West Virginia gave its 5 electoral votes to the Republican nominee, Governor of TexasGeorge 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. As of the 2020 presidential election[update], 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]
