West Virginia held elections on November 8, 2016. Elections for the United States House, as well as for several statewide offices including the governorship were held. These elections were held concurrently with the2016 U.S. presidential election and otherelections nationwide. Primary elections were held on May 10, 2016.
RepublicanDonald Trump easily carried West Virginia, capturing 68.5% of the vote and sweeping every county in the state, his strongest vote share in the nation.[1]
Incumbent DemocratEarl Ray Tomblin was term-limited from running again in 2016. State Senate PresidentBill Cole ran unopposed in the Republican primary contest, while businessmanJim Justice defeated multiple opponents in the Democratic primary contest. The state's Republican trend, coupled with past scandals surrounding Justice's unpaid taxes and business controversies, made the race extremely competitive. Justice went on to narrowly win the election, capturing 49.1% of the vote.[3] Justice would go on to switch party affiliation just months after being in office, announcing he would become a Republican at an August 4, 2017 rally with President Trump.[4]
18 of the 34State Senate seats were up for election in 2016, with 3 Democrats and 1 Republican incumbents not running for reelection. Republicans won a net gain of 4 seats, increasing their majority in the state senate from 18 to 22 seats.[5]
All 100 seats in theWest Virginia House of Delegates were up for election, with 13 Republican and 8 Democratic incumbents not running for reelection. The Republican majority sustained a net loss of 1 seat, decreasing the majority from 64 seats to 63.[6] This soon changed when DemocratRupert Phillips Jr. switched party affiliation to Independent in January 2017, and then to Republican in May 2017 reestablishing the 64–36 majority from 2014.[7]
Democratic incumbentJohn Perdue, who had held theWest Virginia State Treasurer's position since1996, was re-elected with 50.33% of the vote. He defeated Republican challenger and businesswoman Ann Urling. Perdue became the only Democrat to hold statewide executive office in West Virginia after Governor Justice's party switch in 2017.[10] As of 2025, this is the last time a Democrat has won an outright majority of the vote in a statewide election in West Virginia.
RepublicanJB McCuskey was elected with 58.48% of the vote over Democrat Mary Ann Claytor. This marks the first time since 1928 that a Republican had won the office. The seat was open after the resignation of DemocratGlen Glainer III, who had held the office since1992. In May 2016, Lisa Hopkins was appointed as interim Auditor until the election.[11]
Previously before the election, the Republican-controlled West Virginia Legislature passed a law in 2015 making the election of judges non-partisan. The bill was signed into law by Democratic governorEarl Ray Tomblin, making this the first non-partisan West Virginia Supreme Court election in history. As there were no primary elections for Justices to run in to become the nominee of a party, the elections were held during the statewide primary elections, usually held in May, instead of the general elections in November.
Originally elected in2004, incumbent JusticeBrent Benjamin lost re-election to another 12 year term on theSupreme Court of Appeals toBeth Walker, aMorgantown attorney and former candidate for the court in2008. Walker became the first Supreme Court Justice ever elected in a non-partisan race.
