West Virginia's newly-Republican Gov. Jim Justice said Wednesday that he is supporting Sen. Joe Manchin Joseph (Joe) ManchinNames to watch as Trump picks Ginsburg replacement on Supreme Court Momentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day Gardner on court vacancy: Country needs to mourn Ginsburg 'before the politics begin' MORE (D-W.Va.) against his own party's Senate nominee in 2018.

Justice, a former Democrat who switched party affiliations last month, is already bucking his new party according to a Metro News report. He pointed to Manchin's willingness to work with President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE as well as the friendship between the two as key reasons for his decision.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Joe Manchin has been a friend of mine,” Justice told a crowd of West Virginia Republicans on Monday. “Now he may be a terrible person to y’all but Joe has been a friend of mine, and I’m going to tell you this as straight up as I can be: Joe Manchin is becoming a very key, integral part with Donald Trump. And I’m going to take my read off of Donald Trump.”

“Joe Manchin is — and I know this — Joe Manchin is Donald Trump’s liaison with the Democrats," he said. "And you want, and I want, what Donald Trump is trying to get done.”

The remarks shocked Republicans in the state and came just hours after West Virginia's GOP chairman told Buzzfeed News that he was confident Justice would be supporting conservative candidates in 2018.

“He said positive things about the Republicans who were running,” Conrad Lucas said earlier Wednesday. “I’m confident that the governor will support the Republican nominee after our primary and as things get closer to the election to 2018.”

Justice publicly switched parties at a campaign-style rally with Trump last month. At the rally, he praised Trump, calling the GOP president a "good man" with "backbone."

"This man is a good man. He's got a backbone. He's got real ideas," Justice said of Trump in August. "He cares about America. He cares about us in West Virginia."

Manchin is one of a number of Senate Democrats up for reelection next year hailing from a state that Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump took West Virginia by a whopping 42 points and many Republicans see Manchin's seat as a prime target for a GOP win.