West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2008

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2008 West Virginia gubernatorial election
November 4, 2008
 
Nominee Joe Manchin Russ Weeks
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 492,697 181,612
Percentage 69.81% 25.73%
County results
Manchin:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Governor before election

Joe Manchin
Democratic

 Elected Governor

Joe Manchin
Democratic

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The 2008 West Virginia gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Governor Joe Manchin was the Democratic nominee, challenged by Republican nominee Russ Weeks and Mountain Party candidate Jesse Johnson. Manchin won every county in the state and was reelected by the largest margin for any gubernatorial candidate in West Virginia's history. Manchin won by over 44%, even as Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, lost the state to John McCain in the concurrent presidential election.

Party primaries

Democratic Party

Democratic primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joe Manchin (incumbent) 264,775 74.62
Democratic Mel Kessler 90,074 25.38
Total votes 354,849 100.00

Republican Party

Republican primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Russ Weeks 81,019 100.00
Total votes 81,019 100.00

General election

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[2] Safe D October 16, 2008
Rothenberg Political Report[3] Safe D November 2, 2008
Sabato's Crystal Ball[4] Safe D November 3, 2008
Real Clear Politics[5] Safe D November 4, 2008

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[a]		 Margin
of error		 Joe
Manchin (D)		 Russ
Weeks (R)		 Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling (D)[6] October 29–30, 2008 2,128 (LV) ± 2.1% 69% 27% – 3%
Rasmussen Reports[7] October 20, 2008 500 (LV) ± 4.5% 71% 21% 3% 5%

Results

West Virginia gubernatorial election, 2008[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joe Manchin (incumbent) 492,697 69.81% +6.30%
Republican Russ Weeks 181,612 25.73% −8.27%
Mountain Jesse Johnson 31,486 4.46% +1.99%
Margin of victory 311,085 44.08% +14.57%
Total votes 705,795 100%
Democratic hold Swing

By county

Manchin won every county in the state.

County[9] Joe Manchin
Democratic		 Russ Weeks
Republican		 Jesse Johnson
Mountain		 Margin Total
# % # % # % # %
Barbour 4,613 73.76% 1,426 22.80% 215 3.44% 3,187 50.96% 6,254
Berkeley 21,545 59.26% 13,288 36.55% 1,525 4.19% 8,257 22.71% 36,358
Boone 6,124 73.41% 1,729 20.73% 489 5.86% 4,395 52.69% 8,342
Braxton 4,083 76.99% 1,111 20.95% 109 2.06% 2,972 56.04% 5,303
Brooke 7,793 79.76% 1,686 17.26% 292 2.99% 6,107 62.50% 9,771
Cabell 26,970 77.81% 6,651 19.19% 1,041 3.00% 20,319 58.62% 34,662
Calhoun 1,612 66.58% 635 26.23% 174 7.19% 977 40.36% 2,421
Clay 2,316 70.89% 782 23.94% 169 5.17% 1,534 46.95% 3,267
Doddridge 1,868 61.96% 1,021 33.86% 126 4.18% 847 28.09% 3,015
Fayette 10,305 67.59% 4,306 28.24% 636 4.17% 5,999 39.35% 15,247
Gilmer 1,728 68.95% 595 23.74% 183 7.30% 1,133 45.21% 2,506
Grant 2,425 59.86% 1,508 37.23% 118 2.91% 917 22.64% 4,051
Greenbrier 9,521 69.54% 3,606 26.34% 565 4.13% 5,915 43.20% 13,692
Hampshire 5,465 66.22% 2,491 30.18% 297 3.60% 2,974 36.04% 8,253
Hancock 10,069 77.38% 2,580 19.83% 364 2.80% 7,489 57.55% 13,013
Hardy 3,777 71.37% 1,278 24.15% 237 4.48% 2,499 47.22% 5,292
Harrison 22,746 72.05% 7,514 23.80% 1,309 4.15% 15,232 48.25% 31,569
Jackson 8,233 67.23% 3,392 27.70% 621 5.07% 4,841 39.53% 12,246
Jefferson 13,563 61.91% 7,010 32.00% 1,334 6.09% 6,553 29.91% 21,907
Kanawha 55,129 68.04% 20,595 25.42% 5,303 6.54% 34,534 42.62% 81,027
Lewis 4,434 67.13% 1,921 29.08% 250 3.79% 2,513 38.05% 6,605
Lincoln 4,776 69.18% 1,755 25.42% 373 5.40% 3,021 43.76% 6,904
Logan 10,101 76.28% 2,591 19.57% 550 4.15% 7,510 56.71% 13,242
Marion 17,849 75.98% 4,610 19.62% 1,033 4.40% 13,239 56.36% 23,492
Marshall 10,555 75.80% 2,915 20.94% 454 3.26% 7,640 54.87% 13,924
Mason 8,605 80.02% 1,806 16.80% 342 3.18% 6,799 63.23% 10,753
McDowell 5,323 83.25% 933 14.59% 138 2.16% 4,390 68.66% 6,394
Mercer 14,654 70.20% 5,687 27.24% 533 2.55% 8,967 42.96% 20,874
Mineral 8,100 70.88% 3,061 26.79% 266 2.33% 5,039 44.10% 11,427
Mingo 6,353 77.38% 1,525 18.57% 332 4.04% 4,828 58.81% 8,210
Monongalia 19,546 60.61% 9,064 28.11% 3,640 11.29% 10,482 32.50% 32,250
Monroe 3,824 68.33% 1,589 28.40% 183 3.27% 2,235 39.94% 5,596
Morgan 4,318 61.05% 2,432 34.38% 323 4.57% 1,886 26.66% 7,073
Nicholas 7,080 75.31% 2,027 21.56% 294 3.13% 5,053 53.75% 9,401
Ohio 14,225 73.61% 4,422 22.88% 677 3.50% 9,803 50.73% 19,324
Pendleton 2,056 61.95% 1,127 33.96% 136 4.10% 929 27.99% 3,319
Pleasants 2,235 74.97% 658 22.07% 88 2.95% 1,577 52.90% 2,981
Pocahontas 2,479 68.03% 902 24.75% 263 7.22% 1,577 43.28% 3,644
Preston 7,078 60.77% 3,782 32.47% 787 6.76% 3,296 28.30% 11,647
Putnam 16,995 69.02% 6,622 26.89% 1,005 4.08% 10,373 42.13% 24,622
Raleigh 15,736 56.19% 11,645 41.58% 625 2.23% 4,091 14.61% 28,006
Randolph 8,149 75.76% 2,084 19.37% 524 4.87% 6,065 56.38% 10,757
Ritchie 2,503 66.01% 1,153 30.41% 136 3.59% 1,350 35.60% 3,792
Roane 3,798 68.00% 1,494 26.75% 293 5.25% 2,304 41.25% 5,585
Summers 3,535 66.75% 1,573 29.70% 188 3.55% 1,962 37.05% 5,296
Taylor 4,419 71.74% 1,477 23.98% 264 4.29% 2,942 47.76% 6,160
Tucker 2,554 73.62% 748 21.56% 167 4.81% 1,806 52.06% 3,469
Tyler 2,567 69.30% 1,001 27.02% 136 3.67% 1,566 42.28% 3,704
Upshur 6,498 72.08% 2,253 24.99% 264 2.93% 4,245 47.09% 9,015
Wayne 11,793 77.08% 3,132 20.47% 374 2.44% 8,661 56.61% 15,299
Webster 2,361 76.73% 555 18.04% 161 5.23% 1,806 58.69% 3,077
Wetzel 4,975 77.97% 1,162 18.21% 244 3.82% 3,813 59.76% 6,381
Wirt 1,652 71.18% 581 25.03% 88 3.79% 1,071 46.14% 2,321
Wood 26,769 75.38% 7,658 21.57% 1,084 3.05% 19,111 53.82% 35,511
Wyoming 4,917 65.18% 2,463 32.65% 164 2.17% 2,454 32.53% 7,544
Totals492,69769.81%181,61225.73%31,4864.46%311,08544.08%705,795

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Notes

  1. Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

References

  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved June 7, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "2008 Governor Race ratings". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  3. "2008 Gubernatorial Ratings". Gubernatorial Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  4. "THE LAST LAST WORD The Crystal Ball's Final Projections for the 2008 Election". Sabato's Crystal Ball. November 3, 2008. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  5. "2008 West Virginia Governor Race". RealClearPolitics. November 4, 2008. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  6. Tom, Jensen; Dean, Debnam (October 30, 2008). "McCain headed for easy West Virginia victory" (PDF). Public Policy Polling. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2009. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  7. "Toplines - West Virginia Governor - October 20, 2008". Rasmussen Reports. October 20, 2008. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  8. http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/historyresource/Documents/General%2008%20All%20offices.pdf
  9. Warner, Mac (November 5, 2024). "GOVERNOR". Secretary of State of West Virginia. Retrieved March 20, 2026.