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November 5, 1996
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 County results Underwood: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Pritt: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in West Virginia |
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The 1996 West Virginia gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1996 to elect the governor of West Virginia. Republican Cecil Underwood, who had previously been the governor of West Virginia from 1957 to 1961, defeated Democratic State Senator Charlotte Pritt. Concurrently, the state voted the opposite way federally, choosing Democratic U.S. presidential nominee, incumbent Bill Clinton over Republican nominee Bob Dole in the presidential election that year.
Pritt was the first woman to secure the West Virginia gubernatorial nomination of either of the two major political parties. This was the last time a Republican was elected governor of West Virginia until 2020. Former Republican Jim Justice was elected in the 2016 election as a Democrat and later switched back to the Republican Party seven months into his term, making him the first Republican governor since 2001 when Underwood left office.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Bob Henry Baber
- Larrie Bailey, former state treasurer
- Louis J. Davis
- Jim Lees, attorney
- Joe Manchin III, state senator from Fairmont
- Richard E. Moon
- Bobbie Edward Myers
- Charlotte Pritt, former state senator from Charleston and candidate for governor in 1992
- Frank Rochetti
- Lyle Sattes
- Fred Schell
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charlotte Pritt | 130,107 | 39.54% | |
| Democratic | Joe Manchin | 107,124 | 32.56% | |
| Democratic | Jim Lees | 64,100 | 19.48% | |
| Democratic | Larrie Bailey | 15,733 | 4.78% | |
| Democratic | Bobbie Edward Myers | 3,038 | 0.92% | |
| Democratic | Lyle Sattes | 2,931 | 0.89% | |
| Democratic | Bob Henry Baber | 1,456 | 0.44% | |
| Democratic | Louis J. Davis | 1,351 | 0.41% | |
| Democratic | Frank Rochetti | 1,330 | 0.40% | |
| Democratic | Richard E. Koon | 1,154 | 0.35% | |
| Democratic | Fred Schell | 733 | 0.22% | |
| Total votes | 329,057 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Jon McBride, retired astronaut, Navy veteran, and businessman
- David McKinley, former state delegate, and former state party chair
- Cecil Underwood, former governor and nominee for U.S. Senate in 1960
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Cecil Underwood | 54,628 | 40.78% | |
| Republican | Jon McBride | 44,255 | 33.03% | |
| Republican | David McKinley | 35,089 | 26.19% | |
| Total votes | 133,972 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Cecil Underwood | 324,518 | 51.63% | +15.07% | |
| Democratic | Charlotte Pritt | 287,870 | 45.80% | −10.21% | |
| Libertarian | Wallace Johnson | 16,171 | 2.57% | +2.57% | |
| Margin of victory | 36,648 | 5.83% | −13.62% | ||
| Total votes | 628,559 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | ||||
By county
| County[4] | Cecil Underwood Republican |
Charlotte Pritt Democratic |
Wallace Johnson Libertarian |
Margin | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Barbour | 3,214 | 53.75% | 2,596 | 43.42% | 169 | 2.83% | 618 | 10.34% | 5,979 |
| Berkeley | 10,666 | 53.34% | 8,851 | 44.26% | 479 | 2.40% | 1,815 | 9.08% | 19,996 |
| Boone | 2,846 | 32.26% | 5,787 | 65.60% | 189 | 2.14% | −2,941 | −33.34% | 8,822 |
| Braxton | 2,276 | 46.10% | 2,569 | 52.04% | 92 | 1.86% | −293 | −5.93% | 4,937 |
| Brooke | 4,158 | 44.37% | 4,942 | 52.74% | 271 | 2.89% | −784 | −8.37% | 9,371 |
| Cabell | 18,480 | 58.00% | 12,524 | 39.30% | 860 | 2.70% | 5,956 | 18.69% | 31,864 |
| Calhoun | 1,508 | 54.98% | 1,191 | 43.42% | 44 | 1.60% | 317 | 11.56% | 2,743 |
| Clay | 1,710 | 47.97% | 1,760 | 49.37% | 95 | 2.66% | −50 | −1.40% | 3,565 |
| Doddridge | 1,797 | 69.36% | 735 | 28.37% | 59 | 2.28% | 1,062 | 40.99% | 2,591 |
| Fayette | 5,427 | 37.44% | 8,558 | 59.04% | 511 | 3.53% | −3,131 | −21.60% | 14,496 |
| Gilmer | 1,560 | 59.36% | 1,026 | 39.04% | 42 | 1.60% | 534 | 20.32% | 2,628 |
| Grant | 3,233 | 75.66% | 973 | 22.77% | 67 | 1.57% | 2,260 | 52.89% | 4,273 |
| Greenbrier | 6,705 | 54.95% | 5,129 | 42.03% | 369 | 3.02% | 1,576 | 12.91% | 12,203 |
| Hampshire | 3,339 | 57.71% | 2,335 | 40.36% | 112 | 1.94% | 1,004 | 17.35% | 5,786 |
| Hancock | 5,701 | 42.13% | 7,610 | 56.24% | 220 | 1.63% | −1,909 | −14.11% | 13,531 |
| Hardy | 2,909 | 69.49% | 1,214 | 29.00% | 63 | 1.51% | 1,695 | 40.49% | 4,186 |
| Harrison | 13,744 | 51.48% | 12,303 | 46.08% | 653 | 2.45% | 1,441 | 5.40% | 26,700 |
| Jackson | 5,814 | 57.46% | 4,046 | 39.98% | 259 | 2.56% | 1,768 | 17.47% | 10,119 |
| Jefferson | 5,986 | 47.30% | 6,370 | 50.34% | 299 | 2.36% | −384 | −3.03% | 12,655 |
| Kanawha | 41,776 | 56.11% | 30,795 | 41.36% | 1,886 | 2.53% | 10,981 | 14.75% | 74,457 |
| Lewis | 3,604 | 58.39% | 2,355 | 38.16% | 213 | 3.45% | 1,249 | 20.24% | 6,172 |
| Lincoln | 3,281 | 39.61% | 4,815 | 58.13% | 187 | 2.26% | −1,534 | −18.52% | 8,283 |
| Logan | 4,164 | 27.14% | 11,010 | 71.77% | 167 | 1.09% | −6,846 | −44.63% | 15,341 |
| Marion | 9,818 | 44.95% | 11,544 | 52.85% | 479 | 2.19% | −1,726 | −7.90% | 21,841 |
| Marshall | 6,481 | 47.67% | 6,630 | 48.76% | 485 | 3.57% | −149 | −1.10% | 13,596 |
| Mason | 5,539 | 53.00% | 4,602 | 44.03% | 310 | 2.97% | 937 | 8.97% | 10,451 |
| McDowell | 2,502 | 30.21% | 5,653 | 68.26% | 126 | 1.52% | −3,151 | −38.05% | 8,281 |
| Mercer | 9,748 | 52.54% | 8,373 | 45.13% | 434 | 2.34% | 1,375 | 7.41% | 18,555 |
| Mineral | 5,134 | 56.62% | 3,684 | 40.63% | 250 | 2.76% | 1,450 | 15.99% | 9,068 |
| Mingo | 3,210 | 29.68% | 7,466 | 69.02% | 141 | 1.30% | −4,256 | −39.35% | 10,817 |
| Monongalia | 13,808 | 51.83% | 12,089 | 45.38% | 743 | 2.79% | 1,719 | 6.45% | 26,640 |
| Monroe | 2,821 | 56.07% | 2,109 | 41.92% | 101 | 2.01% | 712 | 14.15% | 5,031 |
| Morgan | 2,758 | 54.70% | 2,237 | 44.37% | 47 | 0.93% | 521 | 10.33% | 5,042 |
| Nicholas | 3,901 | 46.36% | 4,252 | 50.53% | 261 | 3.10% | −351 | −4.17% | 8,414 |
| Ohio | 9,853 | 55.50% | 7,482 | 42.14% | 418 | 2.35% | 2,371 | 13.36% | 17,753 |
| Pendleton | 1,911 | 59.29% | 1,266 | 39.28% | 46 | 1.43% | 645 | 20.01% | 3,223 |
| Pleasants | 1,899 | 60.25% | 1,164 | 36.93% | 89 | 2.82% | 735 | 23.32% | 3,152 |
| Pocahontas | 1,800 | 53.99% | 1,474 | 44.21% | 60 | 1.80% | 326 | 9.78% | 3,334 |
| Preston | 6,115 | 59.18% | 3,939 | 38.12% | 279 | 2.70% | 2,176 | 21.06% | 10,333 |
| Putnam | 11,582 | 63.46% | 6,052 | 33.16% | 618 | 3.39% | 5,530 | 30.30% | 18,252 |
| Raleigh | 11,638 | 49.60% | 10,841 | 46.20% | 987 | 4.21% | 797 | 3.40% | 23,466 |
| Randolph | 5,300 | 52.68% | 4,389 | 43.63% | 371 | 3.69% | 911 | 9.06% | 10,060 |
| Ritchie | 2,553 | 66.47% | 1,207 | 31.42% | 81 | 2.11% | 1,346 | 35.04% | 3,841 |
| Roane | 2,862 | 55.06% | 2,225 | 42.80% | 111 | 2.14% | 637 | 12.25% | 5,198 |
| Summers | 2,137 | 49.27% | 2,073 | 47.80% | 127 | 2.93% | 64 | 1.48% | 4,337 |
| Taylor | 3,173 | 57.46% | 2,186 | 39.59% | 163 | 2.95% | 987 | 17.87% | 5,522 |
| Tucker | 1,814 | 55.82% | 1,323 | 40.71% | 113 | 3.48% | 491 | 15.11% | 3,250 |
| Tyler | 2,750 | 71.84% | 1,006 | 26.28% | 72 | 1.88% | 1,744 | 45.56% | 3,828 |
| Upshur | 4,682 | 65.05% | 2,351 | 32.67% | 164 | 2.28% | 2,331 | 32.39% | 7,197 |
| Wayne | 7,390 | 48.13% | 7,601 | 49.51% | 362 | 2.36% | −211 | −1.37% | 15,353 |
| Webster | 1,183 | 35.35% | 2,090 | 62.44% | 74 | 2.21% | −907 | −27.10% | 3,347 |
| Wetzel | 3,194 | 51.96% | 2,799 | 45.53% | 154 | 2.51% | 395 | 6.43% | 6,147 |
| Wirt | 1,219 | 57.66% | 832 | 39.36% | 63 | 2.98% | 387 | 18.31% | 2,114 |
| Wood | 18,679 | 58.51% | 12,319 | 38.59% | 927 | 2.90% | 6,360 | 19.92% | 31,925 |
| Wyoming | 3,166 | 37.28% | 5,118 | 60.26% | 209 | 2.46% | −1,952 | −22.98% | 8,493 |
| Totals | 324,518 | 51.63% | 287,870 | 45.80% | 16,171 | 2.57% | 36,648 | 5.83% | 628,559 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
References
- "WV Governor - D Primary 1996". Our Campaigns. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- "1996 Primary Election - Official Returns of the Republican party" (PDF). WV Secretary of State. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
- Holmes, Darrell (1997). West Virginia Blue Book (PDF). p. 708. Retrieved May 15, 2026.