The 1996 West Virginia gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1996 to elect the governor of West Virginia. Republican Cecil Underwood, who had previously been the governor of West Virginia from 1957 to 1961, defeated Democratic State Senator Charlotte Pritt. Concurrently, the state voted the opposite way federally, choosing Democratic U.S. presidential nominee, incumbent Bill Clinton over Republican nominee Bob Dole in the presidential election that year.

Pritt was the first woman to secure the West Virginia gubernatorial nomination of either of the two major political parties. This was the last time a Republican was elected governor of West Virginia until 2020. Former Republican Jim Justice was elected in the 2016 election as a Democrat and later switched back to the Republican Party seven months into his term, making him the first Republican governor since 2001 when Underwood left office.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Bob Henry Baber Larrie Bailey, former state treasurer Louis J. Davis Jim Lees, attorney Joe Manchin III, state senator from Fairmont Richard E. Moon Bobbie Edward Myers Charlotte Pritt, former state senator from Charleston and candidate for governor in 1992 Frank Rochetti Lyle Sattes Fred Schell

Republican primary

Candidates

Jon McBride, retired astronaut, Navy veteran, and businessman David McKinley, former state delegate, and former state party chair Cecil Underwood, former governor and nominee for U.S. Senate in 1960

General election

Results

By county CountyCecil UnderwoodRepublicanCharlotte PrittDemocraticWallace Johnson LibertarianMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Barbour3,21453.75%2,59643.42%1692.83%61810.34%5,979Berkeley10,66653.34%8,85144.26%4792.40%1,8159.08%19,996Boone2,84632.26%5,78765.60%1892.14%−2,941−33.34%8,822Braxton2,27646.10%2,56952.04%921.86%−293−5.93%4,937Brooke4,15844.37%4,94252.74%2712.89%−784−8.37%9,371Cabell18,48058.00%12,52439.30%8602.70%5,95618.69%31,864Calhoun1,50854.98%1,19143.42%441.60%31711.56%2,743Clay1,71047.97%1,76049.37%952.66%−50−1.40%3,565Doddridge1,79769.36%73528.37%592.28%1,06240.99%2,591Fayette5,42737.44%8,55859.04%5113.53%−3,131−21.60%14,496Gilmer1,56059.36%1,02639.04%421.60%53420.32%2,628Grant3,23375.66%97322.77%671.57%2,26052.89%4,273Greenbrier6,70554.95%5,12942.03%3693.02%1,57612.91%12,203Hampshire3,33957.71%2,33540.36%1121.94%1,00417.35%5,786Hancock5,70142.13%7,61056.24%2201.63%−1,909−14.11%13,531Hardy2,90969.49%1,21429.00%631.51%1,69540.49%4,186Harrison13,74451.48%12,30346.08%6532.45%1,4415.40%26,700Jackson5,81457.46%4,04639.98%2592.56%1,76817.47%10,119Jefferson5,98647.30%6,37050.34%2992.36%−384−3.03%12,655Kanawha41,77656.11%30,79541.36%1,8862.53%10,98114.75%74,457Lewis3,60458.39%2,35538.16%2133.45%1,24920.24%6,172Lincoln3,28139.61%4,81558.13%1872.26%−1,534−18.52%8,283Logan4,16427.14%11,01071.77%1671.09%−6,846−44.63%15,341Marion9,81844.95%11,54452.85%4792.19%−1,726−7.90%21,841Marshall6,48147.67%6,63048.76%4853.57%−149−1.10%13,596Mason5,53953.00%4,60244.03%3102.97%9378.97%10,451McDowell2,50230.21%5,65368.26%1261.52%−3,151−38.05%8,281Mercer9,74852.54%8,37345.13%4342.34%1,3757.41%18,555Mineral5,13456.62%3,68440.63%2502.76%1,45015.99%9,068Mingo3,21029.68%7,46669.02%1411.30%−4,256−39.35%10,817Monongalia13,80851.83%12,08945.38%7432.79%1,7196.45%26,640Monroe2,82156.07%2,10941.92%1012.01%71214.15%5,031Morgan2,75854.70%2,23744.37%470.93%52110.33%5,042Nicholas3,90146.36%4,25250.53%2613.10%−351−4.17%8,414Ohio9,85355.50%7,48242.14%4182.35%2,37113.36%17,753Pendleton1,91159.29%1,26639.28%461.43%64520.01%3,223Pleasants1,89960.25%1,16436.93%892.82%73523.32%3,152Pocahontas1,80053.99%1,47444.21%601.80%3269.78%3,334Preston6,11559.18%3,93938.12%2792.70%2,17621.06%10,333Putnam11,58263.46%6,05233.16%6183.39%5,53030.30%18,252Raleigh11,63849.60%10,84146.20%9874.21%7973.40%23,466Randolph5,30052.68%4,38943.63%3713.69%9119.06%10,060Ritchie2,55366.47%1,20731.42%812.11%1,34635.04%3,841Roane2,86255.06%2,22542.80%1112.14%63712.25%5,198Summers2,13749.27%2,07347.80%1272.93%641.48%4,337Taylor3,17357.46%2,18639.59%1632.95%98717.87%5,522Tucker1,81455.82%1,32340.71%1133.48%49115.11%3,250Tyler2,75071.84%1,00626.28%721.88%1,74445.56%3,828Upshur4,68265.05%2,35132.67%1642.28%2,33132.39%7,197Wayne7,39048.13%7,60149.51%3622.36%−211−1.37%15,353Webster1,18335.35%2,09062.44%742.21%−907−27.10%3,347Wetzel3,19451.96%2,79945.53%1542.51%3956.43%6,147Wirt1,21957.66%83239.36%632.98%38718.31%2,114Wood18,67958.51%12,31938.59%9272.90%6,36019.92%31,925Wyoming3,16637.28%5,11860.26%2092.46%−1,952−22.98%8,493Totals 324,518 51.63% 287,870 45.80% 16,171 2.57% 36,648 5.83% 628,559 Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Barbour Berkeley Calhoun Cabell Gilmer Hardy Jackson Kanawha Lewis Mason Mercer Mineral Monongalia Monroe Ohio Pendleton Preston Raleigh Randolph Roane Taylor Summers Tyler Tucker Harrison Pleasants Putnam Upshur Wetzel Wirt Wood

References