Notes from the General Election:
–Donald Trump won 68 percent of the vote in West Virginia. The only state where the Republican captured a higher percentage was Wyoming, with 71 percent. Trump received 60 percent or higher in eight other states: Oklahoma (65 percent), North Dakota (64 percent), Alabama and Kentucky (63 percent), South Dakota (62 percent), Tennessee (61 percent), Arkansas and Nebraska (60 percent).
–Trump won all 55 counties. The closest Hillary Clinton came to Trump was in Monongalia County, where she received 41 percent of the vote, compared with 51 percent for Trump. Clinton got 40 percent in Jefferson County, where Trump received 55 percent.
–Not everyone wanted to help pick the next President. Of the nearly 700,000 West Virginians who cast ballots in this General Election, over 17,000 did not vote for anyone for President. That represents about 2.5 percent of all ballots.
–Fifty-seven percent of registered West Virginia voters cast ballots. That’s higher than the last presidential election (54.3 percent), but lower than the three previous presidential votes—58 percent in 2008, 65 percent in 2004 and 61 percent in 2000. This year Lewis County had the highest turnout at 68.96 percent, followed by Preston County at 68.73 percent.
–Early voting set a record in West Virginia. 220,275 West Virginians took advantage of the early voting period to cast ballots. That’s the most ever by a wide margin. In 2012, 150,666 voted early, while in 2008, 153,096 voted early. This cycle, nearly one in three votes was cast before Election Day.
–The closest race for the Board of Public Works was for Secretary of State. Republican Mac Warner beat Democratic incumbent Natalie Tennant by 12,000 votes, 49 percent to 47 percent, with five percent for Libertarian John Buckley. Meanwhile, the conventional wisdom was that the race for Attorney General between incumbent Republican Patrick Morrisey and Democrat Doug Reynolds was too close to call, but Morrisey ended up winning by nearly 67,000 votes, 52 percent to 42 percent.
–Democratic observers were hoping for a takeover of the state Senate or at least a 17-17 tie, while Republican leaders figured they might pick up a seat or two. The GOP outperformed here, gaining four seats and extending its majority to 22 to 12.
–Jackson County Republican Senator Mitch Carmichael survived a tough challenge from Democrat Brian Prim to win re-election by just 886 votes. Carmichael has his eye on the Senate Presidency, a position that’s opening because current Senate President Bill Cole ran for Governor. Kanawha County Republican Senator Ed Gaunch also has interest in the leadership position.
–Republican leaders were also pleasantly surprised with the House of Delegates races. The GOP was worried about losing up to ten seats, but when all the votes were counted, Republicans were down just one seat. They still hold a 63-37 majority.
–Yes, every vote does count. In the 36th Delegate District race in Kanawha County just four votes separate incumbent Democrat Nancy Guthrie Incumbent Republican Brad White for the third position in the three delegate district. Guthrie, who is four votes behind, says she’s been told there are over 200 provisional ballots and perhaps some absentee ballots that have not been counted, so the vote totals could change.