# 2020 West Virginia gubernatorial election

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vte :
The 2020 West Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the governor of West Virginia, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
Incumbent Governor Jim Justice announced his 2020 re-election campaign on January 7, 2019. Justice was elected in 2016 as a Democrat, but later switched back to the Republican Party at a campaign rally with Donald Trump. Justice won re-election to a second term, defeating Democratic Kanawha County commissioner Ben Salango. Justice's re-election made him the first Republican to be elected governor of West Virginia since Cecil Underwood in 1996. Additionally, Justice became the first incumbent Republican governor to win re-election since Arch A. Moore Jr. in 1972, as well as the first Republican to carry all counties in West Virginia. However, Justice performed worse than Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who outperformed Justice by 5.13 percentage points. Additionally, Salango slightly outperformed Biden by 0.53 percentage points. Justice's 33% margin is the largest margin for a Republican in West Virginia history

## Republican primary
### Candidates
#### Nominee

* Jim Justice, incumbent governor

#### Eliminated in primary

* Shelby Jean Fitzhugh, retiree
* Michael Folk, former state delegate
* Brooke Lunsford, insurance agent
* Chuck Sheedy, U.S. Army veteran
* Doug Six, surveyor
* Woody Thrasher, former West Virginia Secretary of Commerce (2017–2018)

#### Declined

* David McKinley, incumbent U.S. Representative for West Virginia's 1st congressional district (running for re-election)
* Mac Warner, Secretary of State of West Virginia (running for re-election)

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Jim Justice | Mike Folk | Woody Thrasher | Other / Undecided |
| Triton Polling & Research/WMOV | May 18–26, 2020 | 719 (LV) | ± 3.7% | 53% | 15% | 14% | 18% |
| WPA Intelligence (R) | December 16–18, 2019 | 502 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 38% | 6% | 30% | 26%' |
| Research America Inc. | December 4–9, 2019 | 229 (LV) | – | 56% | 11% | 21% | 12% |
| Public Opinion Strategies (R) | August 24–25, 2019 | – | – | 56% | – | 26% | 18% |
| Research America Inc. | August 14–22, 2019 | 216 (LV) | – | 53% | 12% | 19% | 17%' |
| WPA Intelligence | August 13–14, 2019 | 509 (V) | – | 38% | 11% | 23% | 28% |
| WPA Intelligence | March 7–10, 2019 | 509 (V) | – | 58% | 5% | 5% | 32% |

### Results

[[File:West Virginia Governor Republican primary, 2020.svg|thumb|Results by county:
* 40–50%
* 50–60%
* 60–70%
* 70–80%
* 80–90%
* 40–50% ]]
Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jim Justice (incumbent) | 133,258 | 62.70% |
| | Republican | Woody Thrasher | 38,898 | 18.30% |
| | Republican | Michael Folk | 26,735 | 12.58% |
| | Republican | Doug Six | 4,429 | 2.08% |
| | Republican | Brooke Lunsford | 3,849 | 1.81% |
| | Republican | Shelly Jean Fitzhugh | 2,799 | 1.32% |
| | Republican | Chuck Sheedy | 2,552 | 1.20% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 212,520 | 100.00% |

## Democratic primary
### Candidates
#### Nominee

* Ben Salango, Kanawha County commissioner

#### Eliminated in primary

* Douglas Hughes, environmental permit writer for West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
* Jody Murphy, businessman
* Stephen Smith, community organizer
* Ron Stollings, state senator

#### Declined

* Booth Goodwin, former United States Attorney and candidate for Governor of West Virginia in 2016
* Joe Manchin, incumbent U.S. Senator and former Governor of West Virginia

### Endorsements

Federal politicians
* Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator (WV)
Individuals
* Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Allen E. Tackett, former West Virginia National Guard adjutant general (1995-2010)
Organizations
* West Virginia AFL–CIO
Newspapers
* Charleston Gazette-Mail
Federal politicians
* Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator (MA)
Organizations
* People for the American Way Next Up
* Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic
* Progressive Change Campaign Committee
* Rise Up West Virginia
* Working Families Party
State legislators
* Corey Palumbo, West Virginia State Senator from the 17th and 8th districts (2009-present)

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Ben Salango | Stephen Smith | Ron Stollings | Other / Undecided |
| Triton Polling & Research/WMOV | May 18–26, 2020 | 231 (LV) | ± 6.4% | 30% | 27% | 10% | 33% |
| Research America/MetroNews | December 4–10, 2019 | 220 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 18% | 21% | 19% | 46% |

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Ben Salango | 74,805 | 38.68% |
| | Democratic | Stephen Smith | 65,544 | 33.89% |
| | Democratic | Ron Stollings | 25,782 | 13.33% |
| | Democratic | Jody Murphy | 18,039 | 9.33% |
| | Democratic | Douglas Hughes | 9,231 | 4.77% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 193,401 | 100.00% |

## Other candidates
### Mountain Party

The Mountain Party received over 5% of the vote in 2016 with former State Senator and Delegate Charlotte Pritt as the party's gubernatorial nominee. The party nominates its candidate for governor by convention per its bylaws.

#### Nominee

* Daniel Lutz, Eastern Panhandle Conservation District Supervisor representing Jefferson County, and commissioned U.S. Air Force veteran

#### Endorsements

Organizations
* Eastern Panhandle Green Coalition, environmental organization
* Jefferson County Vision, sustainability organization

### Libertarian Party
#### Nominee

* Erika Kolenich, trial attorney

### Write-ins

The following candidates were certified write-in candidates.

#### Declared

* Quintin Gerard Caldwell
* Michael Folk, former State Delegate (sought the nomination of the Republican Party)
* Kimberly Gross
* Mitch Roberts
* Marshall Wilson, State Delegate (Independent)

## General election
### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Safe R | October 23, 2020 |
| Inside Elections | Safe R | October 28, 2020 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely R | November 2, 2020 |
| Politico | Likely R | November 2, 2020 |
| Daily Kos | Safe R | October 28, 2020 |
| RCP | Safe R | November 2, 2020 |
| 270towin | Likely R | November 2, 2020 |

### Endorsements

Federal politicians
* Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator (WV)
Individuals
* Jennifer Garner, actress
* Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Allen E. Tackett, former West Virginia National Guard adjutant general (1995-2010)
Organizations
* United Mine Workers of America
* West Virginia AFL–CIO
Newspapers
* Charleston Gazette-Mail

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Jim Justice (R) | Ben Salango (D) | Daniel Lutz (M) | Erika Kolenich (L) | Undecided |
| Triton Polling and Research | October 19–21, 2020 | 544 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 53% | 35% | 3% | 3% | 5% |
| Research America Inc. | October 1–6, 2020 | 450 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 53% | 34% | 2% | 5% | 6% |
| Triton Polling & Research | September 29–30, 2020 | 525 (RV) | ± 4.3% | 48% | 38% | 4% | 4% | 6% |
| Strategies Unlimited | September 26–30, 2020 | 600 (LV) | ± 4% | 46% | 40% | 5% | – | 8% |
| Mark Blankenship Enterprises (R) | September 10–14, 2020 | 504 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 54% | 27% | 9% | 9% | 10% |
Jim Justice vs. Joe Manchin
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Jim Justice (R) | Joe Manchin (D) | Other / Undecided |
| Research America/MetroNews | August 14–22, 2019 | 501 (RV) | ± 4.4% | 39% | 49% | 12% |

### Results

West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2020 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Jim Justice (incumbent) | 497,944 | 63.49% | +21.19% |
| | Democratic | Ben Salango | 237,024 | 30.22% | −18.87% |
| | Libertarian | Erika Kolenich | 22,527 | 2.87% | +0.72% |
| | Americans Coming Together | S. Marshall Wilson (write-in) | 15,120 | 1.93% | N/A |
| | Mountain | Daniel Lutz | 11,309 | 1.44% | −4.45% |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 363 | 0.05% | N/A |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 784,287 | 100.00% | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 802,726 | 63.25% | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,269,219 | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Cabell (largest city: Huntington)
* Calhoun (largest city: Grantsville)
* Clay (largest city: Clay)
* Gilmer (largest city: Glenville)
* Greenbrier (largest city: Lewisburg)
* Jackson (largest city: Ravenswood)
* Marshall (largest city: Moundsville)
* Mason (largest city: Point Pleasant)
* Monongalia (largest city: Morgantown)
* Monroe (largest city: Peterstown)
* Nicholas (largest city: Summersville)
* Ohio (largest city: Wheeling)
* Pendleton (largest city: Franklin)
* Pleasants (largest city: St. Marys)
* Pocahontas (largest city: Marlinton)
* Raleigh (largest city: Beckley)
* Randolph (largest city: Elkins)
* Roane (largest city: Spencer)
* Summers (largest city: Hinton)
* Wayne (largest city: Kenova)
* Wetzel (largest city: New Martinsville)
* Harrison (largest city: Clarksburg)
* Kanawha (largest city: Charleston)
* Lincoln (largest city: Hamlin)
* Wyoming (largest city: Mullens)
* Brooke (largest borough: Wellsburg)
* Fayette (largest city: Fayetteville)
* Logan (largest borough: Logan)
* Mingo (largest borough: Williamson)
* Boone (largest city: Madison)
* Braxton (largest town: Sutton)
* Marion (largest city: Fairmont)
* McDowell (largest city: Welch)
* Webster (largest town: Webster Springs)
* Wirt (largest municipality: Elizabeth)
* Putnam (largest municipality: Hurricane)
* Wood (largest municipality: Parkersburg)

#### By congressional district

Justice won all three congressional districts.
| District | Justice | Salango | Representative |
| 1st | 64% | 30% | David McKinley |
| 2nd | 59% | 33% | Alex Mooney |
| 3rd | 68% | 27% | Carol Miller |