The 2000 United States presidential election in West Virginia took place on November 7, 2000, as part of the 2000 United States presidential election. Voters chose 5 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

West Virginia gave its 5 electoral votes to the Republican nominee, Texas Governor George W. Bush, marking the first time a Republican carried the state since Ronald Reagan in 1984, and only the fourth time since 1928. While West Virginia was traditionally a Democratic stronghold, this election marked the beginning of a political realignment of the two Virginias.

From 1932 to 1996, West Virginia only voted Republican in their landslide victories in 1956, 1972, and 1984. Conversely, Virginia always voted Republican from 1968 to 2004, never voting even for Democrats who won the presidency.

But starting in 2000, West Virginia has always voted Republican, nearly always by increasing margins. Meanwhile, Virginia has nearly always trended more Democratic relative to the nation in every subsequent election.

This was the first time West Virginia voted for a Republican in a close election. In this election, West Virginia voted 6.84% more Republican than the nation at-large. In 2008, West Virginia voted for a Republican who lost the presidential election. Since 2012, the Republican nominee has won every county in the state. Since 2016, West Virginia has been the most or second-most Republican state in the nation.

, this is the last election in which the Democratic candidate won Kanawha County, Harrison County, Lincoln County, and Wyoming County. This was the first time since 1928 that a non-incumbent Republican won West Virginia. This is also the last presidential election in which a Democrat won any congressional district in the state, the last time the state was won by single digits, the last time West Virginia voted to the left of Virginia, and the last time a Democrat won at least 45% of the vote in the state.

Primaries 2000 West Virginia Democratic presidential primary 2000 West Virginia Republican presidential primary

General election Predictions SourceRatingAs ofThe Cook Political Report November 1, 2000

Results

By county CountyGeorge W. BushRepublicanAl GoreDemocraticVarious candidatesOther partiesMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Barbour3,41156.37%2,50341.37%1372.26%90815.00%6,051Berkeley13,61959.19%8,79738.23%5942.58%4,82220.96%23,010Boone3,35336.68%5,65661.88%1321.44%-2,303-25.20%9,141Braxton2,52947.47%2,71951.03%801.50%-190-3.56%5,328Brooke4,19544.60%4,67849.74%5325.66%-483-5.14%9,405Cabell16,44051.03%14,89646.24%8802.73%1,5444.79%32,216Calhoun1,42554.49%1,11242.52%782.98%31311.97%2,615Clay1,88752.68%1,61745.14%782.18%2707.54%3,582Doddridge1,95569.42%77327.45%883.13%1,18241.97%2,816Fayette5,89740.34%8,37157.26%3512.40%-2,474-16.92%14,619Gilmer1,56056.93%1,09239.85%883.21%46817.08%2,740Grant3,57178.76%89119.65%721.59%2,68059.11%4,534Greenbrier6,86653.61%5,62743.93%3152.46%1,2399.68%12,808Hampshire3,87963.62%2,06933.93%1492.44%1,81029.69%6,097Hancock6,45847.94%6,24946.39%7655.68%2091.55%13,472Hardy2,81662.38%1,62135.91%771.71%1,19526.47%4,514Harrison12,94848.72%13,00948.95%6212.34%-61-0.23%26,578Jackson6,34155.05%4,93742.86%2402.08%1,40412.19%11,518Jefferson7,04549.00%6,86047.71%4733.29%1851.29%14,378Kanawha36,80948.01%38,52450.25%1,3371.74%-1,715-2.24%76,670Lewis3,60658.79%2,35538.39%1732.82%1,25120.40%6,134Lincoln3,38945.40%3,93952.77%1361.82%-550-7.37%7,464Logan5,33436.94%8,92761.83%1781.23%-3,593-24.89%14,439Marion9,97243.60%12,31553.84%5862.56%-2,343-10.24%22,873Marshall6,85950.81%6,00044.45%6394.73%8596.36%13,498Mason5,97253.21%4,96344.22%2882.57%1,0098.99%11,223McDowell2,34832.15%4,84566.34%1101.51%-2,497-34.19%7,303Mercer10,20654.07%8,34744.22%3221.71%1,8599.85%18,875Mineral6,18063.18%3,34134.15%2612.67%2,83929.03%9,782Mingo3,86638.49%6,04960.23%1281.27%-2,183-21.74%10,043Monongalia13,59549.68%12,60346.05%1,1694.27%9923.63%27,367Monroe2,94057.21%2,09440.75%1052.04%84616.46%5,139Morgan3,63963.05%1,93933.59%1943.36%1,70029.46%5,772Nicholas4,35950.81%4,05947.31%1611.88%3003.50%8,579Ohio9,60753.48%7,65342.60%7043.92%1,95410.88%17,964Pendleton1,99661.97%1,17236.39%531.65%82425.58%3,221Pleasants1,88458.73%1,26739.50%571.78%61719.23%3,208Pocahontas1,97056.82%1,39240.15%1053.03%57816.67%3,467Preston6,60763.29%3,51533.67%3173.04%3,09229.62%10,439Putnam12,17359.60%7,89138.63%3621.77%4,28220.97%20,426Raleigh12,58752.31%11,04745.91%4271.77%1,5406.40%24,061Randolph5,24855.00%4,02842.21%2662.79%1,22012.79%9,542Ritchie2,71771.27%1,02426.86%711.86%1,69344.41%3,812Roane3,17256.39%2,33241.46%1212.15%84014.93%5,625Summers2,30448.89%2,29948.78%1102.33%50.11%4,713Taylor3,12454.69%2,47343.29%1152.01%65111.40%5,712Tucker1,93557.83%1,31939.42%922.75%61618.41%3,346Tyler2,58265.73%1,21430.91%1323.36%1,36834.82%3,928Upshur5,16563.58%2,77034.10%1882.31%2,39529.48%8,123Wayne7,99349.21%7,94048.89%3081.90%530.32%16,241Webster1,48444.86%1,76453.33%601.81%-280-8.47%3,308Wetzel3,23951.51%2,84945.31%2003.18%3906.20%6,288Wirt1,51863.73%81834.34%461.93%70029.39%2,382Wood20,42860.34%12,66437.40%7652.26%7,76422.94%33,857Wyoming3,47344.08%4,28954.44%1161.47%-816-10.36%7,878Totals336,47551.92%295,49745.59%16,1522.49%40,9786.33%648,124

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Barbour (Largest city: Philippi) Cabell (Largest city: Huntington) Calhoun (Largest city: Grantsville) Clay (Largest city: Clay) Gilmer (Largest city: Glenville) Greenbrier (Largest city: Lewisburg) Hancock (Largest city: Weirton) Hardy (Largest city: Moorefield) Jackson (Largest city: Ravenswood) Jefferson (Largest city: Charles Town) Lewis (Largest city: Weston) Marshall (Largest city: Moundsville) Mason (Largest city: Point Pleasant) Mercer (Largest city: Bluefield) Monongalia (Largest city: Morgantown) Monroe (Largest city: Peterstown) Nicholas (Largest city: Summersville) Ohio (Largest city: Wheeling) Pendleton (Largest city: Franklin) Pleasants (Largest city: St. Marys) Pocahontas (Largest city: Marlinton) Raleigh (Largest city: Beckley) Randolph (Largest city: Elkins) Roane (Largest city: Spencer) Summers (Largest city: Hinton) Taylor (Largest city: Grafton) Tucker (Largest city: Parsons) Tyler (Largest city: Paden City) Wayne (Largest city: Kenova) Wetzel (Largest city: New Martinsville)

By congressional district Bush won two of three congressional districts, including one that elected a Democrat. District Gore Bush Representative 43% 54%Alan Mollohan44%54%Bob WiseShelley Moore Capito 51% 47%Nick Rahall

Analysis West Virginia is the only state that voted twice against George H. W. Bush and vote twice for George W. Bush. It is also the only state lost by George H. W. Bush in 1988 to be carried by George W. Bush in 2000.

West Virginia was also one of nine states Gore lost in 2000 that Bill Clinton won in both 1992 and 1996.

References