1996 West Virginia gubernatorial election

1996 West Virginia gubernatorial election

← 1992 November 5, 1996 2000 →

Nominee Cecil Underwood Charlotte Pritt Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 324,518 287,870 Percentage 51.6% 45.8%

County results Underwood:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Pritt:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Governor before election Gaston Caperton Democratic Elected Governor Cecil Underwood Republican

Elections in West Virginia
Federal government Presidential elections 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2008 2012 2016 2020 Republican 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate elections 1863 1865 1871 1877 1877 sp 1882 1883 1887 1888 1889 1892 1893 1893 sp 1895 1899 1901 1905 1907 1911 1911 sp 1913 1916 1918 1922 1924 1928 1930 1934 1936 1940 1942 1942 sp 1946 1948 1952 1954 1956 sp 1958 1958 sp 1960 1964 1966 1970 1972 1976 1978 1982 1984 1988 1990 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2010 sp 2012 2014 2018 2020 2024 2026 U.S. House of Representatives elections 1863 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1883 3rd sp 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1905 2nd sp 1906 1908 1910 1912 1913 1st sp 1914 1916 2nd sp 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1933 3rd sp 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1951 5th sp 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 3rd sp 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State government General elections 2010 2012 2016 2018 2020 2022 Gubernatorial elections 1863 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2011 sp 2012 2016 2020 2024 Secretary of State elections 2024 Senate elections 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 House of Delegates elections 2020 2022 2024
Wheeling Municipal elections 2020
v t e

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 election in which 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. As of 2023, this is the last time that the winning Republican gubernatorial nominee was not an incumbent Governor of West Virginia.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Charlotte Pritt, former State Senator from Charleston and candidate for Governor in 1992
• Joe Manchin III, State Senator from Fairmont
• Jim Lees, attorney
• Larrie Bailey, former State Treasurer
• Bobbie Edward Myers
• Lyle Sattes
• Bob Henry Baber
• Louis J. Davis
• Frank Rochetti
• Richard E. Moon
• Fred Schell

Republican primary

Candidates

• Cecil Underwood, Former Governor and nominee for U.S. Senate in 1960
• Jon McBride, Retired Astronaut, Navy Veteran, and Businessman
• David McKinley, Former State Delegate, and Former State Party Chair

Results

References

See also

This page was last edited on 17 December 2023, at 15:36