2024 West Virginia gubernatorial election

The 2024 West Virginia gubernatorial election will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the governor of West Virginia, concurrently with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Republican State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is running against Huntington Mayor Steve Williams for Governor. Incumbent Jim Justice is term-limited and cannot seek re-election to a third consecutive term in office; he is instead running for the U.S. Senate. First elected in 2016 as a Democrat by 6.8 percentage points, Justice switched parties in August 2017 and won re-election in 2020 as a Republican by 33.3 percentage points. Primary elections took place on May 14, 2024.

Background
A conservative rural southeastern state, West Virginia is considered extremely Republican at the federal and state levels; Republicans hold all statewide executive offices and supermajorities in both state legislative houses, and from 2015 until he became an Independent in 2024, Senator Joe Manchin had been the state's only congressional Democrat. In the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump carried West Virginia by 38.93 percentage points.

With Jim Justice term-limited and unable to run for a third consecutive term as Governor, the Republican primary was expected to be competitive and crowded. Most analysts consider Republicans to be a heavy favorite, given the state's partisan lean and the margin from the previous election.

Nominee

 * Patrick Morrisey, West Virginia Attorney General (2013–present) and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018

Eliminated in primary

 * Moore Capito, former state delegate (2016–2023), grandson of former governor Arch Moore, and son of U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito
 * Kevin Christian, electrical engineer
 * Chris Miller, automobile dealer and son of U.S. Representative Carol Miller
 * Mitch Roberts, store manager and write-in candidate for governor in 2020
 * Mac Warner, West Virginia Secretary of State (2017–present)

Withdrew

 * J.B. McCuskey, West Virginia State Auditor (2017–present) (running for attorney general)

Declined

 * Kent Leonhardt, West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture (2017–present) (running for re-election)
 * Riley Moore, West Virginia State Treasurer (2021–present) and grandson of former governor Arch Moore ''(running for U.S. House)

Results
[[File:2024 West Virginia gubernatorial Republican primary.svg|thumb|230px|Results by county:{{legend|#D72F30|Morrisey}}

{{legend|#FFE0EA|20–30%}}

{{legend|#FFC8CD|30–40%}}

{{legend|#FFB2B2|40–50%}}

{{legend|#E27F7F|50–60%}}

{{legend|#D75D5D|60–70%}}{{legend|#FF9A50|Capito}}

{{legend|#FFDAC1|20–30%}}

{{legend|#FFCCA9|30–40%}}{{legend|#5FD3BC|Miller}}

{{legend|#D7F4EE|20–30%}}

{{legend|#AFE9DD|30–40%}}

{{legend|#87DECD|40–50%}}]]

Nominee

 * Steve Williams, mayor of Huntington (2013–present) and former state delegate (1986–1994)

Declined

 * Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator (2010–present) and former governor (2005–2010)
 * Ben Salango, Kanawha County commissioner and nominee for governor in 2020

Nominee

 * Chase Linko-Looper, U.S. Army veteran

Nominee

 * Erika Kolenich, attorney and nominee for governor in 2020

Declined

 * Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator (2010–present) and former governor (2005–2010) (endorsed Williams)

Endorsements
Endorsements in bold were made after the primary elections.

Polling

 * Patrick Morrisey vs. Joe Manchin vs. Steve Williams