Photos by Ben Powell for The Inter-Mountain West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey speaks during his inauguration Monday at the State Capitol Building in Charleston.

CHARLESTON — Patrick Morrisey, a three-term attorney general, took the oath of office Monday to become the 37th governor of the State of West Virginia, followed by a parade, fireworks, concerts and other celebrations.

Morrisey, other elected members of the Board of Public Works, two justices of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals and a new Intermediate Court of Appeals judge all took their oaths of office Monday morning on the northside steps of the Capitol in Charleston.

Referring repeatedly to West Virginia as “that shining state in the mountains,” Morrisey called for residents to come together to make bold changes to move the state forward into the last three-quarters of the 21st century.

“This is our moment to rise, to dream bigger, to achieve more,” Morrisey said. “We’ve seen tough times before, and as a state, we’ve always come out of it stronger. Our story, it’s still being written. And every West Virginian will play a role in shaping the next chapter. So, let’s be bold, let’s be courageous, and let’s move forward together. I promise you this, I’ll never stop fighting for you, for our families and for West Virginia’s future.”

Morrisey, a West Virginia transplant who came to call the state home after a career as a congressional staffer and lobbyist, became the Mountain State’s first Republican attorney general since before the Great Depression in 2013 after defeating the late Democratic Attorney General Darrell McGraw.

Morrisey served three four-year terms as West Virginia’s top attorney, taking on major cases involving federal overreach and securing key victories at the U.S. Supreme Court. Morrisey also focused much of his tenure on opioids, securing more than $1 billion in settlements with prescription opioid manufacturers and distributors.

Last year, Morrisey joined a crowded Republican field to run for governor, winning the May GOP primary and easily defeating his Democratic opponent, former Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, in the November general election. Morrisey said he would work for all West Virginians, whether they voted for him or not.

“My fellow West Virginians, we are in this together,” Morrisey said. “No matter where you’re from – the Eastern Panhandle, the Northern Panhandle, right here in Charleston, the southern coal fields or anywhere across our state — we are all on Team West Virginia.

“Today I’m calling on all of us to put aside our differences and unite for the greater good,” Morrisey continued. “Every person here or every person watching has a role to play in building the future that we and our entire state deserves. Together, we’re going to make West Virginia a beacon of opportunity, of hope and prosperity for all.”

Morrisey succeeds outgoing governor and Senator-Elect Jim Justice, becoming the first newly elected Republican governor since the late Gov. Cecil Underwood took office in 1997 (Justice was first elected in 2017 as a Democrat).

“Today is the dawn of a new era, a symbolic new start for our state,” Morrisey said. “Today we set our sights on something truly great, a future where West Virginia is thriving in that shining state in the mountains. And make no mistake about it, every West Virginian will have an important role to play in building this amazing and prosperous state.”