West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice appears on convention stage with pet bulldog Babydog
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) delivered his address on the second night of the Republican National Convention alongside his pet bulldog Babydog.
Chants of "Babydog" broke out in the audience as Justice, who's running for retiring Sen. Joe Manchin's (I-W.Va.) seat, took the stage.
Justice claimed the dog, already a crowd-pleaser as she sat panting in a chair next to the governor, could also predict the future.
"Babydog's got a prediction for everybody here. And here's the prediction: Babydog says we'll retain the House, the majority in the House," Justice said, prompting applause. "We're going to flip the United States Senate. And overwhelmingly we're going to elect Donald Trump and JD Vance in November."
Justice then said his dog, who has become a minor celebrity in West Virginia during his tenure as governor, "knows why we're going to win, and the answer is one thing: because we're worth it."
The governor ran a “Do it for Babydog” COVID-19 vaccination campaign in his state — and his 2024 campaign merchandise heavily features the bulldog.
Babydog also accompanied Justice when he filed paperwork earlier this year to appear on the ballot for U.S. Senate in West Virginia.
Julia Mueller contributed.