West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District election, 2016
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← 2014
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November 8, 2016 |
May 10, 2016 |
Alex Mooney  |
Alex Mooney |
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Cook Political Report: Solid R[1] Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe R[2] Rothenberg & Gonzales: Safe R[3] |
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The 2nd Congressional District of West Virginia held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Alex Mooney (R) won election to his second term, defeating Mark Hunt (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Mooney defeated Marc Savitt in the Republican primary, while Hunt defeated Tom Payne, Harvey Peyton, Cory Simpson, and Robert Wilson Jr. to win the Democratic nomination. The primary elections took place on May 10, 2016.[4][5]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Primary: 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.[6][7]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Alexander Mooney (R), who was first elected in 2014.
As of the 2010 redistricting cycle, West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District was located in the central portion of the state and included Berkely, Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Hampshire, Hardy, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Morgan, Pendleton, Putnam, Randolph, Roane, Upshur, and Wirt counties.[8]
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Alexander Mooney Incumbent |
58.2% | 140,807 | |
| Democratic | Mark Hunt | 41.8% | 101,207 | |
| Total Votes | 242,014 | |||
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alexander Mooney Incumbent |
73.1% | 45,839 | ||
| Marc Savitt | 26.9% | 16,849 | ||
| Total Votes | 62,688 | |||
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mark Hunt |
29.1% | 21,296 | ||
| Cory Simpson | 26.2% | 19,180 | ||
| Tom Payne | 20.8% | 15,250 | ||
| Harvey Peyton | 15.2% | 11,143 | ||
| Robert Wilson | 8.7% | 6,344 | ||
| Total Votes | 73,213 | |||
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State |
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Candidates
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General election candidates: Alexander Mooney  Mark Hunt |
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Primary candidates:[9] |
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Democratic Tom Payne[4] Harvey Peyton[4] Cory Simpson[4] Robert Wilson Jr.[4] |
Republican Marc Savitt - Business owner[11] |
Race background
Cory Simpson was one of the initial members of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Emerging Races. Emerging Races is the second tier of the Red to Blue program. According to the DCCC, it includes the districts "where campaigns are on track and working hard to put seats in play."[12][12]
Endorsements
Mark Hunt
- Former State Democratic Party Chairman Nick Casey - "Mark’s record of elected public service to the people of West Virginia is outstanding. Mark knows us, our families, our beliefs and what we want for this country and this state. Through thick and thin, Mark has fought for West Virginians and what we stand for. I have supported Mark because he always does his best for us. I support him now as he runs for United States Congress."[13]
Cory Simpson
- VoteVets - "When you talk about someone uniquely qualified to go to Congress and help formulate policies that will keep America safe, there are not many who match up with Cory Simpson. Cory hasn’t forgotten where he came from, either. His commitment to West Virginia, and to the men and women of the United States Military and veterans with whom he served can’t be challenged. He’ll be an incredibly effective leader in Congress, and we’re proud to endorse him."[14]
Polls
| West Virginia's 2nd District - Alexander Mooney vs. Mark Hunt | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Alexander Mooney |
Mark Hunt | Margin of Error | Sample Size | |||||||||||||||
| Lake Research Partners (D) August 28-September 6, 2016 | 38% | 35% | +/-4.9 | 400 | |||||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
Media
Cory Simpson
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District history
2014
The 2nd Congressional District of West Virginia held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Alex Mooney (R) defeated Nick Casey (D), Davy Jones (L) and Ed Rabel (I) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Alex Mooney |
47.1% | 72,042 | |
| Democratic | Nick Casey | 43.9% | 67,210 | |
| Libertarian | Davy Jones | 5% | 7,614 | |
| Independent | Ed Rabel | 4.1% | 6,226 | |
| Total Votes | 153,092 | |||
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State | ||||
2012
The 2nd Congressional District of West Virginia held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Shelley Moore Capito won re-election in the district.[15]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Howard Swint | 30.2% | 68,340 | |
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito Incumbent |
69.8% | 157,825 | |
| Total Votes | 226,165 | |||
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Important dates and deadlines
- See also: West Virginia elections, 2016
The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in West Virginia in 2016.
| Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| January 30, 2016 | Ballot access | Partisan candidate filing deadline | |
| April 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | First primary report due | |
| April 29, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-primary report due | |
| May 10, 2016 | Election date | Primary election | |
| June 20, 2016 | Campaign finance | Post-primary report due | |
| August 1, 2016 | Ballot access | Unaffiliated candidate filing deadline | |
| September 20, 2016 | Ballot access | Write-in candidate filing deadline | |
| September 30, 2016 | Campaign finance | First general report due | |
| October 28, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-general report due | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| December 19, 2016 | Campaign finance | Post-general report due | |
| March 31, 2017 | Campaign finance | Annual report due | |
| Sources: West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 Election, Dates and Deadlines," accessed June 14, 2015 West Virginia Secretary of State, "For Non-Party Affiliated Candidates," accessed June 14, 2015 West Virginia Secretary of State, "Candidates and Voters Guide to Write-in Filing and Voting Procedures," accessed June 14, 2015 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia, 2016
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2016
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2016 House Race Ratings for July 11, 2016," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2016 House," accessed July 18, 2016
- ↑ Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, "House Ratings," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 West Virginia Secretary of State, "Candidate Listing By Office," accessed February 2, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "West Virginia Primary Results," May 10, 2016
- ↑ 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 Redistricting Map "Map" accessed July 24, 2012
- ↑ Candidates are listed by party and alphabetically within each party.
- ↑ WV Public Broadcasting, "Former Delegate Hunt to Run For U.S. House," January 11, 2016
- ↑ Huntington News, "Republican Marc Savitt announced his candidacy for the 2nd Congressional District of West Virginia," October 14, 2015
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 DCCC, "DCCC Chairman Luján Announces First 31 Districts In Red To Blue Program," February 11, 2016
- ↑ MetroNews, "Former WV Democrat Party Chairman Casey endorses Hunt for 2nd District Congressman," February 18, 2016
- ↑ Vote Vets, "VoteVets PAC endorses Cory Simpson," accessed February 18, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, West Virginia"
For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!
