The 2020 West Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the governor of West Virginia, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
Incumbent Governor Jim Justice announced his 2020 re-election campaign on January 7, 2019. Justice was elected in 2016 as a Democrat, but later switched back to the Republican Party at an August 2017 campaign rally with Donald Trump. Justice won re-election to a second term, defeating Democratic Kanawha County commissioner Ben Salango. Justice's re-election made him the first Republican to be elected governor of West Virginia since Cecil Underwood in 1996. Additionally, Justice became the first incumbent Republican governor to win re-election since Arch A. Moore Jr. in 1972, as well as the first Republican to carry all counties in West Virginia. However, Justice performed worse than Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who outperformed Justice by 5.13 percentage points. Additionally, Salango slightly outperformed Biden by 0.53 percentage points. Justice's 33% margin is the largest margin for a Republican in West Virginia history
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jim Justice, incumbent governor
Eliminated in primary
- Shelby Jean Fitzhugh, retiree
- Michael Folk, former state delegate
- Brooke Lunsford, insurance agent
- Chuck Sheedy, U.S. Army veteran
- Doug Six, surveyor
- Woody Thrasher, former West Virginia Secretary of Commerce (2017–2018)
Declined
- David McKinley, incumbent U.S. Representative for West Virginia's 1st congressional district (running for re-election)
- Mac Warner, Secretary of State of West Virginia (running for re-election)
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Ben Salango, Kanawha County commissioner
Eliminated in primary
- Douglas Hughes, environmental permit writer for West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
- Jody Murphy, businessman
- Stephen Smith, community organizer
- Ron Stollings, state senator
Declined
- Booth Goodwin, former United States Attorney and candidate for Governor of West Virginia in 2016
- Joe Manchin, incumbent U.S. Senator and former Governor of West Virginia
Endorsements
Stephen Smith
Other candidates
Mountain Party
The Mountain Party received over 5% of the vote in 2016 with former State Senator and Delegate Charlotte Pritt as the party's gubernatorial nominee. The party nominates its candidate for governor by convention per its bylaws.
Nominee
- Daniel Lutz, Eastern Panhandle Conservation District Supervisor representing Jefferson County, and commissioned U.S. Air Force veteran
Endorsements
Daniel Lutz
Organizations
- Eastern Panhandle Green Coalition, environmental organization
- Jefferson County Vision, sustainability organization
Libertarian Party
Nominee
- Erika Kolenich, trial attorney
Write-ins
The following candidates were certified write-in candidates.
Declared
- Quintin Gerard Caldwell
- Michael Folk, former State Delegate (sought the nomination of the Republican Party)
- Kimberly Gross
- Mitch Roberts
- Marshall Wilson, State Delegate (Independent)
General election
Polling
%support01020304050609/14/20209/30/202010/21/2020Jim JusticeBen SalangoDaniel LutzErika KolenichOther/Undecided2020 West Virginia gubernatorial election polling
Results
By county
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Cabell (largest city: Huntington)
- Calhoun (largest city: Grantsville)
- Clay (largest city: Clay)
- Gilmer (largest city: Glenville)
- Greenbrier (largest city: Lewisburg)
- Jackson (largest city: Ravenswood)
- Marshall (largest city: Moundsville)
- Mason (largest city: Point Pleasant)
- Monongalia (largest city: Morgantown)
- Monroe (largest city: Peterstown)
- Nicholas (largest city: Summersville)
- Ohio (largest city: Wheeling)
- Pendleton (largest city: Franklin)
- Pleasants (largest city: St. Marys)
- Pocahontas (largest city: Marlinton)
- Raleigh (largest city: Beckley)
- Randolph (largest city: Elkins)
- Roane (largest city: Spencer)
- Summers (largest city: Hinton)
- Wayne (largest city: Kenova)
- Wetzel (largest city: New Martinsville)
- Harrison (largest city: Clarksburg)
- Kanawha (largest city: Charleston)
- Lincoln (largest city: Hamlin)
- Wyoming (largest city: Mullens)
- Brooke (largest borough: Wellsburg)
- Fayette (largest city: Fayetteville)
- Logan (largest borough: Logan)
- Mingo (largest borough: Williamson)
- Boone (largest city: Madison)
- Braxton (largest town: Sutton)
- Marion (largest city: Fairmont)
- McDowell (largest city: Welch)
- Webster (largest town: Webster Springs)
- Wirt (largest municipality: Elizabeth)
- Putnam (largest municipality: Hurricane)
- Wood (largest municipality: Parkersburg)
By congressional district
Justice won all three congressional districts.