2016 West Virginia gubernatorial election

The 2016 West Virginia gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2016, to elect the Governor of West Virginia, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on May 10.

Incumbent Democratic Governor Earl Ray Tomblin was barred from running for a second full term. He had ascended to the governorship upon Joe Manchin's resignation in 2010, won a 2011 special election to complete the term, and won a full term in 2012. Under the West Virginia Constitution, a partial term counts toward the limit of two consecutive terms.

Democratic nominee Jim Justice, a coal and agriculture businessman, won the open seat with a plurality of the vote, defeating Republican state senator Bill Cole and former state senator Charlotte Pritt, who ran as a member of the Mountain Party. As of 2024, this is the last time a Democrat was elected Governor of West Virginia. Having switched parties in August 2017, Justice was re-elected as a Republican in 2020; his party switch gave Republicans a trifecta in the state for the first time since 1931.

Background
In November 2010, Democratic Governor Joe Manchin resigned after being elected to the U.S. Senate. Earl Ray Tomblin, the president of the West Virginia Senate (with the honorary title of lieutenant governor), became acting governor, won an October 2011 special election to complete the term, and won a full term in the regularly scheduled 2012 election. Tomblin was ineligible to run for re-election in 2016 as the Constitution of West Virginia limits governors to two consecutive terms regardless of whether they are full or partial terms. However, governors are re-eligible after four years out of office.

After publicly speculating he would run for his former office, Manchin was considered a heavy favorite in the 2016 race, but he announced on April 19, 2015 that he would remain in the Senate instead.

Declared

 * Booth Goodwin, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia
 * Jim Justice, businessman
 * Jeff Kessler, Minority Leader of the West Virginia Senate, former President of the West Virginia Senate and candidate for governor in 2011

Declined

 * Glen Gainer III, West Virginia State Auditor and nominee for West Virginia's 1st congressional district in 2014
 * Carte Goodwin, former U.S. Senator
 * Mike Green, former state senator
 * Walt Helmick, West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture
 * Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator and former Governor
 * John Perdue, West Virginia State Treasurer and candidate for governor in 2011
 * Doug Reynolds, State Delegate
 * Doug Skaff, former State Delegate
 * Natalie Tennant, West Virginia Secretary of State, candidate for governor in 2011 and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2014 (running for re-election)
 * Rick Thompson, West Virginia Secretary of Veterans Assistance, former Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates and candidate for governor in 2011

Polling
{| class="wikitable" ! style="width:170px;"| Poll source ! style="width:170px;"| Date(s) administered ! class=small | Sample size ! class=small | Margin of error ! style="width:100px;"| Jim Justice ! style="width:100px;"| Booth Goodwin ! style="width:100px;"| Jeff Kessler ! Undecided
 * - valign= bottom
 * MetroNews
 * align=center| April 22–May 2, 2016
 * align=center| 315
 * align=center| ± 4.0%
 * align=center| 32%
 * align=center| 27%
 * align=center| 23%
 * align=center| 18%
 * Public Policy Polling
 * align=center| April 29–May 1, 2016
 * align=center| 637
 * align=center| ± 3.9%
 * align=center| 37%
 * align=center| 23%
 * align=center| 19%
 * align=center| 21%
 * West Virginia Veterans
 * align=center| March 2–6, 2016
 * align=center| 600
 * align=center| ± 3.9%
 * align=center| 36%
 * align=center| 20%
 * align=center| 16%
 * align=center| 28%
 * MetroNews
 * align=center| February 11–16, 2016
 * align=center| 208
 * align=center| ± 4.9%
 * align=center| 32%
 * align=center| 25%
 * align=center| 23%
 * align=center| 21%
 * Global Strategy Group^
 * align=center| December 1–3, 2015
 * align=center| 350
 * align=center| ± 5.2%
 * align=center| 39%
 * align=center| 13%
 * align=center| 19%
 * align=center| 21%
 * align=center| ± 5.2%
 * align=center| 39%
 * align=center| 13%
 * align=center| 19%
 * align=center| 21%


 * ^ Indicates a poll taken for Jim Justice campaign.

Declared

 * Bill Cole, President of the West Virginia Senate

Did not file

 * Andrew Utterback, college student and candidate for Mayor of Pineville in 2014
 * Edwin Vanover, former Bramwell Police Chief and Democratic candidate for House of Delegates in 2012

Declined

 * Evan Jenkins, U.S. Representative
 * David McKinley, U.S. Representative and candidate for governor in 1996 (running for re-election)
 * Patrick Morrisey, Attorney General of West Virginia (running for re-election)
 * Mary Lou Retton, Olympic gymnast
 * Erikka Storch, State Delegate

Declared

 * Charlotte Pritt, former Democratic State Delegate, former Democratic State Senator, write-in candidate for governor in 1992 and Democratic nominee for governor in 1996

Declared

 * David Moran, retired engineer and farmer

Debates

 * Complete video of debate, October 11, 2016 - C-SPAN

Polling
→ Indicates an internal poll conducted by the West Virginia Republican Party for Bill Cole.


 * with Booth Goodwin


 * with Jeff Kessler


 * with Joe Manchin


 * * Internal poll for Joe Manchin

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

 * Hancock (Largest city: Weirton)
 * Hardy (Largest city: Moorefield)
 * Jefferson (Largest city: Charles Town)
 * Pendleton (Largest city: Franklin)
 * Tucker (Largest city: Parsons)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

 * Monongalia (Largest city: Morgantown)
 * Monroe (Largest city: Peterstown)
 * Putnam (largest municipality: Hurricane)
 * Raleigh (Largest city: Beckley)
 * Jackson (Largest city: Ravenswood)

By congressional district
Justice won 2 of 3 congressional districts, both of which elected Republicans.