by Kate Shunney
On a warm and sunny Election Day, lines of Morgan County voters cast their ballots in the 2024 General Election at 13 precincts around the county as November temperatures swelled in the upper 70s.
By 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday night – just two hours after polls had closed — all precinct totals had been tabulated and reported in the Morgan County Courthouse, recording a historic voter turnout of 65.6%. In total, from early voting to absentee balloting and election day voting, Morgan County voters cast a total of 9,150 ballots. There are 13,921 registered voters in the county, as of the October count by the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office.
Local voters came out heavily once again for GOP candidates from the top of the ballot down to local races.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump earned 76.75% of the local vote, and Democrat Kamala Harris pulled in just 21.3% of the county votes. Trump won West Virginia easily, with 70.14% of voters backing him and 27.95% backing Harris. The race to the White House was much closer nationally, with Trump getting 50.8% of the popular vote and Harris getting 47.5%.
In the race for U.S. Senate representing West Virginia, Republican governor Jim Justice won 75.37% of Morgan County’s votes and Democrat Glenn Elliot took in 20.79% of the local votes. The margin was somewhat wider statewide, but Justice won the Senate seat with 68.9% of the vote. Elliott garnered 27.62% of the vote across the state.
Republican Riley Moore captured 78.6% of Morgan County’s votes in the race of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2nd congressional district. Moore easily eclipsed Democrat Steve Wendelin, who pulled in 21.27% of Morgan County votes. Moore won statewide voting with 71% of the vote to Wendelin’s 29%.
In the gubernatorial race, Republican Patrick Morrisey grabbed 72.29% of Morgan County’s votes to Democrat Steve Williams’ 19.78%. Morrisey won with 62.1% of West Virginia’s votes. Williams brought in 31.49% statewide, with Libertarian Erika Klie Kolenich taking 2.87% of the vote and Constitution Party candidate S. Marshall Wilson getting 2.24% while Mountain Party candidate Chase Linko-Looper earned 1.29% of the statewide vote.
Morgan County voters favored Republican Kris Warner for Secretary of State by 77.97% over Democrat Thornton Cooper at 21.98%. Warner won the state with 71.3% of the vote. Cooper got 28.7% statewide.
In the race for State Auditor, local voters backed Republican Mark Hunt with 76.4% of the vote to Democrat Mary Ann Roebuck Claytor’s 23.54%. Hunt won the seat with 68.87% of statewide votes to Claytor’s 31.13%.
Republican Larry Pack was unopposed in his race for State Treasurer and earned 7,358 votes in Morgan County. He received 594,855 votes statewide.
Incumbent Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt pulled in 76.4% of local votes against Democratic challenger Deborah Stiles, who pulled in 23.49% of Morgan County votes. Leonhardt was re-elected with 69.29% of the statewide vote. Stiles took in 30.71% of West Virginia votes in her campaign.
Republican John “JB” McCuskey earned 76.65% of Morgan County votes in his race for Attorney General against Democrat Teresa Toriseva, who pulled in 23.28% of the local votes. McCuskey prevailed across the state, taking in 70.18% of the vote to Toriseva’s 29.82%.
District races followed the same patterns, with Republican Tom Willis easily overcoming a challenge by Democrat Anthony Murray for the State Senate seat representing the 15th district, which includes Morgan County. Willis rolled up 77.37% of the local votes to Murray’s 22.57%. Willis won the district with 74.11% of the vote. Murray brought in 25.89% of district votes.
In the House of Delegates race for the 89th district, Republican Darren Thorne had no trouble withstanding a challenge by newcomer Alyson Reeves, 74.7% to 25.23%. Thorne won the district with 80.43% of votes in Morgan and Hampshire counties. Reeves collected 19.57% of votes.
Delegate George Miller was unopposed in his re-election campaign to keep a seat representing the 90th district. Miller earned 6,380 votes here and was re-elected with 8,493 votes across the whole district.
All county-level races had been decided in the primary election in May.
Incumbent County Commissioner Sean Forney earned another six-year term in office with 7,489 votes.
Incumbent Prosecuting Attorney Dan James secured another four-year term in office with 7,505 votes.
Chief Deputy Johnnie Walter solidified his position as Morgan County’s next Sheriff with 7,540 votes.
Incumbent Assessor Debbie Weaver sealed another four-year term in office with 7,629 votes.
Morgan County voters were closely split on the Amendment One question on the ballot, which would encode in the State Constitution a ban on medical euthanasia. Local voters voted 51.17% in favor of the amendment and 48.83% against. Statewide voting was even closer, with 50.46% of voters in favor of changing the state constitution on the issue and 49.54% against the measure.
All precinct reporting is preliminary until the Morgan County Commission canvasses the vote next week starting on Tuesday, November 12 and continuing through Wednesday, November 13.
According to preliminary vote totals, Paw Paw saw the highest precinct voter turnout in Morgan County on Election Day, with 47.53% of registered voters in Precinct 18 casting a ballot.
Morgan County Clerk Kim Nickles said the 2024 voter turnout is the highest turnout rate in the county’s history.
