This is Babydog’s big moment.
The chunky English bulldog of US Sen. Jim Justice (R-West Virginia) had her first official government portrait taken, according to her social media.
In the photo, Babydog, a 60-pound tan-and-white pet pooch, can be seen with her pink tongue poking out over her tiny teeth. The American and Mountain State flags are in the background.
“Official headshot just dropped,” reads the caption on the photo she shared on her X account on February 28.
“Babydog was able to take her photo while Senator Justice was taking his official photo. “The next step is to get her on the Senate floor as the 101st vote!” said Rachel Harper, Justice’s spokesperson.
The dog – dubbed a “fixture in West Virginia politics” – was a key component of Justice’s Senate campaign last year.
Justice served as the Mountain State’s governor from 2016 to January 2025.
“With an unwavering belief in Jim’s leadership, Babydog represents the genuine enthusiasm and trust West Virginians have in his ability to bring positive change,” states the “Meet Babydog” section of Justice’s campaign website.
Babydog has nearly 10,000 followers on X and Instagram, where she is seen sauntering around government buildings and even hanging out with Vice President JD Vance.
“My favorite things are @JimJusticeWV, Wendy’s nuggets, riding shotgun in dad’s Suburban, and napping,” her X bio reads.
At the Republican National Convention in July, Justice was barely seconds into his speech when the audience began chanting, “Babydog! Babydog! Babydog!”.
His response was: “I know that a lot of you want to meet my little buddy, so if Babydog could come on out here.”
To the delight of the Wisconsin crowd, the stubby bulldog reportedly pranced onto the stage and sat obediently on a black leather chair for the rest of his speech.
“She makes us smile, and she loves everybody,” Justice said of Babydog, the Washington Post reported at the time.
