The 2011 West Virginia gubernatorial election was a special election held on October 4, 2011 to fill the office of the West Virginia Governor. The office became vacant upon the resignation of Governor Joe Manchin, who was elected to fill the seat of Robert Byrd in the United States Senate in 2010 following Byrd's death. Lieutenant Governor and Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, first in the line of succession, became acting governor in 2010 after Manchin took up the Senate seat. On January 18, 2011, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruled that a special election for the office of Governor must be held so a new Governor can be in place by November 15, 2011, exactly one year after Manchin resigned. The primary election was held on May 14. Tomblin and Republican Bill Maloney won their respective primaries.
Tomblin defeated William Maloney by a slim margin and received a majority of votes. He notably carried over 90% of the vote in his home county of Logan County. Tomblin was declared the winner of the election by the Associated Press on October 4, 2011 and was inaugurated on November 13, 2011. With a margin of 2.5%, the special election was the closest race of the 2011 gubernatorial election cycle.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
Jeff Kessler, Acting President of the West Virginia Senate
Arne Moltis
John Perdue, West Virginia State Treasurer
Natalie Tennant, West Virginia Secretary of State
Rick Thompson, Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates
Earl Ray Tomblin, Acting Governor and President of the West Virginia Senate
Declined
Brooks McCabe, state senator
Charlotte Pritt, former state senator, Democratic primary candidate for Governor in 1992, Democratic nominee for Governor in 1996 and write-in candidate for Governor in 1992, and Mountain Party nominee for Governor in 2016
Polling
Primary results
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared
Clark Barnes, state senator
Mitch Carmichael, state delegate
Ralph William Clark, professor
Cliff Ellis
Larry Faircloth, former State Delegate and candidate for Governor in 2004
Betty Ireland, former West Virginia Secretary of State
Bill Maloney, businessman
Mark Sorsaia, Putnam County District Attorney
Declined
Shelley Moore Capito, U.S. Representative
Patrick Lane, state delegate
Jon McBride, retired United States naval officer; former NASA astronaut
John Raese, businessman and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1984, 2006, and 2010
Mike Stuart, West Virginia Republican Party chairman
Polling
Primary results
General election
Candidates
Bob Henry Baber (Mountain), writer and former Mayor of Richwood
Rick Bartlett (write-in) Harry Bertram (American Third Position Party) Phil Hudok (write-in), teacher and registered Constitution Party member Marla Dee Ingels (Independent) Bill Maloney (Republican), Monongalia County businessman Earl Ray Tomblin (Democratic), Acting Governor and President of the West Virginia Senate Donald Lee Underwood (write-in)
Predictions
Polling
Results
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Calhoun (Largest city: Grantsville) Gilmer (Largest city: Glenville) Hardy (Largest city: Moorefield) Jackson (Largest city: Ravenswood) Jefferson (Largest city: Charles Town) Lewis (Largest city: Weston) Monongalia (Largest city: Morgantown) Monroe (Largest city: Peterstown) Ohio (Largest city: Wheeling) Pendleton (Largest city: Franklin) Pocahontas (Largest city: Marlinton) Roane (Largest city: Spencer) Taylor (Largest city: Grafton) Tyler (Largest city: Paden City) Brooke (largest borough: Wellsburg) Marion (largest city: Fairmont) Berkeley (largest municipality: Martinsburg) Hampshire (largest municipality: Romney) Mineral (largest municipality: Keyser) Morgan (largest municipality: Berkeley Springs) Upshur (largest municipality: Buckhannon) Wirt (largest municipality: Elizabeth) Putnam (largest municipality: Hurricane) Preston (largest municipality: Kingwood) Wood (largest municipality: Parkersburg) Doddridge (largest municipality: West Union) Grant (largest municipality: Petersburg) Ritchie (largest municipality: Harrisville)
References
External links
Campaign websites (Archived) Earl Ray Tomblin Bill Maloney Bob Henry Baber Phil Hudok Marla Ingels Jeff Kessler