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United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2024 (May 14 Republican primary)
2026 →
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|
| U.S. Senate, West Virginia |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: January 27, 2024 |
| Primary: May 14, 2024 General: November 5, 2024 Pre-election incumbent: Joe Manchin III (ind.) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voting in West Virginia |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Safe Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd West Virginia elections, 2024 U.S. Congress elections, 2024 U.S. Senate elections, 2024 U.S. House elections, 2024 |
Jim Justice (R) won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in West Virginia on May 14, 2024. Justice received 61.8% of the vote. Alexander Mooney (R) finished in second place with 26.6%. Bryan Bird (R), Zane Lawhorn (R), Don Lindsay (R), Bryan McKinney (R), and Janet McNulty (R) also ran in the primary.
Justice and Mooney led in local media attention, endorsements, polling, and fundraising.
Justice was, at the time of the primary, the state's governor and a former businessman. Justice ran on his record, saying he signed the largest tax cut in state history, restrictions on abortion, and reductions in firearms regulations into law.[1] Justice said Mooney had a poor record of performance in Congress. Justice's campaign manager called Mooney "the only RINO [Republican in name only] in this race...insignificant and ineffective."[2] Justice's endorsers included former President Donald Trump (R), five senators, and the West Virginia Coal Association.
Mooney was, at the time of the primary, a member of the U.S. House. Mooney said he was running "to continue defending West Virginia’s conservative values and ensuring that our state continues to be a wonderful place to raise a family."[3] Mooney said Justice was a liberal: "Jim Justice is Joe Manchin 2.0. They're basically the same...Why accept a liberal Republican when you can have a true conservative, especially with Joe Manchin now retiring?"[4] Mooney's endorsers included three senators, one U.S. representative, 17 state legislators, and the Senate Conservatives Fund.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and the Club for Growth supported different candidates.[2] The NRSC endorsed Justice and the Club for Growth endorsed Mooney. According to CNN, the "Club for Growth has planned to go head-to-head with the NRSC over candidates they believe are insufficiently conservative on fiscal issues, even as GOP leaders are focused on finding the most electable Republican."[5]
Incumbent Joe Manchin III (ind.) did not run for re-election, leaving the seat open. On May 31, 2024, Manchin changed his party affiliation from Democrat to independent.[6] At the time of the election, Manchin was the only Democrat who had won a statewide election in West Virginia since 2016. As of May 13, 2024, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball each rated the general election Safe/Solid Republican.
Bryan Bird (R), Zane Lawhorn (R), Bryan McKinney (R), and Janet McNulty (R) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.
This page focuses on West Virginia's United States Senate Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the state's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2024 (May 14 Democratic primary)
- United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2024
Election news
This section includes a timeline of events leading up to the election.
- May 8, 2024: Emerson College released results from a poll it conducted on behalf of Nexstar Media between May 2 and May 5. Of the 558 registered primary voters surveyed, 54% said they would vote for Justice, 24% said they would vote for Mooney, and 22% said they were undecided or would vote for a different candidate. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.[7] Relative to the Research America poll published earlier in May, Justice was down 13 percentage points and Mooney was up one percentage point.
- May 6, 2024: West Virginia MetroNews published results from a Research America poll it had sponsored. Of the 407 registered voters contacted between Apr. 24 and May 1, 67% said they would vote for Justice, 23% said they would vote for Mooney, and 10% said they were undecided or would vote for a different candidate. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points.[8] Relative to the NMB Research poll conducted in April, Justice was up seven percentage points and Mooney was down one percentage point.
- May 2, 2024: Candidates submitted campaign finance reports covering all fundraising and spending between Apr. 1 and Apr. 24, 2024. During the reporting period, Justice raised $190,258.99 and Mooney raised $84,529.03. Click [show] on the table below to view a breakdown of the candidates' fundraising as of the Pre-Primary reporting deadline.
Pre-Primary 2024 campaign finance reports for Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in West Virginia Candidate Funds raised in the pre-primary period[9] Overall funds raised Cash on hand Jim Justice $190,258.99 $2,768,011.21 $750,290.65 Zane Lawhorn $6,589.15[10] $16,822.04[11] $0.00 Don Lindsay $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Janet McNulty $126.14 $226.14 $0.00 Alex Mooney $84,529.03 $3,266,887.73 $637,362.64 Note: As of May 13, 2024, Bryan McKinney (R) had not filed a Pre-Primary campaign finance report.[12]
Candidates and election results
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jim Justice | 61.8 | 138,307 |
 | Alexander Mooney | 26.5 | 59,348 | |
 | Bryan Bird  | 3.1 | 7,001 | |
 | Bryan McKinney | 2.9 | 6,573 | |
 | Zane Lawhorn | 2.0 | 4,517 | |
 | Janet McNulty | 2.0 | 4,404 | |
| Don Lindsay | 1.6 | 3,503 | ||
| Total votes: 223,653 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Voting information
- See also: Voting in West Virginia
Candidate comparison
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Bryan Bird is a Christian, a preacher, a husband, and a father of two wonderful children. Bryan was born and raised in Fayette County, West Virginia. He was shown the value of faith in Jesus Christ, which has, and continues to define his daily walk. Bryan knows and understands the importance of serving the people, but also knows that there is a need for someone to stand up and have a clear Biblical stance for what is right and what is wrong. He wants to see Biblical principles and morality restored in our great nation. God's Word has, and will always be, the road map to a strong, prosperous, and great nation. Bryan stands for Christian Biblical Principles! He stands for the Truth! He stands for Morality! Bryan believes that all the answers are found in God's Word."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate West Virginia in 2024.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Governor of West Virginia (Assumed office: 2017)
Biography: Justice earned his bachelor's degree and a master's degree in business administration from Marshall University. Justice entered the family business after graduating and continued in business until entering elected politics. Before his election as governor, Justice was a business executive.
Show sources
Sources: Jim Justice campaign website, "Home page," accessed March 14, 2024, YouTube, "Patriot | Jim Justice for U.S. Senate," April 27, 2023, NBC News, "Gov. Jim Justice announces West Virginia Senate run, kicking off heated GOP primary," April 27, 2023; Office of the Governor of West Virginia, "About the Governor and First Lady," accessed March 14, 2024
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate West Virginia in 2024.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I am a conservative patriot running to share God's message of returning to Him through the Revival of our relationship with Jesus Christ. West Virginians need a strong leader that will represent them not more career politicians."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate West Virginia in 2024.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I work in the private sector with automated robotics. I am a father of 6, pro-life, conservative, supportive of gun rights, term limits, and limiting government power and spending."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate West Virginia in 2024.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Janet McNulty was born during February 1984 at Travis Air Force Base to a military family. During her childhood, her parents left the military and her mother took a civil service job. They never stayed in one place because her mother’s job required the family to move from time to time, allowing Janet the opportunity to live in places such as Nevada, Nebraska, and Montana. She attended Northern State University in South Dakota where she graduated in December 2006 with a B.A. in History. Following graduation, Janet moved to West Virginia for a job offer that fell through, beginning an eight-year period of unemployment where she took any temporary job she could just to pay bills. Janet even became a published author. In the past three years she studied IT at Southern New Hampshire University and graduated in 2021 with a M.S. in Information Technology. Currently, she works full time in retail as she pursues opportunities to use her degree. This is Janet McNulty's life in a nutshell. A life of economic reverses and adversity and having to put her pride aside and work through it. Janet does not come from wealth. She comes from a family of modest means. Janet has worked hard every day since she was 16 and understands the value of hard work and sacrifice. She never wanted a career in politics and has tried to run away from it, but life has shown her that we have career politicians who believe that they own us and can run our lives for us."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate West Virginia in 2024.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- U.S. House West Virginia District 2 (Assumed office: 2015)
- Maryland State Senate (1999–2010)
Biography: Mooney obtained his bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College. Before entering elected politics, Mooney worked as a staffer to U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R). Mooney is the former chairman of the Republican Party of Maryland and a former member of the Republican National Committee.
Show sources
Sources: YouTube, "Mooney for Senate: Out of Nowhere," November 16, 2022, YouTube, "Mooney for Senate: Jim Justice Liberal Record," April 27, 2023, YouTube, "Mooney for Senate: Take the Fight," February 14, 2024, Politico, "Mooney says he's staying in West Virginia Senate GOP primary despite Justice polling lead," January 3, 2024; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "MOONEY, Alex X.," accessed March 14, 2024
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate West Virginia in 2024.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
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Bryan Bird (R)
Proverbs 14:34, says, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." We have to return back to God and His Word. We are supposedly One Nation Under God. President Reagan said, "If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under." We see today a country that is eroding away. Our freedoms and our values are being destroyed. We must look to God and His Word!
I truly believe that all the answers can be found in God's Word. From the economy to immigration and morality to freedoms. God ordained and created government in Genesis 9, so I am confident that God knows how to run a country. We just need leaders that will look to God and His Word for the answers.
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Our country's future is at stake and the next senator will have to address CLOSING the BORDER, the threat of war and defend our nation against attacks here in America and from the globalists who want to destroy America.
West Virginians need someone who can be focused on serving them over the next 6 long years. Senator must be financially secure and not distracted with multiple legal issues and other distractions.
Bryan McKinney (R)
Replacement of the 16th Amendment (income tax) with a 3% federal sales tax on only new purchases.
Pro-life father of 6, supporter of the 2nd Amendment
Janet McNulty (R)
We have gotten government with living under the tyranny of apathy, immorality, tribalism, fear, constant war, debt, lies, willful ignorance, career politicians, the bureaucracy, and self-righteousness. The only way to end this vicious cycle is to stop voting for what is comfortable and to stop voting for the one who says all the nice things and makes you feel good or has you saying, "Amen." We need to remember the principles this country was founded upon (individual liberty, right to property, the right to self-determination, and equal justice under the law) if we want our country back. We need to remember that we are Americans and it’s high time we act like it. And, for God’s sake, we need some common sense.
For too long we have come to believe that the role of government is to provide for our every need, rather than looking to ourselves. Government will always oblige because it never turns down a chance to grow. As a result, we are now over-regulated and over $34 trillion in debt. The only role of government is to protect the rights that each individual is born with. We need to return to that understanding and become self-sufficient as individuals before we lose our liberties forever.
Bryan Bird (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Border Security The Economy CDDCs Foreign Entanglements Private Property Protection
Education
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Bryan Bird (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Bryan Bird (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Power to determine Supreme Court Justices along with lower court judges.
Power to represent the people and give them a voice in their government.
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
The great majority of our Senators have had previous experience in government and politics and look at the state of the country. Never ending debt, constant war, constant bickering, and the rise of tribalism. Our "experienced" politicians spend most of their time campaigning and feeding us talking points instead of doing their job.
For those who want "experienced" politicians, what experience are you looking for?
The experience that put us $34 trillion in debt as they roll out more government programs to buy votes, fund their pet projects, or send money overseas to other countries?
The "experience" that caused the U.S. dollar to lose value to the point where it is worth almost nothing through decades of endless money printing and overspending?
Do you want the experience that allowed the NSA to spy on Americans, violating their 4th Amendment rights?
Do you want the experience that keeps our border open, allowing millions of illegal immigrants to enter unchecked; allows corporations and PACs to run our government; and that kept us in a 20 year war in Afghanistan and Iraq?
Joe Biden has spent 45+ years in politics, but under him, our country is declining economically, we are the verge of another war, and our borders are being invaded. Whereas Trump spent 0 years in office and we had 3 Middle East peace deals with no threat of war, a strong economy (before covid), and illegal immigration was at its lowest.
We are supposed to be a government of, for, and by the people, but instead we are a government of, for, and by the political elite because we keep electing "experienced" politicians and wonder why they always seem to serve themselves and only pay attention to the electorate when its an election year.
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Zane Lawhorn (R)
Bryan McKinney (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Janet McNulty (R)
Campaign advertisements
This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.
Jim Justice
| May 13, 2024 |
| May 3, 2024 |
| May 3, 2024 |
View more ads here:
Alexander Mooney
| April 30, 2024 |
| April 16, 2024 |
View more ads here:
Debates and forums
If you are aware of any debates, candidate forums, or other similar events where multiple candidates in this race participated, please email us.
Noteworthy endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
Election competitiveness
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals.[26] The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times."[27] For tips on reading polls from FiveThirtyEight, click here. For tips from Pew, click here.
Below we provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. Click here to read about FiveThirtyEight's criteria for including polls in its aggregation. We only report polls for which we can find a margin of error or credibility interval.
| U.S. Senate election in West Virginia, 2024: Republican primary polls | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Date | Bird
|
Justice
|
Lawhorn
|
Lindsay
|
McKinney
|
McNulty
|
Mooney
|
Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size[28] | Sponsor[29] |
| Emerson College | May 2–5, 2024 | -- | 54% | -- | -- | -- | -- | 24% | 22% | ±4.1% | 558 RV | The Hill/Nexstar Media |
| Research America | Apr. 24–May 1, 2024 | -- | 67% | -- | -- | -- | -- | 23% | 10% | ±4.9% | 407 RV | West Virginia MetroNews/The Health Plan |
| Osage Research | Apr. 22–24, 2024 | -- | 49% | -- | -- | -- | -- | 35% | 16% | ±4.9% | 400 LV | Alex Mooney |
| NMB Research | Apr. 20–22, 2024 | -- | 60% | -- | -- | -- | -- | 24% | -- | ±4.4% | 500 LV[30] | Coalition for West Virginia's Future |
| Research America | Apr. 3–9, 2024 | -- | 66% | -- | -- | -- | -- | 24% | 10% | ±4.9% | 400 RV | MetroNews West Virginia |
| Click [show] to see older poll results | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Date | Bird
|
Justice
|
Lawhorn
|
Lindsay
|
McKinney
|
McNulty
|
Mooney
|
Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size[31] | Sponsor[32] |
| Emerson College | Mar. 19–21, 2024[33] | -- | 54% | -- | -- | -- | -- | 17% | 22% | ±3.6% | 735 RV[33] | Nexstar Media[33] |
| American Pulse Research & Polling | Nov. 13–14, 2023 | -- | 56% | 1% | -- | 2% | -- | 20% | 22% | ±4.8% | 414 LV | WMOV |
| Mark Blankenship Enterprises | Nov. 1, 2023 | -- | 61% | -- | -- | -- | -- | 28% | 11% | ±5% | 428 LV | N/A |
| Fabrizio, Lee & Associates | Sept. 11–13, 2023 | -- | 62% | -- | -- | -- | -- | 23% | 15% | ±4.0% | 600 LV | Jim Justice |
| Research America | Aug. 16–26, 2023 | -- | 58% | -- | -- | -- | -- | 26% | 16% | ±4.9% | 402 RV | West Virginia MetroNews |
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[34]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[35][36][37]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in West Virginia, 2024 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 5, 2024 | October 29, 2024 | October 22, 2024 | October 15, 2024 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Election spending
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan Bird | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Jim Justice | Republican Party | $4,587,416 | $3,893,649 | $693,941 | As of December 31, 2024 |
| Zane Lawhorn | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Don Lindsay | Republican Party | $9,792 | $9,792 | $0 | As of December 31, 2024 |
| Bryan McKinney | Republican Party | $7,225 | $6,781 | $135 | As of December 31, 2023 |
| Janet McNulty | Republican Party | $672 | $3,595 | $0 | As of December 31, 2024 |
| Alexander Mooney | Republican Party | $3,375,124 | $3,365,820 | $9,304 | As of December 31, 2024 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[38][39][40]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
|---|---|
Note: As of May 13, 2024, Bryan Bird (R) had not filed as a candidate with the Federal Election Commission.
Spending news
- Conservative Americans PAC
- Club for Growth Action
- This group spent $194,808.08 on a digital ad campaign opposing Justice on December 1, 2023.[23]
- This group spent $132,016.00 on a mail and text message campaign opposing Justice on November 28, 2023.[23]
- This group spent $1,079,557.48 on a television ad campaign opposing Justice on November 27, 2023.[23]
- This group spent $350,000.00 on an internet ad campaign opposing Justice on September 12, 2023.[23]
- This group spent $300,000.00 on an internet ad campaign opposing Justice on June 1, 2023.[23]
- Defend American Jobs
- Protect Freedom PAC
- Protect West Virginia Values spent $523,450.00 on an ad campaign supporting Mooney on February 22, 2024.[21]
Election context
Ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in West Virginia in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in West Virginia, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2024 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| West Virginia | U.S. Senate | Ballot-qualified party | N/A | N/A | $1,740.00 | 1% of annual salary | 1/27/2024 | Source |
| West Virginia | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 4,537 | 1% of votes cast for this office in the last election, but no fewer than 25 | $1,740.00 | 1% of annual salary | 8/1/2024 | Source |
West Virginia U.S. Senate election history
2020
See also: United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2020
United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2020 (June 9 Republican primary)
United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2020 (June 9 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Incumbent Shelley Moore Capito defeated Paula Jean Swearengin and David Moran in the general election for U.S. Senate West Virginia on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Shelley Moore Capito (R) | 70.3 | 547,454 |
 | Paula Jean Swearengin (D) | 27.0 | 210,309 | |
 | David Moran (L) | 2.7 | 21,155 | |
| Total votes: 778,918 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Franklin Riley (Unaffiliated)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Paula Jean Swearengin defeated Richard Ojeda and Richie Robb in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Paula Jean Swearengin | 38.3 | 71,725 |
 | Richard Ojeda | 32.9 | 61,712 | |
 | Richie Robb | 28.8 | 53,944 | |
| Total votes: 187,381 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Incumbent Shelley Moore Capito defeated Allen Whitt and Larry Butcher in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Shelley Moore Capito | 83.3 | 173,331 |
 | Allen Whitt | 9.6 | 19,972 | |
| Larry Butcher | 7.1 | 14,673 | ||
| Total votes: 207,976 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Incumbent Joe Manchin III defeated Patrick Morrisey and Rusty Hollen in the general election for U.S. Senate West Virginia on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Joe Manchin III (D) | 49.6 | 290,510 |
 | Patrick Morrisey (R) | 46.3 | 271,113 | |
 | Rusty Hollen (L) | 4.2 | 24,411 | |
| Total votes: 586,034 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Incumbent Joe Manchin III defeated Paula Jean Swearengin in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Joe Manchin III | 69.9 | 112,658 |
| Paula Jean Swearengin | 30.1 | 48,594 | |
| Total votes: 161,252 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Chase Henderson (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Patrick Morrisey | 34.9 | 48,007 |
 | Evan Jenkins | 29.2 | 40,185 | |
 | Don Blankenship | 20.0 | 27,478 | |
 | Tom Willis | 9.8 | 13,540 | |
| Bo Copley | 3.1 | 4,248 | ||
| Jack Newbrough | 3.0 | 4,115 | ||
| Total votes: 137,573 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Scott Ernst (R)
2014
Capito won election to the United States Senate on November 4, 2014. Capito won the Republican nomination in the primary on May 13, 2014.[41]
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Shelley Moore Capito |
62.1% | 281,820 | |
| Democratic | Natalie Tennant | 34.5% | 156,360 | |
| Libertarian | John Buckley | 1.6% | 7,409 | |
| Constitution | Phil Hudok | 0.6% | 2,566 | |
| Mountain | Bob Henry Baber | 1.2% | 5,504 | |
| N/A | Write-ins | 0% | 30 | |
| Total Votes | 453,689 | |||
| Source: U.S. House Clerk "2014 Election Statistics" | ||||
Republican primary
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shelley Moore Capito |
87.5% | 74,655 | ||
| Larry Butcher | 4.2% | 3,595 | ||
| Matthew Dodrill | 8.3% | 7,072 | ||
| Total Votes | 85,322 | |||
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State |
||||
Earlier results
To view the electoral history dating back to 2012 for the office of U.S. Senate West Virginia, click [show] to expand the section. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2012
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Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for West Virginia, 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District | Incumbent | Party | PVI |
| West Virginia's 1st | Carol Miller |  Republican |
R+23 |
| West Virginia's 2nd | Alexander Mooney | Republican |
R+22 |
2020 presidential results by 2024 congressional district lines
| 2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2024 district lines, West Virginia[42] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Joe Biden 
|
Donald Trump
| ||
| West Virginia's 1st | 28.8% | 69.7% | ||
| West Virginia's 2nd | 30.6% | 67.6% | ||
2012-2020
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2020 presidential election, 100.0% of West Virginians lived in one of the state's 55 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020. Overall, West Virginia was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in West Virginia following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| West Virginia county-level statistics, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 55 | 100.0% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 0 | 0.0% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 55 | 100.0% | |||||
Historical voting trends
West Virginia presidential election results (1900-2020)
- 15 Democratic wins
- 16 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | D | D | D | R | D | D | R | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in West Virginia.
| U.S. Senate election results in West Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Winner | Runner up |
| 2020 | 70.3% |
27.0%
|
| 2018 | 49.6% |
46.3%
|
| 2014 | 62.1% |
34.5%
|
| 2012 | 60.8% |
36.5%
|
| 2010 | 53.5% |
43.4%
|
| Average | 59.3 | 37.5 |
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of West Virginia
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in West Virginia.
| Gubernatorial election results in West Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Winner | Runner up |
| 2020 | 63.5% |
30.2%
|
| 2016 | 49.1% |
42.3%
|
| 2012 | 50.5% |
45.7%
|
| 2011 | 49.6% |
47.1%
|
| 2008 | 69.8% |
25.7%
|
| Average | 56.5 | 38.2 |
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of West Virginia's congressional delegation as of May 2024.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from West Virginia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 2 | 4 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in West Virginia's top three state executive offices as of May 2024.
| State executive officials in West Virginia, May 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Office | Officeholder |
| Governor | Jim Justice
|
| Secretary of State | Mac Warner
|
| Attorney General | Patrick Morrisey
|
State legislature
West Virginia State Senate
| Party | As of February 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 3 | |
| Republican Party | 31 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 34 | |
West Virginia House of Delegates
| Party | As of February 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 89 | |
| Independent | 0 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Trifecta control
The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.
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[43] | 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 |
The table below details demographic data in West Virginia and compares it to the broader United States as of 2022.
| Demographic Data for West Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | United States | |
| Population | 1,793,716 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 24,041 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 91.4% | 65.9% |
| Black/African American | 3.4% | 12.5% |
| Asian | 0.8% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.2% |
| Other (single race) | 0.5% | 6% |
| Multiple | 3.7% | 8.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 1.8% | 18.7% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 88.4% | 89.1% |
| College graduation rate | 22.7% | 34.3% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $55,217 | $75,149 |
| Persons below poverty level | 11.9% | 8.8% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2017-2022). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
2024 battleground elections
- See also: Battlegrounds
This was a battleground election. Other 2024 battleground elections included:
- Mayoral election in Las Vegas, Nevada (2024)
- Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2024
- North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2024
See also
- United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2024 (May 14 Democratic primary)
- United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2024
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2024
- United States Senate elections, 2024
- U.S. Senate battlegrounds, 2024
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Jim Justice campaign website, "Home page," accessed March 14, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Politico, "Republicans have a plan to oust Manchin. This conservative won’t get out of the way." August 4, 2023
- ↑ Alexander Mooney campaign website, "Meet Alex," accessed March 14, 2024
- ↑ Politico, "Mooney says he's staying in West Virginia Senate GOP primary despite Justice polling lead," January 3, 2024
- ↑ CNN, "In a boon for Senate GOP leaders, Trump backs Jim Justice in West Virginia Senate primary," October 19, 2023
- ↑ Twitter, "Burgess Everett, accessed May 31, 2024
- ↑ Emerson College, "West Virginia 2024 Republican Primary Poll: Morrisey 28%, Capito 25%, Miller 19%," May 8, 2024
- ↑ West Virginia MetroNews, "Justice maintains big lead over Mooney in U.S. Senate race: West Virginia Poll," May 6, 2024
- ↑ Apr. 1–24, 2024.
- ↑ This figure includes $6,589.15 Lawhorn donated to his campaign.
- ↑ This figure includes $16,822.04 Lawhorn donated to his campaign.
- ↑ Bryan Bird (R) did not file as a candidate with the Federal Election Commission before the end of the reporting period and was not required to submit a campaign finance report.
- ↑ The Weirton Daily Times, "Pro-Capito group releases poll showing Capito in lead," April 27, 2024
- ↑ Mailchimp, "Osage Research - WV STATEWIDE PRIMARY BASELINE," accessed May 13, 2024
- ↑ This figure includes $10,232.89 Lawhorn contributed to his campaign.
- ↑ This figure includes $10,232.89 Lawhorn contributed to his campaign.
- ↑ Bryan Bird (R) did not file as a candidate with the Federal Election Commission before the end of the reporting period and was not required to submit a campaign finance report.
- ↑ West Virginia MetroNews, "Justice maintains big lead over Mooney in Republican primary for U.S. Senate, poll shows," April 12, 2024
- ↑ WOWK-TV, "WOWK 13 News/Emerson College poll: Morrisey leads West Virginia’s GOP Governor’s primary, Justice leads US Senate primary," March 22, 2024
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Federal Election Commission, "Defend American Jobs - Independent expenditures," accessed March 29, 2024
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Federal Election Commission, "Protect West Virginia Values - Independent expenditures," accessed March 23, 2024
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 Federal Election Commission, "Conservative Americans PAC - Independent expenditures," accessed March 23, 2024
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 23.6 23.7 23.8 23.9 Federal Election Commission, "Independent expenditures - Club for Growth Action," accessed March 22, 2024
- ↑ American Pulse Research & Polling, "New WMOV / American Pulse West Virginia Poll Released," November 22, 2023
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 Federal Election Commission, "Protect Freedom PAC - Independent expenditures," accessed March 23, 2024
- ↑ For more information on the difference between margins of error and credibility intervals, see explanations from the American Association for Public Opinion Research and Ipsos.
- ↑ Pew Research Center, "5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls," September 8, 2016
- ↑ RV=Registered Voters
LV=Likely Voters - ↑ The sponsor is the person or group that funded all or part of the poll.
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "West Virginia : U.S. Senate : 2024 Polls," accessed May 5, 2024
- ↑ RV=Registered Voters
LV=Likely Voters - ↑ The sponsor is the person or group that funded all or part of the poll.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 WOWK-TV, "WOWK 13 News/Emerson College poll: Economy, education, healthcare most important to Republican voters in West Virginia," March 25, 2024
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
- ↑ Associated Press, "West Virginia - Summary Vote Results," May 13, 2014
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed December 15, 2023
- ↑ Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration to Republican on August 4, 2017.
