronger audio here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ-ppwZWKuU



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ-ppwZWKuU

[truth_seeker]

Gov. Justice is "large"

[Applewood]

So is he going to be a liberal Republican?  If so, I fail to see the difference.

[truth_seeker]

Other key political figures that changed from dem to GOP include Ronald Reagan, Connelly of Texas, just to name some big ones.

[DB]

Other key political figures that changed from dem to GOP include Ronald Reagan, Connelly of Texas, just to name some big ones.

Trump has those guys beat. He's been a member of at least three different political parties and some of those multiple times back and forth...

[dfwgator]

So, he went from one wing of the Uniparty to the other.

[Mod2]

Merged two threads on same topic

[Applewood]

Other key political figures that changed from dem to GOP include Ronald Reagan, Connelly of Texas, just to name some big ones.

Back in the day, changing parties mattered.  Now it doesn't.   There is really little difference between the two parties.  And true conservatives are no longer welcome in the Republican Party.  All that's left are the phonies.

[Night Hides Not]

Trump has those guys beat. He's been a member of at least three different political parties and some of those multiple times back and forth...

And he's done it in a couple of weeks or less..

[mountaineer]

Gov. Justice is "large"

He's a big fraud and a massive embarrassment to the state, in my opinion. He owes $4 million or so in taxes and since becoming governor has done little but try to push big tax increases on an already impoverished population. The billionaire won't pay his own taxes, but the rest of us are supposed to fork over. 

 The Republicans in WV - at least the conservative ones - are less than enthused over this faux conversion.

Dems Furious, Northern Panhandle GOP Shrugs at West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s Party Switch
Aug 4, 2017
IAN HICKS City Editor

WHEELING — West Virginia Senate Majority Leader Ryan Ferns said it will take more than a party switch to repair the strained relationship between Gov. Jim Justice and the GOP-controlled Legislature.

During President Donald Trump’s rally in Huntington, Justice announced he will change his party affiliation today from Democratic to Republican.

Although Senate Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, and House Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, welcomed Justice’s announcement, Ferns — whose public feud with Justice during this year’s legislative session included Justice referring to himself as a “grizzly bear” and to Ferns as a “poodle” — said only time will tell what the governor’s defection will mean for the state.

“If it doesn’t change his behavior, his policies that he promotes, and quite frankly his staff, he’ll be a Republican on paper only,” Ferns, R-Ohio, said of Justice.

News of Justice’s anticipated announcement broke Thursday afternoon while Ferns was on a plane to Charlotte, N.C. Ferns said after getting off the plane he turned on his cellphone to find numerous messages — but he wasn’t entirely surprised about Justice’s about-face, noting rumors had been swirling around Charleston for some time.

Ferns pointed to Justice’ push for as much as $450 million in higher annual tax revenue during this year’s session. Justice ultimately allowed the 2018 budget passed by the Legislature to become law without his signature — which included no major changes to the tax code but did increase Division of Motor Vehicles fees.

“He’s got a staff full of Democratic Party loyalists,” Ferns said of Justice. “His chief of staff is the former Democratic Party chairman, Nick Casey. … If he continues to promote the same big-government polices, his changing parties doesn’t mean anything other than he’s interested in his own self-preservation.”   ...

Rest of story at Wheeling (W.Va.) Intelligencer

Carmichael and Armstead are GOPe. Ferns is a conservative.

[mountaineer]

Okay, it appears the Speaker of the WV House is saying some good things:

Tim Armstead
16 hrs ·

My reaction to Justice party switch.

“Certainly we would welcome him to the party, but we certainly hope he would embrace the principles of our party — and if he does we look forward to working with him.

“I would hope we will have a better working relationship. I hope we are able to work together. As I said, Republican principles are smaller government, more efficient government, lower taxes. I hope if he becomes a member of our party he will embrace those principles.”

[Applewood]

@mountaineer

Unfortunately, the Republican Party doesn't have any principles.

[mountaineer]

WV Republicans are more conservative, overall, than those in other states or nationally. A few at the top of the state party structure, however, are what we might call establishment. We have some solid members of the Legislature right now, though.

[cato potatoe]

This shouldn't come as a surprise.  Obama destroyed the Democratic party in West Virginia.  The legislature was 72% democrat when he took over.  John Perdue managed to hang on as Treasurer in 2016, but the party has been reduced to he, Joe Manchin, and a handful of legislators.

[mountaineer]

This shouldn't come as a surprise.  Obama destroyed the Democratic party in West Virginia.  The legislature was 72% democrat when he took over.  John Perdue managed to hang on as Treasurer in 2016, but the party has been reduced to he, Joe Manchin, and a handful of legislators.

They still pretty much run things at the local level, but you're right about the Obama effect.

[mountaineer]

I hear from one of the more conservative Republicans in the West Virginia Legislature that Gov. Justice has been taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital. He earlier had complained of some sort of viral infection. Considering he weights about 400 pounds, he's not in the best of health. My delegate friend said he's heard it's pretty bad.

[TomSea]

I see Governor Justice cancelled an event two days ago because he was not feeling well. So, prayers up for his recovery.

[mountaineer]

I see Governor Justice cancelled an event two days ago because he was not feeling well. So, prayers up for his recovery.

Yes, my delegate friend was asking for prayers, as well.

[truth_seeker]

I hear from one of the more conservative Republicans in the West Virginia Legislature that Gov. Justice has been taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital. He earlier had complained of some sort of viral infection. Considering he weights about 400 pounds, he's not in the best of health. My delegate friend said he's heard it's pretty bad.

In the event of Justice's death or incapacity, who takes over?

Lt. Governor? Republican or democrat? Next election, etc.

@mountaineer

[catfish1957]

At some point he will jump onto the  Trump gravy train, as Trump (The trojan horse) gradually moves his governance left.

Anyone not seeing this coming?

[mountaineer]

In the event of Justice's death or incapacity, who takes over?

Lt. Governor? Republican or democrat? Next election, etc

@truth_seeker We have no lt gov, I believe the senate president is the de facto lt gov, so it would be a Republican. Probably would fill the unexpired term. Now Justice is saying he's fine, though it's odd he'd go to Johns Hopkins instead of a local hospital.