2020 West Virginia elections
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| Elections in West Virginia |
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West Virginia held elections on November 3, 2020. The Democratic and Republican party primary elections were held on June 9, 2020.
The 2020 elections marked a turning point in history as West Virginia's rightward shift was further signified: Republicans won all U.S. House seats, statewide executive offices and the U.S. Senate seat up for election (all with more than 56% of the vote) while also expanding their majorities in both state legislative chambers. President Donald Trump won every county in the state and 68.62% of the statewide vote in his re-election bid, for a statewide margin of 38.93%, although losing re-election.
Federal offices
[edit]President
[edit]Incumbent Republican Donald Trump easily carried West Virginia, capturing 68.62% of the vote. Trump captured every county in the state and it was his second-best showing, behind only Wyoming.
Senate
[edit]Incumbent senator Shelley Moore Capito was easily reelected. With a vote share of 70.3%, she was the first Republican senator to win reelection in West Virginia since 1907.
House of Representatives
[edit]All 3 Incumbent Republican U.S. Representatives were easily reelected, all increasing their vote share compared to 2018.
Governor
[edit]Incumbent Republican governor Jim Justice won reelection to a second term over Democrat Ben Salango with 64.8% of the vote. Justice increased his vote margin substantially compared with his first election in 2016, when he was the democratic candidate, receiving just 49.1% of the overall vote. This was the first time a Republican candidate carried every county in the state during a gubernatorial election.
State legislature
[edit]State senate
[edit]17 of the 34 seats in the West Virginia State Senate held elections, including 11 Republican-held seats and 6 Democratic-held seats. Four incumbents chose not to seek re-election due to retirement: Democrats Paul Hardesty, Roman Prezioso, and Corey Palumbo and Republican Kenny Mann. Republicans won 3 seats over Democratic candidates, increasing their majority in the chamber from 20 to 23 seats.[1][2]
House of Delegates
[edit]All 100 seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates will have an election. Nineteen incumbents chose not to seek re-election: 11 Democrats and 8 Republicans. Republicans flipped 18 seats, increasing their majority in the chamber from 58 to 76 seats.[3][4]
Attorney general
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  Morrisey: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Petsonk: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 50% | |||||||||||||||||
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Republican incumbent Patrick Morrisey was re-elected with 51.63% of the vote in 2016 and successfully sought re-election.[5]
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Patrick Morrisey, incumbent attorney general of West Virginia and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Patrick Morrisey (incumbent) | 175,837 | 100.0% | |
| Total votes | 175,837 | 100.0% | ||
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Sam Petsonk, attorney[7]
- Isaac Sponaugle, state delegate[8]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sam Petsonk | 86,849 | 50.0% | |
| Democratic | Isaac Sponaugle | 86,704 | 50.0% | |
| Total votes | 173,553 | 100.0% | ||
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Patrick Morrisey (R) |
Sam Petsonk (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triton Polling and Research/WMOV[9] | October 19–21, 2020 | 544 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 53% | 41% | 6% |
| Triton Polling & Research/WMOV[10] | September 29–30, 2020[b] | 525 (RV) | ± 4.3% | 53% | 41% | 6% |
General election
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Patrick Morrisey (incumbent) | 487,250 | 63.77% | |
| Democratic | Sam Petsonk | 276,798 | 36.23% | |
| Total votes | 764,048 | 100.0% | ||
Secretary of state
[edit]
- 50-60%
- 60-70%
- 70-80%
- 80-90%
- 50-60%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mac Warner (incumbent) | 447,537 | 58.26% | |
| Democratic | Natalie Tennant | 320,650 | 41.74% | |
| Total votes | 768,187 | 100.0% | ||
Treasurer
[edit]Democratic incumbent John Perdue was re-elected with 50.33% of the vote in 2016, but lost re-election to Republican candidate Riley Moore.[12]
- 50-60%
- 60-70%
- 70-80%
- 80-90%
- 50-60%
- 60-70%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Riley Moore | 425,745 | 56.31% | ||
| Democratic | John Perdue (incumbent) | 330,316 | 43.69% | ||
| Total votes | 756,061 | 100.0% | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
Auditor
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  McCuskey: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Claytor: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 50% | |||||||||||||||||
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Republican incumbent JB McCuskey was elected with 58.48% of the vote in 2016 and successfully sought re-election.[14]
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- JB McCuskey, incumbent West Virginia State Auditor
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | JB McCuskey (incumbent) | 169,577 | 100.0% | |
| Total votes | 169,577 | 100.0% | ||
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Mary Ann Claytor, accountant and auditor, nominee for West Virginia State Auditor in 2016, candidate for West Virginia State Senate in 2018, and former candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates in 2020[15]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mary Ann Claytor | 156,089 | 100.0% | |
| Total votes | 156,089 | 100.0% | ||
General election
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | JB McCuskey (incumbent) | 496,845 | 67.03% | |
| Democratic | Mary Ann Claytor | 244,427 | 32.97% | |
| Total votes | 741,272 | 100.0% | ||
Commissioner of Agriculture
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  Leonhardt: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Beach: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 50% | |||||||||||||||||
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Republican incumbent Kent Leonhardt was elected with 48.41% of the vote in 2016 and successfully sought re-election.[16]
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Kent Leonhardt, incumbent West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture
- Roy Ramey, farm owner and American Freedom nominee for West Virginia State Senate in 2014[17][18]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kent Leonhardt (incumbent) | 113,586 | 63.5% | |
| Republican | Roy Ramey | 65,336 | 36.5% | |
| Total votes | 178,922 | 100.0% | ||
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Withdrawn
[edit]- Patricia Bunner, attorney[22]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Beach | 81,074 | 48.0% | |
| Democratic | William Keplinger | 44,084 | 26.1% | |
| Democratic | Dave Miller | 43,916 | 26.0% | |
| Total votes | 169,074 | 100.0% | ||
General election
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kent Leonhardt (incumbent) | 480,386 | 64.98% | |
| Democratic | Bob Beach | 258,912 | 35.02% | |
| Total votes | 739,298 | 100.0% | ||
Supreme Court of Appeals
[edit]Division 1
[edit]The incumbent was Tim Armstead, who was appointed to the court to replace Justice Menis Ketchum, who resigned from the court shortly before being convicted on a felony fraud charge. Armstead then won a 2018 special election to serve the remainder of Ketchum's term with 26.1% of the vote. He successfully won re-election to a full term.[23][24]
Candidates
[edit]- Tim Armstead, incumbent justice and chief justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals[24]
- David Hummel Jr., circuit court judge on the Second West Virginia Circuit Court[25]
- Richard Neely, former chief justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals[26]
- 30-40%
- 40-50%
- 50-60%
- 60-70%
- 30-40%
- 40-50%
- 50-60%
- 40-50%
- 50-60%
- 70-80%
- 80-90%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Tim Armstead (incumbent) | 151,755 | 41.0% | |
| Nonpartisan | Richard Neely | 132,069 | 35.7% | |
| Nonpartisan | David Hummel Jr. | 86,112 | 23.3% | |
| Total votes | 369,936 | 100.0% | ||
Division 2
[edit]The incumbent Margaret Workman, did not seek re-election after controversies and the threat of possible impeachment. Bill Wooton, a former state senator, was elected with 31.0% of the vote.[23][27]
Candidates
[edit]- Jim Douglas, family court judge on the Eleventh West Virginia Circuit Court[28]
- Kris Raynes, Putnam County assistant prosecuting attorney[29]
- Joanna Tabit, circuit court judge on the Thirteenth West Virginia Circuit Court[30]
- William R. Wooton, former state senator and candidate for the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in 2016[31]
- 20-30%
- 30-40%
- 40-50%
- 50-60%
- 60-70%
- 70-80%
- 20-30%
- 30-40%
- 40-50%
- 60-70%
- 30-40%
- 50-60%
- 30-40%
- 40-50%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | William R. Wooton | 115,668 | 31.0% | |
| Nonpartisan | Joanna Tabit | 108,952 | 29.2% | |
| Nonpartisan | Kris Raynes | 74,334 | 19.9% | |
| Nonpartisan | Jim Douglas | 73,843 | 19.8% | |
| Total votes | 372,797 | 100.0% | ||
Division 3
[edit]The incumbent was John A. Hutchison, who was appointed to the court to replace justice Allen Loughry, who resigned from the court in the midst of his impeachment trial. Hutchison successfully sought re-election to serve the remainder of Loughry's term.[23][32][33]
Candidates
[edit]- Lora Dyer, circuit court judge on the Fifth West Virginia Circuit Court[34]
- John A. Hutchison, incumbent justice and former circuit court judge[32]
- William Schwartz, attorney[35]
- 30-40%
- 40-50%
- 60-70%
- 70-80%
- 80-90%
- 30-40%
- 40-50%
- 50-60%
- 60-70%
- 80-90%
- 30-40%
- 40-50%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | John A. Hutchison (incumbent) | 137,681 | 39.2% | |
| Nonpartisan | Lora Dyer | 124,939 | 31.0% | |
| Nonpartisan | William Schwartz | 88,369 | 25.6% | |
| Total votes | 350,989 | 100.0% | ||
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "West Virginia State Senate elections, 2020". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "West Virginia State Senate". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "West Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2020". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "West Virginia House of Delegates". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "West Virginia Attorney General election, 2020". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "Patrick Morrisey". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "Sam Petsonk for Attorney General". Sam Petsonk for Attorney General. Archived from the original on May 23, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ "Isaac Sponaugle". Ballotpedia.
- ^ Triton Polling and Research/WMOV
- ^ Triton Polling & Research/WMOV
- ^ a b c d "November 3, 2020 General Election - Official Results". West Virginia State - Clarity Elections. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ "West Virginia Treasurer election, 2020". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "November 3, 2020 General Election - Official Results". West Virginia State - Clarity Elections. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ "West Virginia Auditor election, 2020". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "Mary Ann Claytor". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "West Virginia Agriculture Commissioner election, 2020". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "Roy Ramey for WV". www.facebook.com.
- ^ "Roy L. Ramey". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "Robert Beach (West Virginia)". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "W.Va. Commissioner of Agriculture candidate: William "JR" Keplinger (D)". The Herald-Dispatch. March 26, 2020.
- ^ "W.Va. Commissioner of Agriculture candidate: Dave Miller (D)". The Herald-Dispatch. March 16, 2020.
- ^ "Patricia Bunner - Lawyer in Fairview, WV - Avvo". Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ a b c "West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals elections, 2020". Ballotpedia.
- ^ a b "Tim Armstead". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "David W. Hummel, Jr".
- ^ "Richard Neely". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "Margaret Workman". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "Jim Douglas". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "Kris Raynes". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "Joanna I. Tabit". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "William Wooton". Ballotpedia.
- ^ a b https://ballotpedia.org/John_A._Hutchinson [dead link]
- ^ "West Virginia judicial elections, 2012". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "Lora Dyer". Ballotpedia.
- ^ Barger, K. "WV election | Schwartzforwv.com | United States". Wks2020.
External links
[edit]- Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association, "West Virginia", Voting & Elections Toolkits
- "West Virginia: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links", Vote.org, Oakland, CA
- "League of Women Voters of West Virginia". (State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)
- West Virginia at Ballotpedia
- "Election Guides: West Virginia", Spreadthevote.org, archived from the original on October 4, 2020, retrieved October 7, 2020. (Guidance to help voters get to the polls; addresses transport, childcare, work, information challenges)
- "State Elections Legislation Database", Ncsl.org, Washington, D.C.: National Conference of State Legislatures,
State legislation related to the administration of elections introduced in 2011 through this year, 2020
Official campaign websites for Attorney General
- Patrick Morrisey (R) for Attorney General Archived May 12, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
- Sam Petsonk (D) for Attorney General Archived May 23, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
Official campaign websites for Secretary of State
Official campaign websites for Treasurer
Official campaign websites for Auditor
- Mary Ann Claytor (D) for Auditor Archived June 19, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
- JB McCuskey (R) for Auditor
Official campaign websites for Commissioner of Agriculture