Democratic Party primaries in West Virginia, 2020
- Primary date: June 9
- Primary type: Semi-closed
- Registration deadline(s): May 19
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Early voting starts: Pending
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): June 9 (postmarked)
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID
- Poll times: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
2022 →
← 2018
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| Democratic Party primaries, 2020 |
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| Primary Date |
| June 9, 2020 |
| Primary Runoff Date |
| N/A |
| Federal elections |
| Democratic primary for U.S. Senate |
| Democratic primaries for U.S. House |
| State party |
| Democratic Party of West Virginia |
| State political party revenue |
This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that took place in West Virginia on May 12, 2020. Click here for more information about the Republican primaries.
Note that the dates and terms of participation for presidential preference primaries and caucuses sometimes differ from those that apply to primaries for state-level and other federal offices, which are the subject of this article. For more information on this state's presidential nomination process, click here.
Federal elections
U.S. Senate
The 2020 U.S. Senate elections in West Virginia took place on November 3, 2020. Voters elected one candidate to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
U.S. House
The 2020 U.S. House of Representatives elections in West Virginia took place on November 3, 2020. Voters elected three candidates to serve in the U.S. House, one from each of the state's three congressional districts.
District 1
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
District 2
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
District 3
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
State elections
State Senate
West Virginia State Senate elections, 2020 |
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The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 9 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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State House
State executive offices
Six state executive offices are up for election in West Virginia in 2020: governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, and commissioner of agriculture.
Governor
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Attorney General
Democratic primary candidates
Secretary of State
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Treasurer
- See also: West Virginia Treasurer election, 2020
Democratic primary candidates
- John Perdue (Incumbent) ✔
State Auditor
- See also: West Virginia Auditor election, 2020
Democratic primary candidates
Commissioner of Agriculture
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Context of the 2020 elections
West Virginia Party Control: 1992-2024
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas • Seven years of Republican trifectas
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D[1] | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
State party overview
- See also: Democratic Party of West Virginia
State political party revenue
State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws.
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following map displays total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic state party affiliates.
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. West Virginia utilizes a semi-closed primary system where parties may decide if unaffiliated voters can vote in their primaries.[2][3]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In West Virginia, all polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. A voter who is in line at the time polls close must still be permitted to vote.[4]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in West Virginia, an individual must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of West Virginia, and at least 18 years of age by the date of the next general election.[5]
The registration deadline is 21 days prior to an election. An individual may register to vote by submitting a form by mail to his or her county clerk's office or the Secretary of State's Office. Registration can be completed online, in person at the county clerk's office, the Secretary of State's office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, any public assistance office, any agency that serves people with disabilities, any marriage license office, or any military recruiting agency.[5]
Automatic registration
- See also: Automatic voter registration
West Virginia automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles.[6]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
West Virginia has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
- See also: Same-day voter registration
West Virginia does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
An individual must have resided in the state for at least 30 days of residency before they may vote.
Verification of citizenship
West Virginia does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[7] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The West Virginia Secretary of State's office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voter ID requirements
West Virginia requires voters to present identification while voting. The identification provided must be issued either by the State of West Virginia, or one of its subsidiaries, or by the United States government.[8][9]
Signed into law in 2025, HB 3016 established that a document was valid if it:[9]
| “ |
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State law enumerates the following identifications that an individual may use to vote:[9]
| “ |
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Lastly, state law provided for the following exceptions and alternative methods of verifying a voter's identity:[9]
| “ |
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Voters can obtain a free voter ID card at their county clerk’s office.[11]
Early voting
West Virginia permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
Voters in West Virginia are eligible to vote absentee in an election "if the voter is 'confined,' or not in their home county, for the entire duration of in-person voting (both the early voting period and on Election Day)," for one of the following reasons:[12]
- “Injury or illness”
- “Disability or 'extreme advanced age'”
- “Incarceration or home detention (does not include individuals convicted of any felony, treason, or election bribery)”
- “Work hours and distance from county seat”
- “Inaccessible early voting site and polling place”
- “Personal or business travel”
- “Attendance at college or other place of education or training”
- “Temporary residence outside of the county”
- “Service as an elected or appointed state or federal official”
To vote absentee, a request must be received by the county clerk no later than the sixth day prior to the election.[13]
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
There are no pivot counties in West Virginia. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won West Virginia with 68.5 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 26.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, West Virginia cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 76.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, West Virginia supported Democratic and Republican candidates for president equally. West Virginia favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in West Virginia. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[14][15]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won four out of 67 state House districts in West Virginia with an average margin of victory of 13.9 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won one out of 67 state House districts in West Virginia with an average margin of victory of 34.4 points. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 63 out of 67 state House districts in West Virginia with an average margin of victory of 31.9 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 66 out of 67 state House districts in West Virginia with an average margin of victory of 46.8 points. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | |
| 1 | 38.66% | 59.24% | R+20.6 | 25.73% | 70.07% | R+44.3 | |
| 2 | 43.53% | 53.67% | R+10.1 | 26.82% | 68.57% | R+41.8 | |
| 3 | 38.13% | 59.95% | R+21.8 | 31.23% | 61.44% | R+30.2 | |
| 4 | 34.84% | 62.82% | R+28 | 22.30% | 72.79% | R+50.5 | |
| 5 | 37.10% | 59.96% | R+22.9 | 21.34% | 72.50% | R+51.2 | |
| 6 | 24.34% | 73.40% | R+49.1 | 13.41% | 82.40% | R+69 | |
| 7 | 25.92% | 71.64% | R+45.7 | 15.48% | 79.75% | R+64.3 | |
| 8 | 31.00% | 67.36% | R+36.4 | 22.69% | 72.65% | R+50 | |
| 9 | 28.50% | 69.28% | R+40.8 | 16.29% | 79.48% | R+63.2 | |
| 10 | 35.08% | 63.29% | R+28.2 | 25.67% | 68.91% | R+43.2 | |
| 11 | 35.37% | 62.24% | R+26.9 | 21.70% | 73.73% | R+52 | |
| 12 | 32.85% | 64.70% | R+31.8 | 20.88% | 74.86% | R+54 | |
| 13 | 37.29% | 60.44% | R+23.2 | 22.25% | 73.24% | R+51 | |
| 14 | 36.92% | 60.40% | R+23.5 | 21.70% | 74.02% | R+52.3 | |
| 15 | 27.42% | 71.38% | R+44 | 24.68% | 70.30% | R+45.6 | |
| 16 | 45.42% | 52.58% | R+7.2 | 36.10% | 58.50% | R+22.4 | |
| 17 | 41.90% | 56.20% | R+14.3 | 36.22% | 57.71% | R+21.5 | |
| 18 | 33.21% | 65.14% | R+31.9 | 25.32% | 70.41% | R+45.1 | |
| 19 | 34.79% | 62.73% | R+27.9 | 20.73% | 75.06% | R+54.3 | |
| 20 | 28.25% | 69.59% | R+41.3 | 15.85% | 81.80% | R+66 | |
| 21 | 23.29% | 74.37% | R+51.1 | 11.15% | 86.60% | R+75.4 | |
| 22 | 30.74% | 66.68% | R+35.9 | 20.35% | 75.36% | R+55 | |
| 23 | 34.16% | 63.17% | R+29 | 21.99% | 73.31% | R+51.3 | |
| 24 | 28.83% | 68.78% | R+40 | 17.02% | 79.79% | R+62.8 | |
| 25 | 21.56% | 76.17% | R+54.6 | 14.28% | 82.66% | R+68.4 | |
| 26 | 35.91% | 62.18% | R+26.3 | 26.16% | 71.47% | R+45.3 | |
| 27 | 25.92% | 72.27% | R+46.4 | 21.03% | 75.08% | R+54.1 | |
| 28 | 26.07% | 71.78% | R+45.7 | 19.24% | 76.85% | R+57.6 | |
| 29 | 25.31% | 72.92% | R+47.6 | 18.95% | 77.36% | R+58.4 | |
| 30 | 39.04% | 59.30% | R+20.3 | 35.16% | 60.01% | R+24.9 | |
| 31 | 21.85% | 76.00% | R+54.1 | 15.19% | 81.82% | R+66.6 | |
| 32 | 36.36% | 61.52% | R+25.2 | 26.42% | 69.21% | R+42.8 | |
| 33 | 33.20% | 63.50% | R+30.3 | 18.96% | 76.87% | R+57.9 | |
| 34 | 41.41% | 56.61% | R+15.2 | 25.67% | 69.81% | R+44.1 | |
| 35 | 44.95% | 53.41% | R+8.5 | 41.19% | 53.74% | R+12.6 | |
| 36 | 43.56% | 54.69% | R+11.1 | 36.13% | 59.51% | R+23.4 | |
| 37 | 71.16% | 27.03% | D+44.1 | 64.48% | 30.08% | D+34.4 | |
| 38 | 33.64% | 64.92% | R+31.3 | 28.33% | 66.88% | R+38.6 | |
| 39 | 29.70% | 68.75% | R+39 | 23.71% | 72.37% | R+48.7 | |
| 40 | 28.91% | 69.53% | R+40.6 | 21.21% | 74.29% | R+53.1 | |
| 41 | 28.54% | 69.10% | R+40.6 | 18.43% | 77.35% | R+58.9 | |
| 42 | 36.07% | 61.44% | R+25.4 | 26.74% | 67.94% | R+41.2 | |
| 43 | 35.02% | 62.41% | R+27.4 | 25.26% | 69.66% | R+44.4 | |
| 44 | 32.49% | 64.18% | R+31.7 | 18.98% | 77.03% | R+58.1 | |
| 45 | 27.22% | 70.71% | R+43.5 | 20.32% | 74.67% | R+54.4 | |
| 46 | 27.10% | 70.21% | R+43.1 | 19.26% | 76.24% | R+57 | |
| 47 | 29.72% | 67.43% | R+37.7 | 19.50% | 75.68% | R+56.2 | |
| 48 | 37.03% | 60.90% | R+23.9 | 27.38% | 67.16% | R+39.8 | |
| 49 | 33.62% | 64.28% | R+30.7 | 23.59% | 71.48% | R+47.9 | |
| 50 | 41.91% | 55.61% | R+13.7 | 30.56% | 63.37% | R+32.8 | |
| 51 | 44.28% | 53.14% | R+8.9 | 41.29% | 50.56% | R+9.3 | |
| 52 | 28.11% | 69.35% | R+41.2 | 21.26% | 73.45% | R+52.2 | |
| 53 | 25.80% | 70.92% | R+45.1 | 19.48% | 75.52% | R+56 | |
| 54 | 17.22% | 80.84% | R+63.6 | 11.20% | 86.53% | R+75.3 | |
| 55 | 31.26% | 66.11% | R+34.8 | 22.04% | 74.29% | R+52.3 | |
| 56 | 28.78% | 68.67% | R+39.9 | 19.74% | 76.02% | R+56.3 | |
| 57 | 28.38% | 69.28% | R+40.9 | 18.00% | 78.03% | R+60 | |
| 58 | 31.07% | 66.90% | R+35.8 | 19.51% | 76.36% | R+56.9 | |
| 59 | 33.93% | 64.29% | R+30.4 | 23.17% | 72.02% | R+48.8 | |
| 60 | 31.11% | 66.98% | R+35.9 | 22.28% | 72.32% | R+50 | |
| 61 | 51.56% | 46.41% | D+5.2 | 42.57% | 51.91% | R+9.3 | |
| 62 | 35.57% | 62.29% | R+26.7 | 26.07% | 68.69% | R+42.6 | |
| 63 | 43.32% | 54.43% | R+11.1 | 34.17% | 60.32% | R+26.1 | |
| 64 | 34.54% | 63.40% | R+28.9 | 24.45% | 70.26% | R+45.8 | |
| 65 | 49.54% | 48.66% | D+0.9 | 40.64% | 52.92% | R+12.3 | |
| 66 | 39.60% | 58.18% | R+18.6 | 31.14% | 63.51% | R+32.4 | |
| 67 | 51.50% | 46.02% | D+5.5 | 45.92% | 48.19% | R+2.3 | |
| Total | 35.54% | 62.30% | R+26.8 | 26.48% | 68.63% | R+42.2 | |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration to Republican on August 4, 2017.
- ↑ West Virginia State Legislature, "WV Code § 3-4A-20," accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Elections Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)," accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 West Virginia Secretary of State, "Elections Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)," accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ West Virginia State Legislature, "West Virginia Code, §3-1-34. Voting procedures generally; identification; assistance to voters; voting records; penalties." accessed May 2, 2023
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 West Virginia Legislature, "House Bill 3016 (2025)," accessed June 27, 2025
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Be Registered and Ready" accessed June 29, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, “Eligibility for Absentee Voting In West Virginia,” accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, “Absentee Voting Information,” accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
