The 2011 West Virginia gubernatorial special election was a special election held on October 4, 2011, to fill the office of the West Virginia Governor, which became vacant when Joe Manchin resigned after he won a U.S. Senate special election. Lieutenant Governor and Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, first in the line of succession to the governorship, subsequently became acting governor. On January 18, 2011, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruled that a special election for the governorship 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, notably winning 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. Tomblin was re-elected Governor in 2012 in a rematch with Maloney.
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
- Berkeley (largest municipality: Martinsburg)
- Calhoun (Largest city: Grantsville)
- Doddridge (largest municipality: West Union)
- Gilmer (Largest city: Glenville)
- Grant (largest municipality: Petersburg)
- Hampshire (largest municipality: Romney)
- Hardy (Largest city: Moorefield)
- Jackson (Largest city: Ravenswood)
- Jefferson (Largest city: Charles Town)
- Lewis (Largest city: Weston)
- Mineral (largest municipality: Keyser)
- Monongalia (Largest city: Morgantown)
- Monroe (Largest city: Peterstown)
- Morgan (largest municipality: Berkeley Springs)
- Ohio (Largest city: Wheeling)
- Pendleton (Largest city: Franklin)
- Pocahontas (Largest city: Marlinton)
- Preston (largest municipality: Kingwood)
- Putnam (largest municipality: Hurricane)
- Ritchie (largest municipality: Harrisville)
- Roane (Largest city: Spencer)
- Taylor (Largest city: Grafton)
- Tyler (Largest city: Paden City)
- Upshur (largest municipality: Buckhannon)
- Wirt (largest municipality: Elizabeth)
- Wood (largest municipality: Parkersburg)
References
External links
Campaign websites (Archived)
- Earl Ray Tomblin
- Bill Maloney
- Bob Henry Baber
- Phil Hudok
- Marla Ingels
- Jeff Kessler
Information
- Elections Division at the Secretary of State
- 2011 Gubernatorial Election
- West Virginia Governor Candidates Archived October 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine at Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions for 2011 West Virginia Governor from Follow the Money
- West Virginia Governor 2011 from OurCampaigns.com
- 2011 West Virginia Governor - Maloney vs. Tomblin Polling Data from Real Clear Politics
