2020 West Virginia elections explained

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

President

See main article: 2020 United States presidential election in West Virginia.

See also: 2020 West Virginia Democratic presidential primary and 2020 West Virginia Republican presidential primary. 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

See main article: 2020 United States Senate election in West Virginia. 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

See main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia. All 3 Incumbent Republican U.S. Representatives were easily reelected, all increasing their vote share compared to 2018.

Governor

See main article: 2020 West Virginia gubernatorial election. 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

State senate

See main article: 2020 West Virginia Senate election. 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

See main article: 2020 West Virginia House of Delegates election. 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

Republican incumbent Patrick Morrisey was re-elected with 51.63% of the vote in 2016 and successfully sought re-election.^[5]

Republican primary

Candidates

• Patrick Morrisey, incumbent attorney general of West Virginia and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018^[6]

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Sam Petsonk, attorney^[7]
• Isaac Sponaugle, state delegate^[8]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	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	525 (RV)	± 4.3%		53%	41%	6%

General election

Secretary of state

See main article: 2020 West Virginia Secretary of State election.

Treasurer

See main article: 2020 West Virginia State Treasurer election.

Democratic incumbent John Perdue was re-elected with 50.33% of the vote in 2016, but lost re-election to Republican candidate Riley Moore.^[11]

Auditor

Republican incumbent JB McCuskey was elected with 58.48% of the vote in 2016 and successfully sought re-election.^[12]

Republican primary

Candidates

• JB McCuskey, incumbent West Virginia State Auditor

Democratic primary

Candidates

• 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^[13]

General election

Commissioner of Agriculture

Republican incumbent Kent Leonhardt was elected with 48.41% of the vote in 2016 and successfully sought re-election.^[14]

Republican primary

Candidates

• Kent Leonhardt, incumbent West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture
• Roy Ramey, farm owner and American Freedom nominee for West Virginia State Senate in 2014^{[15] [16]}

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Bob Beach, state senator^[17]
• William Keplinger, farmer and businessman^[18]
• Dave Miller, farmer^[19]

Withdrawn

• Patricia Bunner, attorney^[20]

General election

Supreme Court of Appeals

Division 1

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.^{[21] [22]}

Candidates

• Tim Armstead, incumbent justice and chief justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals^[22]
• David Hummel Jr., circuit court judge on the Second West Virginia Circuit Court^[23]
• Richard Neely, former chief justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals^[24]

Division 2

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.^[25]

Candidates

• Jim Douglas, family court judge on the Eleventh West Virginia Circuit Court^[26]
• Kris Raynes, Putnam County assistant prosecuting attorney^[27]
• Joanna Tabit, circuit court judge on the Thirteenth West Virginia Circuit Court^[28]
• William R. Wooton, former state senator and candidate for the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in 2016^[29]

Division 3

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.^{[30] [31]}

Candidates

• Lora Dyer, circuit court judge on the Fifth West Virginia Circuit Court^[32]
• John A. Hutchison, incumbent justice and former circuit court judge^[30]
• William Schwartz, attorney^[33]

External links

• • • Web site: League of Women Voters of West Virginia . (State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)
  • . (Guidance to help voters get to the polls; addresses transport, childcare, work, information challenges)

Official campaign websites for Attorney General

• Patrick Morrisey (R) for Attorney General
• Sam Petsonk (D) for Attorney General

Official campaign websites for Secretary of State

• Natalie Tennant (D) for Secretary of State
• Mac Warner (R) for Secretary of State

Official campaign websites for Treasurer

• Riley Moore (R) for Treasurer
• John Perdue (D) for Treasurer

Official campaign websites for Auditor

• Mary Ann Claytor (D) for Auditor
• JB McCuskey (R) for Auditor

Official campaign websites for Commissioner of Agriculture

• Bob Beach (D) for Commissioner
• Kent Leonhardt (R) for Commissioner

Notes and References

1. Web site: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2020. Ballotpedia.
2. Web site: West Virginia State Senate. Ballotpedia.
3. Web site: West Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2020. Ballotpedia.
4. Web site: West Virginia House of Delegates. Ballotpedia.
5. Web site: West Virginia Attorney General election, 2020. Ballotpedia.
6. Web site: Patrick Morrisey. Ballotpedia.
7. Web site: Sam Petsonk for Attorney General. Sam Petsonk for Attorney General. May 13, 2020. May 23, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200523223014/https://www.samforwv.com/. dead.
8. Web site: Isaac Sponaugle. Ballotpedia.
9. https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/20398833/201021-triton-west-virgina-survey-topline-results.pdf Triton Polling and Research/WMOV
10. https://www.wowktv.com/news/elections/poll-shows-incumbents-leading-races-for-surveyed-wv-voters/ Triton Polling & Research/WMOV
11. Web site: West Virginia Treasurer election, 2020. Ballotpedia.
12. Web site: West Virginia Auditor election, 2020. Ballotpedia.
13. Web site: Mary Ann Claytor. Ballotpedia.
14. Web site: West Virginia Agriculture Commissioner election, 2020. Ballotpedia.
15. Web site: Roy Ramey for WV. www.facebook.com.
16. Web site: Roy L. Ramey. Ballotpedia.
17. Web site: Robert Beach (West Virginia). Ballotpedia.
18. Web site: W.Va. Commissioner of Agriculture candidate: William "JR" Keplinger (D). The Herald-Dispatch. March 26, 2020 .
19. Web site: W.Va. Commissioner of Agriculture candidate: Dave Miller (D). The Herald-Dispatch. March 16, 2020 .
20. Web site: Patricia Bunner - Lawyer in Fairview, WV - Avvo. March 19, 2023.
21. Web site: West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals elections, 2020. Ballotpedia.
22. Web site: Tim Armstead. Ballotpedia.
23. Web site: David W. Hummel, Jr.
24. Web site: Richard Neely. Ballotpedia.
25. Web site: Margaret Workman. Ballotpedia.
26. Web site: Jim Douglas. Ballotpedia.
27. Web site: Kris Raynes. Ballotpedia.
28. Web site: Joanna I. Tabit. Ballotpedia.
29. Web site: William Wooton. Ballotpedia.
30. https://ballotpedia.org/John_A._Hutchinson
31. Web site: West Virginia judicial elections, 2012. Ballotpedia.
32. Web site: Lora Dyer. Ballotpedia.
33. Web site: WV election | Schwartzforwv.com | United States. K.. Barger. Wks2020.