2024 West Virginia gubernatorial election

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2024 West Virginia gubernatorial election
Flag of West Virginia.svg
  2020 November 5, 20242028 
  Patrick Morrisey by Gage Skidmore.jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Patrick Morrisey Steve Williams
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote459,300233,976
Percentage61.99%31.58%

2024 West Virginia gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
2024 West Virginia gubernatorial election results by congressional district.svg
Morrisey:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%

Governor before election

Jim Justice
Republican

Elected Governor

Patrick Morrisey
Republican

The 2024 West Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2024, to elect the governor of West Virginia, concurrently with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Republican state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey was elected to his first term in office after defeating Democratic Huntington mayor Steve Williams in the general election. [1] Incumbent Republican Jim Justice was term-limited and was unable to seek re-election to a third consecutive term in office; he instead ran for the U.S. Senate. [2]

Contents

First elected in 2016 as a Democrat by 6.8 percentage points, Justice switched parties in August 2017 and won re-election in 2020 as a Republican by 33.3 percentage points. Primary elections took place on May 14, 2024. [3] This is the first time since 1972 that Republicans won consecutive gubernatorial elections in the state.

Background

A conservative rural southeastern state, West Virginia is considered extremely Republican at the federal and state levels; Republicans hold all statewide executive offices and supermajorities in both state legislative houses, and from 2015 until he became an Independent in 2024, Senator Joe Manchin had been the state's only congressional Democrat. In the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump carried West Virginia by 38.93 percentage points.

With Jim Justice term-limited and unable to run for a third consecutive term as Governor, the Republican primary was expected to be competitive and crowded. Most analysts considered Republicans to be a heavy favorite, given the state's partisan lean and the margin from the previous election. [4]

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Withdrew

Declined

Endorsements

Moore Capito

Federal politicians

Statewide politicians

Newspapers

Chris Miller

Individuals

Patrick Morrisey

Debates

2024 West Virginia gubernatorial election Republican primary debates
No.DateHostModeratorLink Republican Republican Republican Republican
 P Participant   A Absent   N Non-invitee   I Invitee W  Withdrawn
MorriseyCapitoMillerWarner
1Dec. 8, 2023 MetroNews Hoppy Kercheval YouTube APPP
2Feb. 29, 2024Hoppy Kercheval YouTube PPPP
3Apr. 30, 2024 WSAZ-3 WSAZ-3 PPPP

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of April 28, 2024
CandidateRaisedSpentCash on hand
Patrick Morrisey (R)$3,624,343$3,078,086$695,276
Moore Capito (R)$2,131,285$1,519,377$599,354
Chris Miller (R)$1,615,788$6,175,751$519,538
Mac Warner (R)$559,038$372,948$172,787
Source: West Virginia Secretary of State [25]

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size [a]
Margin
of error
Moore
Capito
Chris
Miller
Patrick
Morrisey
Mac
Warner
OtherUndecided
Emerson College [26] May 2–5, 2024558 (LV)± 4.1%29%21%33%15%3% [b]
Research America [27] [A] April 24 – May 1, 2024407 (LV)± 4.9%24%25%32%10%3%6%
NMB Research [28] [B] April 20–22, 2024500 (LV)± 4.4%31%14%23%13%18%
Research America [29] [A] April 3–9, 2024400 (LV)± 4.9%29%16%31%12%3%10%
WPA Intelligence [30] [C] April 1–3, 2024501 (LV)± 4.4%20%19%37%14%9%
Emerson College [31] March 19–21, 2024735 (LV)± 3.6%14%16%33%6%29%
WPA Intelligence [32] [C] November 27–29, 2023507 (LV)± 4.4%23%10%39%14%14%
American Pulse Research
& Polling
(R) [33] [D]
November 13–14, 2023414 (LV)± 4.8%23%10%31%14%23%
CAMP [34] [E] November 10–12, 2023863 (LV)± 3.26%18%11%24%21%5%21%
Orion Strategies [35] [F] June 17–20, 2023651 (LV)± 6.0%30%5%31%9%8% [c] 17%
National Research Inc. [36] February 23–28, 2023600 (LV)± 4.0%15%6%28%11%6% [d] 29%

Results

Results by county:
Morrisey
20-30%
30-40%
40-50%
50-60%
60-70%
Capito
20-30%
30-40%
Miller
20-30%
30-40%
40-50% 2024 West Virginia gubernatorial Republican primary.svg
Results by county:
  Morrisey
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  Capito
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  Miller
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
Republican primary results [37]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Patrick Morrisey 75,111 33.28%
Republican Moore Capito 62,18127.55%
Republican Chris Miller46,01020.39%
Republican Mac Warner 36,17016.03%
Republican Mitch Roberts3,1381.39%
Republican Kevin Christian3,0881.37%
Total votes225,698 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Declined

Results

Democratic primary results [37]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Steve Williams 89,545 100.00%
Total votes89,545 100.00%

Other candidates

Mountain Party

Nominee

Libertarian Party

Nominee

  • Erika Kolenich, attorney and nominee for governor in 2020 [42]

Constitution Party

Nominee

Independents

Declined

  • Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator (2010–present) and former governor (2005–2010) (endorsed Williams) [44]

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [45] Solid RJune 13, 2024
Inside Elections [46] Solid RJuly 14, 2023
Sabato's Crystal Ball [47] Safe RJune 4, 2024
RCP [48] Solid RJuly 13, 2024
Elections Daily [49] Safe RJuly 12, 2023
CNalysis [50] Solid RAugust 17, 2024

Post-primary endorsements

Patrick Morrisey (R)

Federal officials

Steve Williams (D)

Federal officials

  • Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator (2010–present) and former governor (2005–2010) [44]

Debates

2024 West Virginia gubernatorial election debate [52]
No.DateHostModeratorLink Republican Democratic
Key:
 P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited  W  Withdrawn
MorriseyWilliams
1Oct. 29, 2024 MetroNews Hoppy Kercheval C-SPAN PP

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of October 25, 2024
CandidateRaisedSpentCash on hand
Patrick Morrisey (R)$6,824,464$6,183,264$1,351,895
Steve Williams (D)$250,255$92,274$156,426
Source: West Virginia Secretary of State [53]

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size [a]
Margin
of error
Patrick
Morrisey (R)
Steve
Williams (D)
Undecided
Research America [54] [G] August 21–27, 2024400 (RV)± 4.9%49%35%16% [e]
Hypothetical polling

Patrick Morrisey vs. Joe Manchin vs. Steve Williams

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size [a]
Margin
of error
Patrick
Morrisey (R)
Joe
Manchin (I)
Steve
Williams (D)
OtherUndecided
Kaplan Strategies [55] June 4, 2024464 (LV)± 4.6%34%26%21%1%18%

Results

2024-west-virginia-gov-margin-swing.svg
2024 West Virginia gubernatorial election [58] [59]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Patrick Morrisey 459,300 61.99% Decrease2.svg 1.50%
Democratic Steve Williams 233,97631.58%Increase2.svg 1.36%
Libertarian Erika Kolenich21,2282.87%Steady2.svg
Constitution S. Marshall Wilson 16,8282.27%N/A
Mountain Chase Linko-Looper9,5961.30%Decrease2.svg 0.14%
Write-in 100.00%Decrease2.svg 0.05%
Total votes740,938 100.00% N/A
Republican hold

By congressional district

Morrisey won both congressional districts. [60]

DistrictMorriseyWilliamsRepresentative
1st 60%34% Carol Miller
2nd 63%30% Alex Mooney (118th Congress)
Riley Moore (119th Congress)

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  2. Mitch Roberts with 2%; Kevin Christian with 1%
  3. J.B. McCuskey with 3%; "Another candidate" with 5%
  4. J.B. McCuskey and Jeff Mullins with 3%
  5. "Someone else" with 5%

Partisan clients

  1. 1 2 This poll was sponsored by West Virginia MetroNews and The Health Plan
  2. This poll was sponsored by the Coalition for West Virginia’s Future, which supports Capito
  3. 1 2 Poll commissioned by Black Bear PAC, which supports Morrissey
  4. This poll was sponsored by WMOV
  5. This poll was sponsored by American Freedom Builders, which supports Warner
  6. This poll was sponsored by the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce
  7. Poll sponsored by West Virginia MetroNews

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelley Moore Capito</span> American politician and educator (born 1953)

Shelley Wellons Moore Capito is an American politician and retired educator serving as the senior United States senator from West Virginia; she has served in the senate since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Capito served seven terms as the U.S. representative from West Virginia's 2nd congressional district from 2001 to 2015. The daughter of three-term West Virginia governor Arch Alfred Moore Jr, she is the dean of West Virginia's congressional delegation, having served in Congress since 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of West Virginia</span>

From the time of the Great Depression through the 1990s, the politics of West Virginia were largely dominated by the Democratic Party. In the 2000 presidential election, George W. Bush claimed a surprise victory over Al Gore, with 52% of the vote; he won West Virginia again in 2004, with 56% of the vote. West Virginia is now a heavily Republican state, with John McCain winning the state in 2008, Mitt Romney in 2012 and Donald Trump in 2016, 2020, and 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Virginia Republican Party</span> West Virginia affiliate of the Republican Party

The West Virginia Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in West Virginia. Matthew Herridge is the party chair. It is currently the dominant party in the state, and is one of the strongest affiliates of the national Republican Party. It controls both of West Virginia's U.S. House seats, both of the U.S. Senate seats, the governorship, and has supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 West Virginia elections</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 United States Senate election in West Virginia</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Morrisey</span> American politician (born 1967)

Patrick James Morrisey is an American politician and attorney who is serving as the 37th governor of West Virginia, since 2025. He has previously served as the 34th attorney general of West Virginia from 2013 to 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected to the position in 2012, becoming the first Republican to serve in the role since 1933. Running for the United States Senate in 2018, Morrisey won the Republican Party nomination, but was narrowly defeated by incumbent Democratic Senator Joe Manchin in the November general election.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Justice</span> American businessman and politician (born 1951)

James Conley Justice II is an American businessman and politician who is serving as the junior United States senator from West Virginia since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 36th governor of West Virginia from 2017 to 2025. Justice was once a billionaire, but his net worth had declined to $513.3 million as of 2021. He inherited a coal mining business from his father that included 94 companies, including the Greenbrier, a luxury resort and National Historic Landmark in White Sulphur Springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States Senate election in West Virginia</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riley Moore</span> American politician (born 1980)

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Official campaign websites