2016 West Virginia gubernatorial election
The 2016 West Virginia gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2016, to elect the Governor of West Virginia, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on May 10.
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  Justice: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Cole: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Tie: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in West Virginia |
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Incumbent Democratic Governor Earl Ray Tomblin was barred from running for a second full term. He had ascended to the governorship upon Joe Manchin's resignation in 2010, won a 2011 special election to complete the term, and won a full term in 2012. Under the West Virginia Constitution, a partial term counts toward the limit of two consecutive terms.
The Democratic candidate, Jim Justice, a coal and agriculture businessman, won the open seat with a plurality of the vote, despite Republican Donald Trump simultaneously winning West Virginia in a landslide during the presidential election. Justice defeated Republican state senator Bill Cole and former state senator Charlotte Pritt, who ran as a member of the Mountain Party. As of 2023, this is the last time a Democrat was elected Governor of West Virginia; Justice was re-elected as a Republican in 2020; his party switch gave Republicans a trifecta in the state for the first time since 1931.[1]
Background
In November 2010, Democratic Governor Joe Manchin resigned after being elected to the U.S. Senate. Earl Ray Tomblin, the president of the West Virginia Senate (with the honorary title of lieutenant governor), became acting governor, won an October 2011 special election to complete the term, and won a full term in the regularly scheduled 2012 election. Tomblin was ineligible to run for re-election in 2016 as the Constitution of West Virginia limits governors to two consecutive terms regardless of whether they are full or partial terms. However, governors are re-eligible after four years out of office.[2][3]
After publicly speculating he would run for his former office, Manchin was considered a heavy favorite in the 2016 race, but he announced on April 19, 2015 that he would remain in the Senate instead.[4]
Democratic primary
Results by county. Blue indicates a win by Justice, green a win by Goodwin, and yellow a win by Kessler. Darker shades indicate higher percentages of the vote.
Declared
- Booth Goodwin, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia[5]
- Jim Justice, businessman[6]
- Jeff Kessler, Minority Leader of the West Virginia Senate, former President of the West Virginia Senate and candidate for governor in 2011[7]
Declined
- Glen Gainer III, West Virginia State Auditor and nominee for West Virginia's 1st congressional district in 2014[8][9]
- Carte Goodwin, former U.S. Senator[10]
- Mike Green, former state senator[10]
- Walt Helmick, West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture[8]
- Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator and former Governor[11][12][13][14]
- John Perdue, West Virginia State Treasurer and candidate for governor in 2011[15][16]
- Doug Reynolds, State Delegate[10]
- Doug Skaff, former State Delegate[10]
- Natalie Tennant, West Virginia Secretary of State, candidate for governor in 2011 and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2014 (running for re-election)[2][17]
- Rick Thompson, West Virginia Secretary of Veterans Assistance, former Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates and candidate for governor in 2011[2]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Jim Justice |
Booth Goodwin |
Jeff Kessler |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MetroNews | April 22–May 2, 2016 | 315 | ± 4.0% | 32% | 27% | 23% | 18% |
| Public Policy Polling | April 29–May 1, 2016 | 637 | ± 3.9% | 37% | 23% | 19% | 21% |
| West Virginia Veterans | March 2–6, 2016 | 600 | ± 3.9% | 36% | 20% | 16% | 28% |
| MetroNews | February 11–16, 2016 | 208 | ± 4.9% | 32% | 25% | 23% | 21% |
| Global Strategy Group^ | December 1–3, 2015 | 350 | ± 5.2% | 39% | 13% | 19% | 21% |
- ^ Indicates a poll taken for Jim Justice campaign.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Justice | 132,704 | 51.39% | |
| Democratic | Booth Goodwin | 65,416 | 25.32% | |
| Democratic | Jeff Kessler | 60,230 | 23.31% | |
| Total votes | 258,350 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Did not file
Declined
- Evan Jenkins, U.S. Representative[10][21]
- David McKinley, U.S. Representative and candidate for governor in 1996 (running for re-election)[22]
- Patrick Morrisey, Attorney General of West Virginia (running for re-election)[23][24][25]
- Mary Lou Retton, Olympic gymnast[10]
- Erikka Storch, State Delegate[10]
Endorsements
Bill Cole
- Individuals
- Tim Armstead, Speaker of the House of Delegates[26]
- Shelley Moore Capito, U.S. Senator[27]
- David McKinley, U.S. Representative[26]
- Evan Jenkins, U.S. Representative[26]
- Danny Jones, Charleston Mayor[28]
- Alex Mooney, U.S. Representative[26]
- Patrick Morrisey, Attorney General of West Virginia[26]
- Organizations
- National Federation of Independent Business[29]
- National Right to Life[30]
- West Virginia Coal Association[31]
- Newspapers
Polling
Hypothetical polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Bill Cole |
David McKinley |
Patrick Morrisey |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Polling Archived 2015-07-09 at the Wayback Machine | April 9–11, 2015 | 242 | ± 6.3% | 15% | 31% | 25% | 29% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Cole | 161,127 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 161,127 | 100.00% | ||
Mountain Party
Declared
- Charlotte Pritt, former Democratic State Delegate, former Democratic State Senator, write-in candidate for governor in 1992 and Democratic nominee for governor in 1996[39]
Endorsements
Charlotte Pritt
Individuals
- Cleveland Benedict, former United States Representative from West Virginia's 2nd congressional district from 1981-1983, U.S. Senate nominee 1982, West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture 1989-1993, Governor nominee 1992.[40]
- Sue Thorn, former 2012 United States Representative nominee from West Virginia's 1st congressional district and former member of the Democratic National Committee representing West Virginia.[41]
Organizations
- West Virginia Sierra Club, environmental organization[42]
Libertarian Party
Declared
- David Moran, retired engineer and farmer[43]
General election
Debates
- Complete video of debate, October 11, 2016 - C-SPAN
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[44] | Tossup | August 12, 2016 |
| Daily Kos[45] | Tossup | November 8, 2016 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[46] | Tilt D | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[47] | Lean D | November 7, 2016 |
| Real Clear Politics[48] | Lean R (flip) | November 1, 2016 |
| Governing[49] | Tossup | October 27, 2016 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Jim Justice (D) |
Bill Cole (R) |
Charlotte Pritt (M) |
David Moran (L) |
Phil Hudok (C) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyMonkey | November 1–7, 2016 | 472 | ± 4.6% | 36% | 45% | 13% | — | — | 6% |
| SurveyMonkey | October 31–November 6, 2016 | 443 | ± 4.6% | 37% | 43% | 13% | — | — | 7% |
| SurveyMonkey | October 28–November 3, 2016 | 386 | ± 4.6% | 40% | 42% | 12% | — | — | 6% |
| SurveyMonkey | October 27–November 2, 2016 | 330 | ± 4.6% | 39% | 44% | 10% | — | — | 7% |
| SurveyMonkey | October 26–November 1, 2016 | 318 | ± 4.6% | 42% | 41% | 12% | — | — | 5% |
| SurveyMonkey | October 25–31, 2016 | 321 | ± 4.6% | 42% | 43% | 13% | — | — | 2% |
| MetroNews | October 12–17, 2016 | 408 | ± 4.9% | 44% | 33% | 8% | 5% | — | 9% |
| Global Strategy Group | October 11–13, 2016 | N/A | ± 4.0% | 44% | 34% | 8% | 2% | — | 12% |
| NMB Research | October 8–10, 2016 | N/A | ± 4.4% | 39% | 39% | 5% | 2% | 1% | 12% |
| Garin-Hart-Yang | September 13–17, 2016 | 500 | ± 5.0% | 46% | 33% | 7% | 4% | — | 10% |
| Just Win Strategies→ | September 8–10, 2016 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 44% | 42% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 7% |
| R.L. Repass & Partners/MetroNews | August 9–28, 2016 | 435 | ± 4.7% | 46% | 32% | 8% | 5% | — | 9% |
| Global Strategy Group | August 1–3, 2016 | 419 | ± 4.8% | 47% | 37% | — | — | — | 15% |
| Public Policy Polling | April 29–May 1, 2016 | 1,201 | ± 2.8% | 41% | 35% | — | — | — | 24% |
| MetroNews | April 22–May 2, 2016 | 596 | ± 4.0% | 52% | 34% | — | — | — | 14% |
| Orion Strategies | February 20–21, 2016 | 306 | ± 5.6% | 37% | 33% | — | — | — | 30% |
| MetroNews | February 11–16, 2016 | 411 | ± 4.9% | 49% | 39% | — | — | — | 12% |
| Orion Strategies | August 24–25, 2015 | 406 | ± 4.9% | 34% | 31% | — | — | — | 35% |
→ Indicates an internal poll conducted by the West Virginia Republican Party for Bill Cole.
Hypothetical polling
- with Booth Goodwin
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Booth Goodwin (D) |
David McKinley (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Polling Archived 2015-04-14 at the Wayback Machine | April 9–11, 2015 | 702 | ± 3.7% | 35% | 40% | 25% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Booth Goodwin (D) |
Patrick Morrisey (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Polling Archived 2015-04-14 at the Wayback Machine | April 9–11, 2015 | 702 | ± 3.7% | 36% | 36% | 28% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Booth Goodwin (D) |
Bill Cole (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MetroNews | April 22–May 2, 2016 | 596 | ± 4.0% | 47% | 39% | — | 14% |
| Public Policy Polling | April 29–May 1, 2016 | 1,201 | ± 2.8% | 33% | 39% | — | 28% |
| Orion Strategies | February 20–21, 2016 | 306 | ± 5.6% | 33% | 36% | — | 31% |
| MetroNews | February 11–16, 2016 | 411 | ± 4.9% | 43% | 44% | — | 14% |
| Harper Polling | April 9–11, 2015 | 702 | ± 3.7% | 35% | 37% | — | 27% |
- with Jeff Kessler
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Jeff Kessler (D) |
David McKinley (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Polling Archived 2015-04-14 at the Wayback Machine | April 9–11, 2015 | 702 | ± 3.7% | 32% | 42% | 26% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Jeff Kessler (D) |
Patrick Morrisey (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Polling Archived 2015-04-14 at the Wayback Machine | April 9–11, 2015 | 702 | ± 3.7% | 35% | 38% | 27% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Jeff Kessler (D) |
Bill Cole (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MetroNews | April 22–May 2, 2016 | 596 | ± 4.0% | 45% | 39% | — | 16% |
| Public Policy Polling | April 29–May 1, 2016 | 1,201 | ± 2.8% | 30% | 40% | — | 30% |
| Orion Strategies | February 20–21, 2016 | 306 | ± 5.6% | 30% | 40% | — | 30% |
| MetroNews | February 11–16, 2016 | 411 | ± 4.9% | 40% | 45% | — | 15% |
| Orion Strategies | August 24–25, 2015 | 406 | ± 4.9% | 26% | 37% | — | 37% |
| Harper Polling | April 9–11, 2015 | 702 | ± 3.7% | 34% | 38% | — | 28% |
- with Joe Manchin
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Joe Manchin (D) |
Bill Cole (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Polling Archived 2015-04-14 at the Wayback Machine | April 9–11, 2015 | 702 | ± 3.7% | 54% | 32% | 14% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Joe Manchin (D) |
David McKinley (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Polling Archived 2015-04-14 at the Wayback Machine | April 9–11, 2015 | 702 | ± 3.7% | 52% | 35% | 12% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Joe Manchin (D) |
Patrick Morrisey (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Polling Archived 2015-04-14 at the Wayback Machine | April 9–11, 2015 | 702 | ± 3.7% | 58% | 29% | 13% |
| Global Strategy Group* | March 15–18, 2015 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 60% | 30% | 10% |
- * Internal poll for Joe Manchin
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Justice | 350,408 | 49.09% | -1.40% | |
| Republican | Bill Cole | 301,987 | 42.30% | -3.35% | |
| Mountain | Charlotte Pritt | 42,068 | 5.89% | +3.36% | |
| Libertarian | David Moran | 15,354 | 2.15% | +0.81% | |
| Constitution | Phil Hudok | 4,041 | 0.57% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 713,858 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Hancock (Largest city: Weirton)
- Hardy (Largest city: Moorefield)
- Jefferson (Largest city: Charles Town)
- Pendleton (Largest city: Franklin)
- Tucker (Largest city: Parsons)
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Monongalia (Largest city: Morgantown)
- Monroe (Largest city: Peterstown)
- Putnam (largest municipality: Hurricane)
- Raleigh (Largest city: Beckley)
- Jackson (Largest city: Ravenswood)
Maps
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Support for Moran by county:>10%4–5%3–4%2–3%1–2%<1%.svg.png.webp)
Support for Pritt by county:>11%10–11%8–9%7–8%6–7%5–6%4–5%3–4%<3%
References
- Staff, WSAZ News (November 4, 2020). "Justice wins second term as W.Va. governor". www.wsaz.com. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- Miller, Tom. "2016 race for governor could be crowded". The Lincoln Journal. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- King, Joselyn (May 18, 2011). "Tomblin, Maloney win nominations". Wetzel Chronicle. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
- Ramsey, Pam (April 19, 2015). "Manchin says he'll stay in Senate, forgoes governor bid". The Journal. Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
- "Ex-US attorney Goodwin files for W.Va. governor race". The Journal. January 4, 2016. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- Eyre, Eric (May 11, 2015). "Greenbrier owner Jim Justice enters governor's race". The Charleston Gazette. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
- Ebert, Joel (March 19, 2015). "Kessler says he'll run for governor in 2016". Charleston Daily Mail. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- "Sunday Sit-Down: West Virginia GOP Chairman Conrad Lucas". The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register. November 16, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
- Jenkins, Jeff (June 15, 2015). "Auditor Gainer planning re-election bid in 2016". West Virginia MetroNews. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- "West Virginia Undergoing Political, Generational Change". Roll Call. May 1, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
- "GOP Senate may run purple". Politico. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
- "Manchin, 50-50 on Possible Return Run for Governor". West Virginia Public Broadcasting. April 7, 2015. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- Raju, Manu (April 14, 2015). "Joe Manchin signals stronger interest in West Virginia governor run". Politico. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- Eric Bradner (April 19, 2015). "Joe Manchin picks Senate over governor's bid". CNN. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
- Aaron Blake (January 23, 2015). "The 5 best governors races in the country". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
- Jonathan Mattise (January 23, 2015). "Though @WaPost says otherwise, WV Treasurer John Perdue's office says he's not running for governor". Twitter. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- "W.Va. Secretary of State Files Early Re-Election Paperwork". West Virginia Public Broadcasting. March 19, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- "Official 2016 Primary Election Results". West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- Johnson, Shauna (June 2, 2015). "Republican Bill Cole launches 2016 gubernatorial campaign". West Virginia MetroNews. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- Deitz, Leah (May 15, 2015). "Jim Justice vying for Governor's Office". Mountain Messenger. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- Ebert, Joel (June 17, 2015). "Cole endorsed by Congressman Jenkins". Charleston Daily Mail. Archived from the original on June 22, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- Hicks, Ian (June 1, 2015). "McKinley Won't Run for Governor". The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
- Johnson, Shauna (March 19, 2015). "Morrisey says he is considering a possible run for governor in 2016". West Virginia MetroNews. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- "Morrisey has $850K for possible governor bid". The Journal. April 2, 2015. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
- Jenkins, Jeff (June 16, 2015). "Morrisey opts to seek reelection instead of governor's office". West Virginia MetroNews. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- "WV House Delegation for Cole". Friends of Cole. October 8, 2015. Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
- "U.S. Sen. Capito backs Bill Cole in run for governor". WV MetroNews. April 11, 2016.
- "UPDATE: Charleston Mayor announces he's dropped Republican affiliation". wsaz.com. June 17, 2016.
- "NFIB endorses Bill Cole for Governor". WV MetroNews. July 18, 2016.
- "West Virginia Endorsements 2016". National Right to Life. October 15, 2016. Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
- "W.Va. Coal Association endorses Bill Cole for governor". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. February 13, 2016.
- "Endorsement: Republican Bill Cole, governor of W.Va". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. October 23, 2016.
- "Daily Mail endorsement: Experience makes Cole a better fit for governor". Charleston Gazette-Mail. October 25, 2016.
- "Cole will bring progress to West Virginia". Daily Times. October 17, 2016.
- "Elect Cole For Real Progress". The Intelligencer and Wheeling News Register. October 15, 2016.
- "Cole will deliver progress for W.Va". The Inter-Mountain. October 15, 2016.
- "Cole should be the next governor of West Virginia". The Journal. October 16, 2016.
- "Leadership: Bill Cole should be our next governor". The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. October 18, 2016.
- "Mountain Party chooses Pritt as gubernatorial candidate". The Charleston Gazette. July 16, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
- "Back to the future: The return of Charlotte Pritt". July 20, 2016.
- "Charlotte Pritt: The Mountain Party's Maverick". November 4, 2016. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- Sconyers, Jim (September 10, 2016). "West Virginia Sierra Club Endorses Pritt For Governor". Sierra Club. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
- Staff (April 2016). "WV Libertarians announce candidates for statewide offices". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
- "2016 Governor Race ratings". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "Elections 2015-16". Daily Kos. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "Gubernatorial Ratings". The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "Our Final 2016 picks". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Archived from the original on October 15, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "2016 Election Maps - 2016 Governor Races". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "2016 Governors Races Ratings & News". Governing Magazine. Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
- "Statewide Results General Election November 8, 2016". West Virginia Secretary of State. State of West Virginia. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
External links
- Official campaign websites (Archived)
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