2012 West Virginia gubernatorial election
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  Tomblin: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Maloney: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 2012 West Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2012, to elect the governor of West Virginia. Democratic incumbent Earl Ray Tomblin, who was elected governor in a special election in 2011, was elected to a full four-year term. The election was a rematch of the 2011 special election.
As of 2025, this was the last gubernatorial election in which a Democratic governor was re-elected in the state.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Arne Moltis, candidate for governor in 2011[1]
- Earl Ray Tomblin, incumbent governor[2]
Declined
- Jeff Kessler, state senator, president of the state senate, and candidate for governor in 2011[3]
- Brooks McCabe, state senator[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Earl Ray Tomblin (incumbent) | 170,481 | 84.4% | |
| Democratic | Arne Moltis | 31,587 | 15.6% | |
| Total votes | 202,068 | 100.0% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Ralph William Clark, philosophy professor at West Virginia University and candidate for governor in 2011[5]
- Bill Maloney, businessman and Republican nominee for governor in 2011[5]
Declined
- Clark Barnes, state senator and candidate for governor in 2011[3] (did not file)
- Mark Sorsaia, Putnam County prosecutor and candidate for governor in 2011[3] (did not file)
- Mike Stuart, West Virginia Republican Party chairman[6]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Maloney | 86,925 | 83.5% | |
| Republican | Ralph William Clark | 17,165 | 16.5% | |
| Total votes | 104,090 | 100.0% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Jesse Johnson (Mountain), former gubernatorial and senate nominee[7]
- Bill Maloney (R), businessman and Republican nominee for governor in 2011
- David Moran (Libertarian), farmer and retired engineer[8]
- Earl Ray Tomblin (D), incumbent governor
Other potential candidates
- Norman Ferguson (NPA)[3]
- Phil Hudok (Constitution), write-in candidate for governor in 2011[3]
Debates
- Complete video of debate, October 9, 2012 - C-SPAN
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[9] | Lean D | November 1, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[10] | Lean D | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[11] | Lean D | November 2, 2012 |
| Real Clear Politics[12] | Likely D | November 5, 2012 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Earl Ray Tomblin (D) |
Bill Maloney (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R.L. Repass[13] | August 22–25, 2012 | 401 | ± 4.9% | 56% | 35% | 9% |
| R.L. Repass[14] | April 25–28, 2012 | 410 | ± 4.8% | 60% | 32% | 8% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Earl Ray Tomblin (incumbent) | 335,468 | 50.49% | +0.94% | |
| Republican | Bill Maloney | 303,291 | 45.65% | −1.40% | |
| Mountain | Jesse Johnson | 16,787 | 2.53% | +0.51% | |
| Libertarian | David Moran | 8,909 | 1.34% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 664,455 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Calhoun (Largest city: Grantsville)
- Gilmer (Largest city: Glenville)
- Hardy (Largest city: Moorefield)
- Jefferson (Largest city: Charles Town)
- Ohio (largest borough: Wheeling)
- Pendleton (Largest city: Franklin)
- Pocahontas (Largest city: Marlinton)
- Roane (Largest city: Spencer)
- Wirt (largest municipality: Elizabeth)
- Wood (largest municipality: Parkersburg)
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
By congressional district
Ray Tomblin won two of three congressional districts, including one that elected a Republican.[16]
| District | Ray Tomblin | Maloney | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 47.99% | 48.21% | David McKinley |
| 2nd | 49.4% | 46.19% | Shelley Moore Capito |
| 3rd | 54.43% | 42.25% | Nick Rahall |
References
- ^ Messina, Lawrence (January 28, 2012). "W.Va. candidates file for Congress, state offices". The Washington Examiner. Associated Press. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
- ^ Ali, Ann (January 19, 2012). "Tomblin files for governor". State Journal. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f Hicks, Ian (November 29, 2011). "Maloney May Try Again". The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register. Archived from the original on May 18, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
- ^ a b "Statewide Results". Secretary of State of West Virginia. Archived from the original on December 7, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
- ^ a b Rivard, Ry; Hunt, Jared (January 26, 2012). "Maloney ready for another shot against Tomblin". Charleston Daily Mail. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
- ^ Rivard, Ry (October 25, 2011). "GOP Chairman: Not running for public office in '12". Charleston Daily Mail. Archived from the original on October 30, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
- ^ "Mountain Party nominates Johnson, Baber at Sutton convention". The Charleston Gazette. July 24, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
- ^ "David Moran for Governor". Libertarian Party of West Virginia. Archived from the original on October 2, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
- ^ "2012 Governor Race Ratings for November 1, 2012". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
- ^ "PROJECTION: OBAMA WILL LIKELY WIN SECOND TERM". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Archived from the original on December 1, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
- ^ "2012 Gubernatorial Ratings". Gubernatorial Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
- ^ "2012 Elections Map - 2012 Governor Races". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
- ^ R.L. Repass
- ^ R.L. Repass
- ^ "WV SOS - Elections - Election Results - Online Data Services". Archived from the original on January 13, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts". Daily Kos. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
External links
- Elections Division at the West Virginia secretary of state
Candidate sites (Archived)