1916 United States presidential election in West Virginia

← 1912 November 7, 1916 1920 →

Nominee Charles Evans Hughes Woodrow Wilson Party Republican Democratic Home state New York New Jersey Running mate Charles W. Fairbanks Thomas R. Marshall Electoral vote 7 1 Popular vote 143,124 140,403 Percentage 49.38% 48.44%

County Results Hughes   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%   70-80% Wilson   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%

President before election Woodrow Wilson Democratic Elected President Woodrow Wilson Democratic

Elections in West Virginia
Federal government Presidential elections 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Republican 2000 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate elections 1863 1865 1871 1877 1877 sp 1882 1883 1887 1888 1889 1892 1893 1893 sp 1895 1899 1901 1905 1907 1911 1911 sp 1913 1916 1918 1922 1924 1928 1930 1934 1936 1940 1942 1942 sp 1946 1948 1952 1954 1956 sp 1958 1958 sp 1960 1964 1966 1970 1972 1976 1978 1982 1984 1988 1990 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2010 sp 2012 2014 2018 2020 2024 2026 U.S. House of Representatives elections 1863 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1883 3rd sp 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1905 2nd sp 1906 1908 1910 1912 1913 1st sp 1914 1916 2nd sp 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1933 3rd sp 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1951 5th sp 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 3rd sp 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State government General elections 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Gubernatorial elections 1863 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2011 sp 2012 2016 2020 2024 Attorney General elections 2012 2016 2020 2024 Secretary of State elections 2012 2016 2020 2024 Auditor elections 2012 2016 2020 2024 Treasurer elections 2012 2016 2020 2024 Senate elections 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 House of Delegates elections 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Local government Charleston (mayoral elections) 2022 Huntington (municipal elections) 2020 2024 Wheeling (municipal elections) 2020 2024
v t e

The 1916 United States presidential election in West Virginia took place on November 7, 1916, as part of the 1916 United States presidential election which was held throughout all contemporary 48 states. Voters chose eight representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

West Virginia was won by the Republican nominee, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes of New York, and his running mate Senator Charles W. Fairbanks of Indiana. Hughes and Fairbanks defeated the Democratic nominees, incumbent Democratic President Woodrow Wilson and Vice President Thomas R. Marshall.

Voters in West Virginia chose each of the eight electors individually, rather than how voters in most other states selected between two full slates of electors all pledging support for one candidate or the other. Hughes won West Virginia by a very narrow margin of 0.94% — the state's second-closest presidential election result in history, only behind Grover Cleveland's 0.32% victory in 1888 — but one elector pledged for Wilson won, and as a result, Wilson received one electoral vote from West Virginia.

Notably, this was the only time until 2008 that a Democrat won the presidency without carrying West Virginia (or that a losing Republican would carry the state). The state would transform into a Democratic stronghold after 1932, remaining a cornerstone of the Democratic coalition until the 21st century, when it suddenly and dramatically shifted towards the Republican Party due to declining unionization^[1] and opposition to the Democratic Party’s views on environmental, social and cultural issues.^[2]

Results

Results by county