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 County results Manchin: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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The2008 West Virginia gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2008. Incumbent GovernorJoe Manchin was the Democratic nominee, challenged by Republican nomineeRuss Weeks and Mountain Party candidateJesse 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 asBarack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, lost the state toJohn McCain in theconcurrent presidential election. As of 2026, this is the last time thatDoddridge County has voted for a Democratic candidate for statewide office.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin (incumbent) | 264,775 | 74.62 | |
| Democratic | Mel Kessler | 90,074 | 25.38 | |
| Total votes | 354,849 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Russ Weeks | 81,019 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 81,019 | 100.00 | ||
| 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 |
| Poll Source | Dates administered | Joe Manchin (D) | Russ Weeks (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports[6] | October 20, 2008 | 71% | 21% |
| Public Policy Polling[7] | October 30, 2008 | 69% | 27% |
| 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% | |||
| Democratichold | Swing | ||||
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