2000 United States presidential election in West Virginia explained

Election Name:	2000 United States presidential election in West Virginia
Country:	West Virginia
Flag Year:	2000
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1996 United States presidential election in West Virginia
Previous Year:	1996
Next Election:	2004 United States presidential election in West Virginia
Next Year:	2004
Election Date:	November 7, 2000
Image1:	Official Portrait- President George Walker Bush, 43rd President of the United States, Republican - DPLA - 7482eac0e113bf03014d1686a3733f97.jpeg
Nominee1:	George W. Bush
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Home State1:	Texas
Running Mate1:	Dick Cheney
Electoral Vote1:	5
Popular Vote1:	336,475
Percentage1:	51.92%
Nominee2:	Al Gore
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:	Tennessee
Running Mate2:	Joe Lieberman
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	295,497
Percentage2:	45.59%
President
Before Election:	Bill Clinton
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:	George W. Bush
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)
Map Size:	300px

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, Governor of Texas 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. West Virginia would become the only state to vote against George H. W. Bush twice and for George W. Bush twice. It is also the only state lost by George H. W. Bush in 1988 to be carried by George W. Bush in 2000. The state was also won by Bill Clinton twice but voted against Gore who at the time of the 2000 presidential election was serving under Clinton as vice president., this is the last election in which the Democratic candidate won Kanawha County, Harrison County, Lincoln County, and Wyoming County. In 2016, West Virginia had the highest percentage of voters for Donald Trump of all states in the country.^[1] This was the first time since 1928 that a non-incumbent Republican won West Virginia, and was only the fourth time since that election where a Democrat lost the state. Gore's environmental advocacy was particularly damaging in the state of West Virginia, a strong coal mining state. Gore also didn't campaign sufficiently in the state, which led to his defeat by a relatively comfortable margin in favor of Bush.

As of 2020, this is the last presidential election in which a Democrat won any congressional district in the state and the last time the state was won by single digits.

In this election, West Virginia voted 6.84% more Republican than the nation at-large.^[2]

Primaries

• 2000 West Virginia Democratic presidential primary
• 2000 West Virginia Republican presidential primary

Results

By county

County	George W. Bush Republican		Al Gore Democratic		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total
		%		%		%		%
	Barbour		3,411		56.37%		2,503		41.37%		137		2.26%		908		15.00%		6,051
	Berkeley		13,619		59.19%		8,797		38.23%		594		2.58%		4,822		20.96%		23,010
	Boone		3,353		36.68%		5,656		61.88%		132		1.44%		-2,303		-25.20%		9,141
	Braxton		2,529		47.47%		2,719		51.03%		80		1.50%		-190		-3.56%		5,328
	Brooke		4,195		44.60%		4,678		49.74%		532		5.66%		-483		-5.14%		9,405
	Cabell		16,440		51.03%		14,896		46.24%		880		2.73%		1,544		4.79%		32,216
	Calhoun		1,425		54.49%		1,112		42.52%		78		2.98%		313		11.97%		2,615
	Clay		1,887		52.68%		1,617		45.14%		78		2.18%		270		7.54%		3,582
	Doddridge		1,955		69.42%		773		27.45%		88		3.13%		1,182		41.97%		2,816
	Fayette		5,897		40.34%		8,371		57.26%		351		2.40%		-2,474		-16.92%		14,619
	Gilmer		1,560		56.93%		1,092		39.85%		88		3.21%		468		17.08%		2,740
	Grant		3,571		78.76%		891		19.65%		72		1.59%		2,680		59.11%		4,534
	Greenbrier		6,866		53.61%		5,627		43.93%		315		2.46%		1,239		9.68%		12,808
	Hampshire		3,879		63.62%		2,069		33.93%		149		2.44%		1,810		29.69%		6,097
	Hancock		6,458		47.94%		6,249		46.39%		765		5.68%		209		1.55%		13,472
	Hardy		2,816		62.38%		1,621		35.91%		77		1.71%		1,195		26.47%		4,514
	Harrison		12,948		48.72%		13,009		48.95%		621		2.34%		-61		-0.23%		26,578
	Jackson		6,341		55.05%		4,937		42.86%		240		2.08%		1,404		12.19%		11,518
	Jefferson		7,045		49.00%		6,860		47.71%		473		3.29%		185		1.29%		14,378
	Kanawha		36,809		48.01%		38,524		50.25%		1,337		1.74%		-1,715		-2.24%		76,670
	Lewis		3,606		58.79%		2,355		38.39%		173		2.82%		1,251		20.40%		6,134
	Lincoln		3,389		45.40%		3,939		52.77%		136		1.82%		-550		-7.37%		7,464
	Logan		5,334		36.94%		8,927		61.83%		178		1.23%		-3,593		-24.89%		14,439
	Marion		9,972		43.60%		12,315		53.84%		586		2.56%		-2,343		-10.24%		22,873
	Marshall		6,859		50.81%		6,000		44.45%		639		4.73%		859		6.36%		13,498
	Mason		5,972		53.21%		4,963		44.22%		288		2.57%		1,009		8.99%		11,223
	McDowell		2,348		32.15%		4,845		66.34%		110		1.51%		-2,497		-34.19%		7,303
	Mercer		10,206		54.07%		8,347		44.22%		322		1.71%		1,859		9.85%		18,875
	Mineral		6,180		63.18%		3,341		34.15%		261		2.67%		2,839		29.03%		9,782
	Mingo		3,866		38.49%		6,049		60.23%		128		1.27%		-2,183		-21.74%		10,043
	Monongalia		13,595		49.68%		12,603		46.05%		1,169		4.27%		992		3.63%		27,367
	Monroe		2,940		57.21%		2,094		40.75%		105		2.04%		846		16.46%		5,139
	Morgan		3,639		63.05%		1,939		33.59%		194		3.36%		1,700		29.46%		5,772
	Nicholas		4,359		50.81%		4,059		47.31%		161		1.88%		300		3.50%		8,579
	Ohio		9,607		53.48%		7,653		42.60%		704		3.92%		1,954		10.88%		17,964
	Pendleton		1,996		61.97%		1,172		36.39%		53		1.65%		824		25.58%		3,221
	Pleasants		1,884		58.73%		1,267		39.50%		57		1.78%		617		19.23%		3,208
	Pocahontas		1,970		56.82%		1,392		40.15%		105		3.03%		578		16.67%		3,467
	Preston		6,607		63.29%		3,515		33.67%		317		3.04%		3,092		29.62%		10,439
	Putnam		12,173		59.60%		7,891		38.63%		362		1.77%		4,282		20.97%		20,426
	Raleigh		12,587		52.31%		11,047		45.91%		427		1.77%		1,540		6.40%		24,061
	Randolph		5,248		55.00%		4,028		42.21%		266		2.79%		1,220		12.79%		9,542
	Ritchie		2,717		71.27%		1,024		26.86%		71		1.86%		1,693		44.41%		3,812
	Roane		3,172		56.39%		2,332		41.46%		121		2.15%		840		14.93%		5,625
	Summers		2,304		48.89%		2,299		48.78%		110		2.33%		5		0.11%		4,713
	Taylor		3,124		54.69%		2,473		43.29%		115		2.01%		651		11.40%		5,712
	Tucker		1,935		57.83%		1,319		39.42%		92		2.75%		616		18.41%		3,346
	Tyler		2,582		65.73%		1,214		30.91%		132		3.36%		1,368		34.82%		3,928
	Upshur		5,165		63.58%		2,770		34.10%		188		2.31%		2,395		29.48%		8,123
	Wayne		7,993		49.21%		7,940		48.89%		308		1.90%		53		0.32%		16,241
	Webster		1,484		44.86%		1,764		53.33%		60		1.81%		-280		-8.47%		3,308
	Wetzel		3,239		51.51%		2,849		45.31%		200		3.18%		390		6.20%		6,288
	Wirt		1,518		63.73%		818		34.34%		46		1.93%		700		29.39%		2,382
	Wood		20,428		60.34%		12,664		37.40%		765		2.26%		7,764		22.94%		33,857
	Wyoming		3,473		44.08%		4,289		54.44%		116		1.47%		-816		-10.36%		7,878
Totals	336,475	51.92%	295,497	45.59%	16,152	2.49%	40,978	6.32%	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 2 of the 3 congressional districts, including one that elected a Democrat.^[3]

District	Bush	Gore	Representative
		54%	43%		Alan Mollohan
	54%	44%		Bob Wise
			Shelley Moore Capito
		47%	51%		Nick Rahall

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2016-12-05 . West Virginia Most Pro-Trump State, Election Results Show . 2024-08-19 . West Virginia Public Broadcasting . en-US.
2. Web site: Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . 2023-06-29 . uselectionatlas.org.
3. Web site: 2000 Presidential General Election Results - West Virginia . uselectionatlas.org.