1996 governor elections · West Virginia history
West Virginia governor election 1996
Cecil Underwood REP +5.8 gain · held 11/5/96
- Votes counted
- 628,559
- Margin
- 5.8 pts
- Seat held by
- Democraticchanged party
- President in WV
- D+14.8same year
General election 11/5/96
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cecil Underwood Won | REP | 324,518 | 51.63% | |
| Charlotte Jean Pritt | DEM | 287,870 | 45.80% | |
| Wallace D. Johnson | LIB | 16,171 | 2.57% | |
| Total | 628,559 | |||
Official source: 1996%20General%20Election%20-%20Official%20Election%20Returns.pdf
Other West Virginia governor races
| Year | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Patrick Morrisey | 30.4 |
| 2020 | Jim Justice | 33.9 |
| 2016 | Jim Justice | 6.8 |
| 2012 | Earl Ray Tomblin | 4.8 |
| 2011 special | Earl Ray Tomblin | 2.5 |
| 2008 | Joe Manchin, III | 44.1 |
| 2004 | Joe Manchin, III | 29.5 |
| 2000 | Bob Wise | 2.9 |
| 1996 | Cecil Underwood | 5.8 |
Full West Virginia governor history →
Questions and answers
Who won the 1996 West Virginia governor race?
Cecil Underwood (REP) won with 51.6% of the vote, ahead of Charlotte Jean Pritt (45.8%), a margin of 5.8 points.
Did the West Virginia governor seat change party in 1996?
Yes. It moved from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.
How many votes were cast in the 1996 West Virginia governor race?
628,559 votes were counted for the candidates in the general election.
Compiled by FiveThirtyEight from the official source linked above.