West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2020 (June 9 Democratic primary)

Elections 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.

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Date of West Virginia presidential primary: June 9

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2024 → ← 2016
Governor of West Virginia
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: January 25, 2020
Primary: June 9, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent(s): Gov. Jim Justice (R)
How to vote
Poll times: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voting in West Virginia
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2020 Impact of term limits in 2020 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
West Virginia executive elections
Governor Attorney General Secretary of State Treasurer Auditor Commissioner of Agriculture

Ben Salango won the Democratic primary for governor of West Virginia on June 9, 2020, defeating Stephen Smith, Ron Stollings, Jody Murphy, and Douglas Hughes. Salango received 39% of the vote to Smith's 33% and Stollings' 13%. No other candidate received more than 10% of the vote. Salango, Smith, and Stollings led in fundraising and media attention.

At the time of the election, Salango had served on the Kanawha County Commission since 2017. He said his record included creating union jobs, securing paid family leave, and helping seniors get hot meals. Salango said his priorities as governor would include education, job creation, healthcare, and addressing the opioid issue.

Smith, who directed the WV Healthy Kids and Families Coalition for six years, said he would focus on getting money out of politics, changing the tax structure to benefit small businesses and families, and legalizing cannabis. Smith said his campaign would not accept corporate PAC or lobbyist money.

Stollings was first elected to the state Senate in 2006. He said his experience as a physician and state senator uniquely qualified him to address the state's challenges with opioid use, the coronavirus, and prescription drug costs. Stollings said he would prioritize the opioid issue, healthcare, education, and the economy.

Douglas Hughes and Jody Murphy also ran in the primary.

Incumbent Gov. Jim Justice was elected as a Democrat in 2016 with 49% of the vote to Republican Bill Cole's 42%. Justice switched his affiliation to Republican in 2017. Heading into the 2020 election, West Virginia had last elected a Republican governor in 1996. Three election forecasters rated the 2020 general election Safe or Solid Republican as of early June.

This page focuses on West Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on West Virginia's Republican gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages:

• West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2020 (June 9 Republican primary)
• West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2020

This election was a battleground race. Other 2020 battlegrounds included:

Delaware State Senate elections, 2020 Montana Secretary of State election, 2020 Utah Attorney General election, 2020 (June 30 Republican primary)

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

West Virginia modified its primary election process as follows:

• Election postponements: The primary election was postponed from May 12 to June 9.
• Voting procedures: Absentee ballot application mailed to every registered voter for the primary election.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Candidates and election results

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of West Virginia

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ben Salango	38.7	74,554
		Stephen Smith	33.8	65,056
		Ron Stollings	13.3	25,686
		Jody Murphy	9.3	17,968
	Submit photo	Douglas Hughes	4.8	9,201

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 192,465
= 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

• Cecil Silva (D)
• Edwin Ray Vanover (D)

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Ben Salango

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Kanawha County Commission (Assumed office: 2017)

Biography:  Salango received an undergraduate degree from West Virginia University and a J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law. As of his 2020 campaign, Salango worked as an attorney and owned 304 Tees, an apparel company he founded.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Salango said, "As [Kanawha County] commissioner, I secured 12 weeks of paid family leave for workers, created union jobs, cleared the waitlist for seniors who needed hot meals, and built the Shawnee Sports Complex."

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Salango's campaign website said he would prioritize "investments in public education, creating more jobs in the Mountain State, protecting health care, fixing the roads, and combating the opioid epidemic."

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Salango said West Virginia needed new leadership. He said, "I've worked for every single thing that I have. ... When you start from nothing, unlike our governor, you appreciate the value of a hard day's work. ... I'm going to roll up my sleeves and I'm going to get things done."

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Show sources

Sources: The Herald-Dispatch, "W.Va. Governor candidate: Ben Salango (D)," March 30, 2020; YouTube, "Dynamo," May 11, 2020; Facebook, "WVVA WV Democratic Governor Debate," March 24, 2020; Ben Salango's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed June 4, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of West Virginia in 2020.

Stephen Smith

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Stephen Smith was born in Charleston, West Virginia. He learned from his parents Mark and Jane that in our state, we judge ourselves by the people we serve; not by the things that we own. Stephen graduated from Harvard College, where he joined with students, janitors, and cooks to win a living wage for all workers on-campus. Since then he has spent his life on the side of poor and working people--organizing alongside youth, immigrants and people with disabilities in Chicago before moving back home in 2012. For 6 years, Stephen led an anti-poverty organization in West Virginia that amassed 27 policy victories (5+ million school breakfasts per year, 180,000 people with health care, a raise in the minimum wage) and sparked more than 300 rural community gardens, after school programs, and small businesses. He is now running for Governor in a campaign that American Prospect editor David Dayen called "true bottom-up politics unlike anything I've ever seen." He lives in Charleston West Virginia with his son Jackson and wife Sara Whitaker, a Kanawha County public defender."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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We are not for sale. Our campaign rejects corporate PAC and lobbyist money, and we will fight to get money out of politics.

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We must rebuild our tax structure to favor of small businesses and working families - not tax-dodging out-of-state monopolies.

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We are pro-cannabis. We can save lives, save money, and grow our agriculture industry for local farmers.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of West Virginia in 2020.

Ron Stollings

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

West Virginia State Senate (Assumed office: 2006)

Biography:  Stollings received a B.A. from Wake Forest University and an M.S. from West Virginia University. He then received his M.D. from Marshall University School of Medicine. As of the 2020 campaign, Stollings worked as an internal medicine doctor. He was previously co-chairman of the Council of State Governments Health Policy Committee.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Stollings emphasized his experience as a doctor. "When I look at the pressing issues in the state of West Virginia, with hospitals closing, the opioid or substance use crisis that we have ... tearing our families and communities apart, prescription drug costs, and now the coronavirus, I feel that I'm uniquely qualified to be the next governor."

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Stollings said his campaign would focus on the opioid issue, healthcare, education, and the economy. He said, "I truly believe the health of a population, education outcomes and the economy of a region are intricately linked." 

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Stollings said, "I have the relationships with leaders of both parties and have a 14-year record of accomplishments," which he said included helping pass bills on prescription drug pricing transparency and broadband expansion.

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Show sources

Sources: Facebook, "WVVA WV Democratic Governor Debate," March 24, 2020; Ron Strollings' 2020 campaign website, "News," accessed June 4, 2020; Ron Stollings' 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed June 4, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of West Virginia in 2020.

Endorsements

This section lists endorsements issued in this election. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

• Ben Salango
  • Sen. Joe Manchin (D)
  • Former Gov. Gaston Caperton (D)
  • Charleston Gazette-Mail
  • Upper Ohio Valley Building Trades
  • International Union of Operating Engineers Local 132
  • LiUNA! West Virginia and Appalachian Laborers' District Council
  • West Virginia AFL-CIO
  • West Virginia Sheriff's Association
  • United Steelworkers
  • Communication Workers of America
  • West Virginia Professional Firefighters

• Stephen Smith
  • Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

West Virginial gubernatorial election, 2020: Democratic primary election polls
Poll	Date	Hughes	Murphy	Salango	Smith	Stollings	Other	Margin of error	Sample size
Triton Polling	May 18-19	1%	3%	30%	27%	10%	29%	6.4%	231

General election race ratings

Race ratings: West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2020
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 3, 2020	October 27, 2020	October 20, 2020	October 13, 2020
The Cook Political Report	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Likely Republican	Likely Republican	Likely Republican	Likely Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Past elections

2016

See also: West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2016

General election

Jim Justice defeated Bill Cole, Charlotte Jean Pritt, David Moran, and Phil Hudok in the West Virginia governor election.

West Virginia Governor, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Jim Justice	49.09%	350,408
	Republican	Bill Cole	42.30%	301,987
	Mountain Party	Charlotte Jean Pritt	5.89%	42,068
	Libertarian	David Moran	2.15%	15,354
	Constitution Party	Phil Hudok	0.57%	4,041
Total Votes				713,858
Source: West Virginia Secretary of State

Primary elections

Democratic primary election

 

Jim Justice defeated Booth Goodwin and Jeff Kessler in the Democratic primary for governor.

Democratic primary for Governor, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jim Justice	51.37%	132,704
Booth Goodwin	25.32%	65,416
Jeff Kessler	23.31%	60,230
Total Votes (1,745 of 1,745 precincts reporting)		258,350
Source: MetroNews

Republican primary election

 

Bill Cole ran unopposed in the Republican primary for governor.

Republican primary for Governor, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Bill Cole  (unopposed)	100.00%	161,127
Total Votes (1,745 of 1,745 precincts reporting)		161,127
Source: MetroNews

2012

See also: West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2012

Governor of West Virginia General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Earl Ray Tomblin Incumbent	50.4%	284,758
	Republican	Bill Maloney	45.7%	258,376
	Mountain	Jesse Johnson	2.6%	14,614
	Libertarian	David Moran	1.4%	7,653
Total Votes				565,401
Election results via West Virginia Secretary of State Election Results Center

To view the full electoral history for Governor of West Virginia, click [show] to expand the full section.

2011 On October 4, 2011, Earl Ray Tomblin won election to the office of Governor of West Virginia. He defeated Bill Maloney (R), Bob Henry Baber (Mountain), Marla Ingels (I) and Harry Bertram (American Third Position) in the general election. Governor of West Virginia, 2011 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Earl Ray Tomblin Incumbent 49.6% 149,202      Republican Bill Maloney 47% 141,656      Mountain Party Bob Henry Baber 2% 6,083      Independent Marla Ingels 1% 2,875      American Third Position Harry Bertram 0.4% 1,111      Write-In Phil Hudok 0% 76      Write-In Donald Lee Underwood 0% 54      Write-In John R. "Rick" Bartlett 0% 27 Total Votes 301,084 Election results via West Virginia Secretary of State. 2008 On November 4, 2008, Joe Manchin III won re-election to the office of Governor of West Virginia. He defeated Russell E. Weeks Jr. (R) and Jesse C. Johnson Jr. (Mountain) in the general election. Governor of West Virginia, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Joe Manchin III Incumbent 69.8% 492,697      Republican Russell E. Weeks Jr. 25.7% 181,612      Mountain Party Jesse C. Johnson Jr. 4.5% 31,486 Total Votes 705,795 Election results via West Virginia Secretary of State. 2004 On November 2, 2004, Joe Manchin III won election to the office of Governor of West Virginia. He defeated Monty Warner (R) and Jesse Johnson (Mountain) in the general election. Governor of West Virginia, 2004 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Joe Manchin III 63.5% 472,758      Republican Monty Warner 34% 253,131      Mountain Party Jesse Johnson 2.4% 18,113      Write-In Simon McClure 0% 114 Total Votes 744,116 Election results via West Virginia Secretary of State. 2000 On November 7, 2000, Bob Wise won election to the office of Governor of West Virginia. He defeated Cecil H. Underwood and three minor-party candidates in the general election. Governor of West Virginia, 2000 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Bob Wise 50.1% 324,822      Republican Cecil H. Underwood 47.2% 305,926      Libertarian Bob Myers 0.9% 5,548      Natural Law Randall B. Ashelman 0.2% 1,301      Mountain Denise Giardina 1.6% 10,416      Write-In Lou Davis 0% 34 Total Votes 648,047 Election results via West Virginia Secretary of State.

State profile

See also: West Virginia and West Virginia elections, 2020

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of June 4, 2020

Presidential voting pattern

• West Virginia voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2018 elections, there was one Democratic and one Republican U.S. senator from West Virginia.
• The state's three U.S. representatives were Republican.

State executives

• Five of 14 state executive offices were held by Republicans, one was held by a Democrat, and the rest were nonpartisan positions.
• West Virginia's governor was Republican Jim Justice.

State legislature

• Republicans held a veto-proof majority in the West Virginia State Senate of 20 members to Democrats' 14 members.
• Republicans held a veto-proof majority in the West Virginia House of Representatives of 58 members to Democrats' 41. There was one independent member.

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	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

West Virginia quick stats

• Originally part of Virginia, West Virginia separated when Virginia seceded
  from the union in 1861. West Virginia was granted statehood in 1863.
• 35th state admitted to the United States
• Members of the West Virginia State Senate: 34
• Members of the West Virginia House of Representatives: 100
• U.S. senators: 2
• U.S. representatives: 3

More West Virginia coverage on Ballotpedia:

• West Virginia elections, 2020
• Presidential voting trends in West Virginia
• United States congressional delegations from West Virginia
• Public policy in West Virginia
• Influencers in West Virginia
• Almanac of American Politics state profile
• More...

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.

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Governor of West Virginia official website

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