CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) 鈥� West Virginia governor-elect Republican Patrick Morrisey will be sworn in Jan. 13, he said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Morrisey, who has served as West Virginia's attorney general since 2013, addressed the media for the first time since his Nov. 5 victory speech after against Democrat Steve Williams, the mayor of Huntington.
The 56-year-old will succeed the state's current two-term governor, Republican Jim Justice, who is .
Morrisey named a few people who would be co-leaders in his transition team, including Doug Buffington, his chief deputy in the West Virginia Attorney General鈥檚 Office, and House of Delegates Majority Leader Eric Householder.
Morrisey said he's been meeting with state lawmakers and legislative leadership to 鈥渄evelop a common agenda" ahead of his inauguration and the start of the new legislative session in the new year.
鈥淲e could move a series of bills that might be agreed to up front,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to do that. And so I鈥檓 looking forward to sitting down at great length with them to develop the agenda.鈥�
He said 鈥渕aintaining West Virginia values鈥� will be important to him and his administration.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e heard the word 鈥榳oke鈥� before. You鈥檝e heard the word DEI before. And those are not, in my mind, West Virginia values. And we鈥檙e not going to be an administration that鈥檚 going to be advancing those values," he said.
Morrisey called West Virginians 鈥渨onderful-hearted people鈥� who want 鈥渇reedom to reign across West Virginia.鈥�
鈥淭hey care a lot about ensuring that their Second Amendment rights are protected,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think they believe in the sanctity of life and they want to protect kids and their parents.鈥�
He said he would announce other people who will be part of his transition team in the coming weeks. He urged residents to submit ideas and feedback on his West Virginia Prosperity Group website.
鈥淚f you voted for me, great. Thank you,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淚f you didn鈥檛 vote for me, let me tell you, we鈥檙e all on team West Virginia now. The election is over.鈥�
Leah Willingham, The Associated Press
