Politics of West Virginia
From the time of the
Before 2000, West Virginia had voted almost exclusively Democratic in each presidential election starting in 1932, only voting Republican amidst national landslides in 1956, 1972, and 1984. However starting with the 2000 election, West Virginia began a sharp realignment from mostly supporting Democrats to mostly supporting Republicans. By the 2010s, the state had become at the presidential level one of the most Republican in the nation. By 2015, Republicans had gained one of the state's two Senate seats, all its U.S. House seats, and both chambers of the state legislature.
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump took an overwhelming victory in West Virginia, garnering 68.5% of the state's vote, his best performance of any state. Despite this, Democratic candidate Jim Justice was elected governor on the same ballot, marking five consecutive Democratic gubernatorial victories in the state. However, seven months into his term, Justice switched affiliation to the Republican Party, leaving Joe Manchin and John Perdue as the only Democrats holding statewide office in West Virginia. In 2020, Trump again carried West Virginia in a landslide, taking 68.6% of the state's vote, only less than longstanding Republican stronghold Wyoming. Perdue lost reelection as State Treasurer after serving six terms, leaving Manchin as the only remaining statewide Democrat. Manchin won his last U.S. Senate reelection campaign by 3% in 2018, a sharp decline from his 24% margin of victory in 2012. He has announced that he will not seek reelection in 2024.
In a 2020 study, West Virginia was ranked as the 16th hardest state for citizens to vote in.[3]
History
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 545,382 | 68.62% | 235,984 | 29.69% | 13,365 | 1.68% |
2016 | 489,371 | 67.85% | 188,794 | 26.18% | 43,096 | 5.98% |
2012 | 417,655 | 62.14% | 238,269 | 35.45% | 16,195 | 2.41% |
2008 | 397,466 | 55.58% | 303,857 | 42.49% | 13,800 | 1.93% |
2004 | 423,778 | 56.06% | 326,541 | 43.20% | 5,568 | 0.74% |
2000 | 336,475 | 51.92% | 295,497 | 45.59% | 16,152 | 2.49% |
1996 | 233,946 | 36.76% | 327,812 | 51.51% | 74,701 | 11.74% |
1992 | 241,974 | 35.39% | 331,001 | 48.41% | 110,736 | 16.20% |
1988 | 310,065 | 47.46% | 341,016 | 52.20% | 2,230 | 0.34% |
1984 | 405,483 | 55.11% | 328,125 | 44.60% | 2,134 | 0.29% |
1980 | 334,206 | 45.30% | 367,462 | 49.81% | 36,047 | 4.89% |
1976 | 314,760 | 41.93% | 435,914 | 58.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
1972 | 484,964 | 63.61% | 277,435 | 36.39% | 0 | 0.00% |
1968 | 307,555 | 40.78% | 374,091 | 49.60% | 72,560 | 9.62% |
1964 | 253,953 | 32.06% | 538,087 | 67.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 395,995 | 47.27% | 441,786 | 52.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 449,297 | 54.08% | 381,534 | 45.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 419,970 | 48.08% | 453,578 | 51.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 316,251 | 42.24% | 429,188 | 57.32% | 3,311 | 0.44% |
1944 | 322,819 | 45.11% | 392,777 | 54.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 372,414 | 42.90% | 495,662 | 57.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
1936 | 325,358 | 39.20% | 502,582 | 60.56% | 2,005 | 0.24% |
1932 | 330,731 | 44.47% | 405,124 | 54.47% | 7,919 | 1.06% |
1928 | 375,551 | 58.43% | 263,784 | 41.04% | 3,417 | 0.53% |
1924 | 288,635 | 49.45% | 257,232 | 44.07% | 37,795 | 6.48% |
1920 | 282,007 | 55.30% | 220,789 | 43.30% | 7,146 | 1.40% |
1916 | 143,124 | 49.38% | 140,403 | 48.44% | 6,325 | 2.18% |
1912 | 56,754 | 21.11% | 113,197 | 42.11% | 98,877 | 36.78% |
1908 | 137,869 | 53.42% | 111,418 | 43.17% | 8,818 | 3.42% |
1904 | 132,620 | 55.26% | 100,855 | 42.03% | 6,511 | 2.71% |
1900 | 119,829 | 54.27% | 98,807 | 44.75% | 2,160 | 0.98% |
1896 | 105,379 | 52.23% | 94,480 | 46.83% | 1,898 | 0.94% |
1892 | 80,292 | 46.93% | 84,467 | 49.37% | 6,320 | 3.69% |
1888 | 78,171 | 49.03% | 78,677 | 49.35% | 2,592 | 1.63% |
1884 | 63,096 | 47.75% | 67,311 | 50.94% | 1,738 | 1.32% |
1880 | 46,243 | 41.05% | 57,390 | 50.95% | 9,008 | 8.00% |
1876 | 41,997 | 42.15% | 56,546 | 56.75% | 1,104 | 1.11% |
1872 | 32,320 | 51.74% | 29,532 | 47.28% | 615 | 0.98% |
1868 | 29,015 | 58.83% | 20,306 | 41.17% | 0 | 0.00% |
1864 | 23,799 | 68.24% | 11,078 | 31.76% | 0 | 0.00% |
In the Republican landslide of
In the 2014 elections, the GOP took control of the state legislature for the first time in 80 years, and it took one of West Virginia's two U.S. Senate seats and all three U.S. House districts.[7] In the 2016 elections, the Republicans held on to their seats and made gains in the State Senate and gained three statewide offices.[8][9]
West Virginia's U.S. Senators are Joe Manchin, a Democrat, and Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican.[10] The two seats in the United States House of Representatives are occupied by Republicans Alex Mooney, and Carol Miller.[11] Republicans also maintain strong positions in statewide offices and the state legislature. Democrats continue to hold many local offices. West Virginia also has a very strong tradition of union membership.
Democratic politicians in the state are typically more conservative than the national party, especially on social issues. The late Senator
Voter registration
Voter registration as of November 8, 2022[14] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Total voters | Percentage | |||
Republican | 452,902 | 39.27% | |||
Democratic | 379,058 | 32.87% | |||
Unaffiliated | 270,681 | 23.47% | |||
Minor parties | 38,165 | 3.31% | |||
Libertarian | 10,026 | 0.87% | |||
Mountain | 2,376 | 0.21% | |||
Total | 1,153,208 | 100% |
Demographics
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Only covers demographics up to 2008.(December 2023) |
The most consistent support for Democrats is found in the
Federal representation
Senate
House of Representatives
- Carol Miller (R)[11]
- Alex Mooney (R)[11]
Judicary
West Virginia is part of the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia and the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia in the federal judiciary. The district's cases are appealed to the Richmond-based United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
See also
- United States presidential elections in West Virginia
- Political party strength in West Virginia
- Government of West Virginia
References
- ^ "President Map - Election Results 2008 - the New York Times".
- ^ "WV SOS - Elections - Election Results - Online Data Services".
- S2CID 225139517.
- ^ Leip, David. "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – West Virginia". US Election Atlas. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/comparemaps.php?year=2012&fips=54&f=1&off=0&elect=0 [bare URL]
- ^ http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/compare.php?year=2012&fips=54&f=1&off=0&elect=0&type=state [bare URL]
- ^ Willis, Derek (November 24, 2014). "Election Was Rough for Democrats. It Was Worse for West Virginia Democrats". The New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
- ^ "The Latest: GOP maintains majority in West Virginia Senate". Miami Herald (from AP). November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
- ^ McElhinny, Brad (November 9, 2016). "W.Va. Republicans celebrate Trump win and GOP gains". West Virginia MetroNews. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c "WV Senate". Senate.
- ^ a b c "WV House Seats". House of Representatives.
- ^ Gutman, David (26 August 2015). "Poll: Donald Trump tops Hillary Clinton in WV". wvgazettemail.com. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ Joe Manchin (9 October 2010). "Dead Aim - Joe Manchin for West Virginia TV Ad". Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 12 April 2018 – via YouTube.
- ^ "West Virginia Voter Registration Totals" (PDF).
- ^ "Local Exit Polls — Election Center 2008 - Elections & Politics from CNN.com". CNN.
- ^ "SurveyUSA.com". SurveyUSA.com. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
- ^ "Rasmussenreports.com". Legacy.rasmussenreports.com. 2006-08-15. Archived from the original on 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
- ^ "Rasmussenreports.com". Rasmussenreports.com. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
- ^ "Rasmussenreports.com". Rasmussenreports.com. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
- ^ "Wvoter-owned.org". Wvoter-owned.org. 2006-01-09. Archived from the original on 2010-04-14. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
External links
- Politics of West Virginia at Curlie
- West Virginia at Ballotpedia
- Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association, "West Virginia", Voting & Elections Toolkits
- "West Virginia: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links", Vote.org, Oakland, CA
- "League of Women Voters of West Virginia". (State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)
- "State Elections Legislation Database", Ncsl.org, Washington, D.C.: National Conference of State Legislatures,
State legislation related to the administration of elections introduced in 2011 through this year, 2020