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United States Senate election in West Virginia (May 8, 2018 Democratic primary)
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 16
- Early voting: Oct. 24 - Nov. 3
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 5
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID required
- Poll times: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
2020 →
← 2014
|
| U.S. Senate, West Virginia |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: January 27, 2018 |
| Primary: May 8, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Joe Manchin III (Democrat) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voting in West Virginia |
| Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Tilt Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd West Virginia elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 |
A Democratic Party primary election took place on May 8, 2018, in West Virginia to determine which Democrat would run in the state's November 6, 2018, general election.
Incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin III (D) defeated one primary challenger, Paula Jean Swearengin, in the Democratic Party's primary election. Swearengin challenged Manchin from the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party. She had the support of the political action committee Brand New Congress.[1]
For an overview of the general election, click here.
After winning a special election in 2010, incumbent Sen. Manchin (D) was re-elected for a full term in 2012 with a margin of victory of 24 points.
Candidates and election results
Incumbent Joe Manchin III defeated Paula Jean Swearengin in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on May 8, 2018.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
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. | ||||
| 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. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Chase Henderson (D)
Campaign staff
Joe Manchin
- Pat Devny, campaign manager - Colin Van Ostern's former campaign manager[2]
- Larry Pucio, senior adviser - Manchin's former chief of staff in the governor's office[2]
- Grant Herring, communications director[2]
- Patti Hamilton, in-state finance director[2]
- Marcus Constantino, digital director[2]
Campaign finance
The table below contains data from FEC Quarterly October 2017 reports. It includes only candidates who reported at least $10,000 in campaign contributions as of September 30, 2017.[3]
Democrats
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.[4][5]
| 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 | |||||||
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in West Virginia heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2016 elections, Democrats and Republicans each held one U.S. Senate seat in West Virginia.
- Republicans held all three U.S. House seats in West Virginia.
State executives
- As of September 2018, Republicans held six of nine state executive positions, and Democrats held one. Two state executive positions were held by nonpartisan officials.
- The governor of West Virginia was Republican Jim Justice. Justice won office in 2016 as a member of the Democratic Party.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled both chambers of the West Virginia State Legislature. They had a 63-35 majority in the state House and a 22-12 majority in the state Senate.
Trifecta status
- West Virginia was a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party held the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature.
2018 elections
- See also: West Virginia elections, 2018
West Virginia held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- The U.S. Senate seat held by Joe Manchin (D)
- All three U.S. House seats
- 17 of 34 state Senate seats
- All 100 state House seats
- Local judicial seats
- Local school board seats
Demographics
| Demographic data for West Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 1,841,053 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 24,038 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 93.6% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 3.3% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 0.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 1.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 85% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 19.2% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $41,751 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 22.2% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in West Virginia. **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. | ||
As of July 2016, West Virginia's three largest cities were Charleston (pop. est. 49,138), Huntington (pop. est. 48,113), and Morgantown (pop. est. 30,855).[6]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in West Virginia from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the West Virginia Secretary of State.
Historical elections
Presidential elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the presidential election in West Virginia every year from 2000 to 2016.
| Election results (President of the United States), West Virginia 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 |  Donald Trump |
68.6% | Hillary Clinton |
26.5% | 42.1% |
| 2012 | Mitt Romney |
62.3% | Barack Obama |
35.5% | 26.8% |
| 2008 | John McCain |
55.7% | Barack Obama |
42.6% | 13.1% |
| 2004 | George W. Bush |
56.1% | John Kerry |
43.2% | 12.9% |
| 2000 | George W. Bush |
51.9% | Al Gore |
45.6% | 6.3% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2014
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in West Virginia from 2000 to 2014. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
| Election results (U.S. Senator), West Virginia 2000-2014 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014 | Shelley Moore Capito |
62.1% | Natalie Tennant |
34.5% | 27.6% |
| 2012 | Joe Manchin III |
60.6% | John Raese |
36.5% | 24.1% |
| 2010 | Joe Manchin III |
53.5% | John Raese |
43.4% | 10.1% |
| 2008 | Jay Rockefeller |
63.7% | Matthew Wolfe |
36.3% | 27.4% |
| 2006 | Robert Byrd |
64.4% | John Raese |
33.7% | 30.7% |
| 2002 | Jay Rockefeller |
63.1% | Jay Wolfe |
36.9% | 26.2% |
| 2000 | Robert Byrd |
77.8% | David Gallaher |
20.2% | 57.6% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in West Virginia.
| Election results (Governor), West Virginia 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Jim Justice[7] |
49.1% | Bill Cole |
42.3% | 6.8% |
| 2012 | Earl Ray Tomblin |
50.5% | Bill Maloney |
45.7% | 4.8% |
| 2011 (special election) | Earl Ray Tomblin |
49.6% | Bill Maloney |
47.1% | 2.5% |
| 2008 | Joe Manchin III |
69.8% | Russell Weeks |
25.7% | 44.1% |
| 2004 | Joe Manchin III |
63.5% | Monty Warner |
34.0% | 29.5% |
| 2000 | Bob Wise |
50.1% | Cecil Underwood |
47.2% | 2.9% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent West Virginia in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
| Congressional delegation, West Virginia 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Republicans | Republicans (%) | Democrats | Democrats (%) | Balance of power |
| 2016 | 3 |
100.0% | 0 |
0.0% | R+3 |
| 2014 | 3 |
100.0% | 0 |
0.0% | R+3 |
| 2012 | 2 |
66.7% | 1 |
33.3% | R+1 |
| 2010 | 2 |
66.7% | 1 |
33.3% | R+1 |
| 2008 | 1 |
33.3% | 2 |
66.7% | D+1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
33.3% | 2 |
66.7% | D+1 |
| 2004 | 1 |
33.3% | 2 |
66.7% | D+1 |
| 2002 | 1 |
33.3% | 2 |
66.7% | D+1 |
| 2000 | 1 |
33.3% | 2 |
66.7% | D+1 |
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
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[8] | 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 |
See also
- United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2018
- United States Senate election in West Virginia (May 8, 2018 Republican primary)
- United States Senate elections, 2018
- United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ The Atlantic, "West Virginia's Conservative Democrat Gets a Primary Challenger," May 9, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Politico, "Close Virginia governor polls set Democratic nerves on edge," October 19, 2017
- ↑ FEC, "Federal Election Commission," accessed November 5, 2017
- ↑ 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
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Quick Facts - West Virginia," accessed January 23, 2018
- ↑ Justice was elected as a Democrat in 2016 but subsequently reregistered as a Republican.
- ↑ Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration to Republican on August 4, 2017.
