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"I
can't help you anymore being a Democrat governor," Justice told
the crowd. "So tomorrow I will be changing my registration to
Republican," he said to loud cheers.
Justice, a billionaire businessman with interests in coal and
agriculture, won election in November as a Democrat in his first
attempt at political office. Until 2015, he had been a
registered Republican.
Trump, who won West Virginia by 42 percentage points over
Democrat Hillary Clinton, campaigned on a promise to bring back
coal jobs, an important industry in the state.
Justice said his late mother would have told him about switching
parties: "Jimmy, it's about damn time you came to your senses."
Justice told the crowd he had met with Trump twice at the White
House in the past several weeks to present ideas on coal and
manufacturing.
"He's got a backbone. He's got real ideas. He cares about
America. He cares about us in West Virginia," Justice said of
Trump, a fellow billionaire businessman.
Trump, who earlier in the day promised a "very big announcement"
at the rally, welcomed Justice into the party's ranks.
"Having big Jim as a Republican is such an honor," Trump said of
the 6-foot-7-inch governor.
With Justice changing his affiliation, there are now 34
Republican governors, 15 Democrats and one independent.
Republicans will now control both the legislature and the
governorship in 26 of the 50 states.
Republicans control both houses of the West Virginia
legislature.
(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Writing by Eric Beech; Editing by
Bernard Orr)
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