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 an August 2017 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 Samplesize Marginof error JimJustice MikeFolk WoodyThrasher Other /UndecidedTriton Polling & Research/WMOVTriton Polling & Research/WMOV May 18–26, 2020 719 (LV) ± 3.7% 53% 15% 14% 18%WPA Intelligence (R)WPA Intelligence (R) December 16–18, 2019 502 (LV) ± 4.4% 38% 6% 30% 26%'Research America Inc.Research America Inc. December 4–9, 2019 229 (LV) – 56% 11% 21% 12%Public Opinion Strategies (R)Public Opinion Strategies (R) August 24–25, 2019 – –56% –26%18%Research America Inc.Research America Inc. August 14–22, 2019 216 (LV) – 53% 12% 19%17%'WPA IntelligenceWPA Intelligence August 13–14, 2019 509 (V) –38% 11% 23%28%WPA Intelligence March 7–10, 2019 509 (V) –58% 5% 5%32%

Results

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

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error BenSalango StephenSmith RonStollings Other /UndecidedTriton Polling & Research/WMOVTriton Polling & Research/WMOV May 18–26, 2020 231 (LV) ± 6.4%30% 27% 10%33%Research America/MetroNewsResearch America/MetroNews December 4–10, 2019 220 (LV) ± 4.4% 18%21% 19%46%

Results

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

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 SourceRankingAs ofThe Cook Political ReportOctober 23, 2020Inside ElectionsOctober 28, 2020Sabato's Crystal BallNovember 2, 2020PoliticoNovember 2, 2020Daily KosOctober 28, 2020RCPNovember 2, 2020270towinNovember 2, 2020

Endorsements

Polling

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error JimJustice (R) BenSalango (D) DanielLutz (M) ErikaKolenich (L) UndecidedTriton Polling and ResearchTriton Polling and ResearchOctober 19–21, 2020544 (LV)± 4.2%53%35%3%3%5%Research America Inc.Research America Inc.October 1–6, 2020450 (LV)± 4.6%53%34%2%5%6%Triton Polling & ResearchTriton Polling & ResearchSeptember 29–30, 2020525 (RV)± 4.3%48%38%4%4%6%Strategies UnlimitedStrategies UnlimitedSeptember 26–30, 2020600 (LV)± 4%46%40%5% –8%Mark Blankenship Enterprises (R)Mark Blankenship Enterprises (R)September 10–14, 2020 504 (LV) ± 4.3%54%27%9% 10%

Jim Justice vs. Joe Manchin Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error JimJustice (R) JoeManchin (D) Other /UndecidedResearch America/MetroNewsResearch America/MetroNews August 14–22, 2019 501 (RV) ± 4.4% 39% 49% 12%

Results

By county CountyJim JusticeRepublicanBen SalangoDemocraticVarious candidatesOther partiesMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Barbour4,78373.0%1,41921.7%3505.3%3,65451.3%6,552Berkeley28,84160.2%15,25331.8%3,0838.0%13,58828.4%47,897Boone5,76565.2%2,82932.0%2462.8%2,93633.2%8,840Braxton3,79968.5%1,49226.9%2544.6%2,30741.6%5,545Brooke6,84065.7%2,96428.5%6055.8%3,87637.2%10,409Cabell20,75057.3%14,15139.1%1,2843.6%6,59918.2%36,185Calhoun2,14174.2%63221.9%1133.9%1,50952.3%2,886Clay2,37073.6%73422.8%1143.5%1,63650.8%3,218Doddridge2,33078.6%47316.0%1615.4%1,85762.6%2,964Fayette10,07662.1%5,58734.5%5513.4%4,48927.6%16,214Gilmer1,77368.7%62324.1%1847.1%1,15044.6%2,580Grant4,30283.4%60911.8%2464.7%3,69372.2%5,157Greenbrier10,97370.8%4,05326.2%4693.0%6,92044.6%15,495Hampshire7,11174.9%1,83519.3%5475.7%5,27665.6%9,493Hancock8,99566.6%3,86828.6%6484.8%5,12738.0%13,511Hardy4,36471.3%1,47124.0%2854.6%2,89347.3%6,120Harrison19,07464.6%8,77829.7%1,6855.7%10,29634.9%29,537Jackson8,93270.0%3,41826.8%4013.1%5,51443.2%12,751Jefferson14,01052.2%10,56339.4%2,2458.4%3,44712.8%26,818Kanawha41,31051.3%37,10146.1%2,0922.6%4,2095.2%80,503Lewis5,40773.8%1,39319.0%5257.2%4,01454.8%7,325Lincoln5,26569.5%2,16428.6%1492.0%3,10140.9%7,578Logan9,43674.0%3,05223.9%2572.1%6,38450.1%12,745Marion15,25360.2%8,63234.1%1,4555.8%6,62126.1%25,340Marshall9,32467.6%3,83927.8%6404.7%5,48539.8%13,803Mason7,51969.6%2,89826.8%3883.6%4,62142.8%10,805McDowell4,86177.4%1,32121.0%981.6%3,54056.4%6,280Mercer18,34075.6%5,05220.8%8523.6%13,28854.8%24,244Mineral9,53575.7%2,41219.2%6425.1%7,12356.5%12,589Mingo7,45477.0%2,02220.9%2082.1%5,43256.1%9,684Monongalia19,85448.1%19,46047.1%1,9804.8%3941.0%41,294Monroe4,76476.6%1,28420.6%1752.8%3,48056.0%6,223Morgan5,94871.3%1,85022.2%5496.6%4,09849.1%8,347Nicholas7,51873.6%2,41423.6%2872.8%5,10450.0%10,219Ohio11,77559.9%6,98435.5%8954.6%4,79124.4%19,654Pendleton2,66474.4%77421.6%1454.1%1,89052.8%3,583Pleasants2,59676.5%67019.8%1263.7%1,92656.7%3,392Pocahontas2,73771.1%96525.1%1493.9%1,77246.0%3,851Preston10,02371.6%3,24023.1%7455.3%6,78348.5%14,008Putnam17,25164.0%8,83132.8%8683.2%8,42031.2%26,950Raleigh22,25969.3%8,96227.9%9122.8%13,29741.4%32,133Randolph7,91567.5%3,34928.6%4543.9%4,56638.9%11,718Ritchie3,23479.2%66516.3%1834.5%2,56962.9%4,082Roane4,00770.8%1,47326.0%1803.2%2,53444.8%5,660Summers3,77369.5%1,50227.7%1562.9%2,27141.8%5,431Taylor5,05870.3%1,76924.6%3655.1%3,28945.7%7,192Tucker2,62870.1%94425.2%1794.8%1,68444.9%3,751Tyler2,74672.9%74519.8%2757.3%2,00153.1%3,766Upshur6,95170.0%1,91519.3%1,06410.7%5,03650.7%9,930Wayne11,07968.5%4,54828.1%5533.4%6,53140.4%16,180Webster2,55276.4%65919.7%1283.8%1,89356.7%3,339Wetzel4,55969.6%1,72726.4%2674.0%2,83243.2%6,553Wirt1,94776.5%48319.0%1144.5%1,46457.5%2,544Wood26,23269.7%9,93326.4%1,4513.8%16,29943.3%37,616Wyoming6,94183.4%1,24014.9%1391.6%5,70168.5%8,320Totals497,04464.8%237,02430.8%33,8364.4%260,92034.0%768,804

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 64% 30%David McKinley 59% 33%Alex Mooney 68% 27%Carol Miller

Notes

Partisan clients

References

External links

(state affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)

Official campaign websites

Ben Salango (D) for Governor Daniel Lutz (M) for Governor Erika Kolenich (L) for Governor Michael Folk (I) for Governor S. Marshall Wilson (I) for Governor