2016 West Virginia gubernatorial election

2016 West Virginia gubernatorial election

November 8, 2016

Nominee Jim Justice Bill Cole Charlotte Pritt Party Democratic Republican Mountain Popular vote 350,408 301,987 42,068 Percentage 49.1% 42.3% 5.9%

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%

Governor before election Earl Ray Tomblin Democratic Elected Governor Jim Justice Democratic

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.

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.

Democratic nominee Jim Justice, a coal and agriculture businessman, won the open seat with a plurality of the vote, defeating 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.

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.

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.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

• Booth Goodwin, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia
• Jim Justice, businessman
• Jeff Kessler, Minority Leader of the West Virginia Senate, former President of the West Virginia Senate and candidate for governor in 2011

Declined

• Glen Gainer III, West Virginia State Auditor and nominee for West Virginia's 1st congressional district in 2014
• Carte Goodwin, former U.S. Senator
• Mike Green, former state senator
• Walt Helmick, West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture
• Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator and former Governor
• John Perdue, West Virginia State Treasurer and candidate for governor in 2011
• Doug Reynolds, State Delegate
• Doug Skaff, former State Delegate
• 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)
• Rick Thompson, West Virginia Secretary of Veterans Assistance, former Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates and candidate for governor in 2011

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

Democratic primary 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

Candidates

Declared

• Bill Cole, President of the West Virginia Senate

Did not file

• Andrew Utterback, college student and candidate for Mayor of Pineville in 2014
• Edwin Vanover, former Bramwell Police Chief and Democratic candidate for House of Delegates in 2012

Declined

• Evan Jenkins, U.S. Representative
• David McKinley, U.S. Representative and candidate for governor in 1996 (running for re-election)
• Patrick Morrisey, Attorney General of West Virginia (running for re-election)
• Mary Lou Retton, Olympic gymnast
• Erikka Storch, State Delegate

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bill Cole	161,127	100.00%
Total votes			161,127	100.00%

Mountain Party

Candidates

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

Endorsements

Libertarian Party

Candidates

Declared

• David Moran, retired engineer and farmer

General election

Debates

• Complete video of debate, October 11, 2016 - C-SPAN

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report	Tossup	August 12, 2016
Daily Kos	Tossup	November 8, 2016
Rothenberg Political Report	Tilt D	November 3, 2016
Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean D	November 7, 2016
Real Clear Politics	Lean R (flip)	November 1, 2016
Governing	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.

Results

West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2016

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

• 
  Support for Moran by county:
  

    >10%

    4–5%

    3–4%

    2–3%

    1–2%

    <1%
• 
  Support for Pritt by county:
  

    >11%

    10–11%

    8–9%

    7–8%

    6–7%

    5–6%

    4–5%

    3–4%

    <3%