The 2024 West Virginia gubernatorial election will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the

governor of West Virginia A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

, concurrently with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operate ...

to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

and elections to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

and various

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

and local elections. Incumbent Governor

Jim Justice James Conley Justice II (born April 27, 1951) is an American businessman and politician who has served as the 36th governor of West Virginia since 2017. Justice had a net worth of $1.2 billion in September 2018, making him the wealthiest person ...

is term-limited and cannot seek re-election to a third consecutive term in office. 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 will take place on May 14, 2024.

Background

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

rural southern 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 since 2015, Senator Joe Manchin has been the state's only congressional Democrat. In the

2020 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2020 lists the national/federal elections held in 2020 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *5 January: **C ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

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 is 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.

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Moore Capito Arch Alfred Moore Capito (born August 30, 1982) is an American attorney and politician who has served in the West Virginia House of Delegates from the 35th district since 2016. He announced on November 29, 2022 that he would stand as a candidate ...

, former state delegate (2016–2023), grandson of former governor Arch Moore, and son of U.S. Senator

Shelley Moore Capito Shelley Wellons Moore Capito ( ; born November 26, 1953) is an American politician and retired educator serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from West Virginia since 2015. A me ...

*Kevin Christian, electrical engineer *Chris Miller, automobile dealer and son of U.S. Representative Carol Miller *

Patrick Morrisey Patrick James Morrisey (born December 21, 1967) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 34th Attorney General of West Virginia since 2013. He is a member of the Republican Party. Morrisey was elected Attorney General of West Vir ...

West Virginia Attorney General West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...

(2013–present) and nominee for U.S. Senate in

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

*Mitch Roberts, store manager and write-in candidate for governor in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

Mac Warner Andrew McCoy "Mac" Warner (born February 18, 1955) is an American attorney, veteran, and the current West Virginia Secretary of State. He announced his candidacy for Governor of West Virginia in 2024 on January 10, 2023. Early life and education ...

West Virginia Secretary of State The Secretary of State of West Virginia is an elected office within the U.S. state of West Virginia state government. The secretary of state is responsible for overseeing the state's election process, including voter registration and election res ...

(2017–present)

Withdrew

* J.B. McCuskey,

West Virginia State Auditor The state auditor of West Virginia is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of West Virginia. The incumbent is JB McCuskey, a Republican. Powers and duties Bookkeeping responsibilities Article X, Section 3 of ...

(2017–present) ''( running for attorney general)''

Declined

Kent Leonhardt Kent Leonhardt (born April 2, 1954) is the West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, having been elected in November 2016, he took office January 2017. He is a member of the United States Republican Party. Leonhardt is a farmer operating a fa ...

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture The West Virginia Department of Agriculture is a government agency of the U.S. state of West Virginia. History The Department of Agriculture was founded in 1891 as the West Virginia State Board of Agriculture. In 1911, the West Virginia Legisla ...

(2017–present) ''(running for re-election)'' *

Riley Moore Riley Moore (born July 1, 1980) is an American politician who has served as state treasurer of West Virginia since January 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the West Virginia House of Delegates for the 67th district ...

West Virginia State Treasurer The West Virginia State Treasurer is the state's chief financial officer. It is one of six constitutionally mandated offices. Elected statewide for a four year term, the treasurer is responsible for overseeing state operating funds, monitoring sta ...

(2021–present) and grandson of former governor Arch Moore ''( running for U.S. House)

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Presumptive nominee

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

Declined

Joe Manchin Joseph Manchin III (born August 24, 1947) is an American politician and businessman serving as the senior United States senator from West Virginia, a seat he has held since 2010. A member of the Democratic Party, Manchin was the 34th governor of ...

, U.S. Senator (2010–present) and former governor (2005–2010) * Ben Salango,

Kanawha County Kanawha County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 180,745, making it West Virginia's most populous county. The county seat is Charlest ...

commissioner and nominee for governor in

Results

Other candidates

Mountain Party

Declared

*Chase Linko-Looper, human rights advocate and

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

veteran

General election

Though major pundits consider the election to be safe for the republican nominee, there is potential that the election could be closer, as West Virginia historically elected Democrats to the Governor's office, and Steve Williams is considered to be a strong candidate for the Democrats. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/while-greatly-outnumbered-democrats-plot-a-comeback-in-west-virginia/ar-AA1kD3sB

Predictions

Results

Notes

;Partisan clients

References

External links

;Official campaign websites
Moore Capito (R) for GovernorChase Linko-Looper (M) for GovernorChris Miller (R) for GovernorPatrick Morrisey (R) for GovernorMac Warner (R) for GovernorRashida Yost (R) for Governor
{{2024 United States elections

2024 Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1928 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ***''Steamboat Willie'', Walt Disney's fi ...

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...