The 2024 United States Senate election in West Virginia was held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of West Virginia. Republican governor Jim Justice won his first term in office, defeating Democratic Wheeling mayor Glenn Elliott. He succeeded independent incumbent Joe Manchin, who did not seek a third full term.
Manchin, a Democrat until his final year in the Senate, announced he would not run for re-election shortly before switching to independent. He endorsed Elliott, who won the Democratic nomination with 45% of the vote against political activist Zach Shrewsbury and businessman Don Blankenship. Justice won the Republican nomination with 62% of the vote against Congressman Alex Mooney.
Due to West Virginia's heavy Republican lean, the absence of Manchin, Justice's personal popularity, and being held concurrently with a presidential race in a state in which Donald Trump was expected to win in a landslide, a Republican pickup for this seat was considered a foregone conclusion in 2024. Justice was sworn in as a Senator on January 14, 2025, giving elected Republicans control of both of West Virginia’s Senate seats for the first time since 1931 and giving the state an entirely Republican congressional delegation for the first time since 1923. This was the first time since the 1956 special election that a Republican won West Virginia's Class I Senate Seat.
Contents
Background
Manchin saw electoral success through the 2010s, positioning himself as a centrist to conservative Democrat with strong ties to West Virginia, which is now considered a deeply red state at the federal and state levels.
The Republican Party identified this contest as a top priority in the 2024 election cycle. Amongst the Republicans who ran for this seat were Congressman Alex Mooney and Governor Jim Justice.
Due to the state's heavy partisan lean, the narrow margin by which Manchin was re-elected in 2018, and a likely strong Republican presidential performance on the same ballot, Republicans were favored to win this seat even if Manchin sought re-election. After Justice announced his bid for the seat in April 2023, Elections Daily labeled this race as "Safe Republican" due to his strong polling advantage against Manchin. After Manchin announced his retirement, all major outlets rated this seat as an expected easy flip to GOP control. While some Democratic sources hoped that a primary victory by Don Blankenship would spur Manchin to run as an independent, Manchin himself described that notion as a "long, long, long-shot scenario" that ended when Blankenship lost the primary.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Glenn Elliott, former mayor of Wheeling (2016–2024)
Don Blankenship, former CEO of Massey Energy, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018, and Constitution nominee for president in 2020
Zach Shrewsbury, political organizer
Joe Manchin, incumbent U.S. senator (endorsed Elliott)
Republican primary
Candidates
Jim Justice, governor of West Virginia (2017–2025)
Bryan Bird, pastor
Zane Lawhorn, optometrist and perennial candidate
Don Lindsay
Bryan McKinney, sales manager
Janet McNulty, IT professional
Alex Mooney, U.S. representative for West Virginia's 2nd congressional district (2015–2025)
Chris Rose, coal miner (ran for state senate)
Carol Miller, U.S. representative for West Virginia's 1st congressional district (2019–present) (running for re-election)
Patrick Morrisey, West Virginia Attorney General (2013–2025) and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018 (running for governor)
Independents
Declined
Joe Manchin, incumbent U.S. senator (endorsed Elliott)
General election
Results
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Brooke (largest borough: Wellsburg)
Boone (largest city: Madison)
Braxton (largest town: Sutton)
Cabell (largest city: Huntington)
Fayette (largest city: Fayetteville)
Gilmer (largest city: Glenville)
Greenbrier (largest city: Lewisburg)
Jefferson (largest city: Charles Town)
Harrison (largest city: Clarksburg)
Kanawha (largest city: Charleston)
Lincoln (largest city: Hamlin)
Marshall (largest city: Moundsville)
Mason (largest city: Point Pleasant)
Marion (largest city: Fairmont)
McDowell (largest city: Welch)
Mineral (largest municipality: Keyser)
Monongalia (largest city: Morgantown)
Ohio (largest city: Wheeling)
Putnam (largest municipality: Hurricane)
Randolph (largest city: Elkins)
Roane (largest city: Spencer)