Kanawha, West Virginia — Presidential Election Results
Kanawha, West Virginia has voted Republican in 6 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). It most recently flipped to Republican in 2004. In 2024, it was 24.9 pts more Dem. than West Virginia overall.
Jump to year: 2000 · 2004 · 2008 · 2012 · 2016 · 2020 · 2024
Full Election History, 2000–2024
| Year | Winner | Party | Votes | Vote Share | Margin | Total Votes Cast | Swing | Vs. West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Al Gore | Democratic | 38,524 | 50.2% | 2.2 pts (1,715 votes) | 76,670 | — | 8.8 pts more Dem. |
| 2004 | George W. Bush | Republican | 44,430 | 50.5% | 1.6 pts (1,420 votes) | 87,928 | -3.9 pts | 11.3 pts more Dem. |
| 2008 | John McCain | Republican | 40,952 | 49.6% | 0.4 pts (358 votes) | 82,484 | +1.2 pts | 12.9 pts more Dem. |
| 2012 | Mitt Romney | Republican | 41,364 | 55.1% | 11.8 pts (8,884 votes) | 75,077 | -11.6 pts | 15.3 pts more Dem. |
| 2016 | Donald Trump | Republican | 43,850 | 57.9% | 20.6 pts (15,587 votes) | 75,690 | -9.6 pts | 22.7 pts more Dem. |
| 2020 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 46,398 | 56.4% | 14.7 pts (12,054 votes) | 82,244 | +6.7 pts | 24.7 pts more Dem. |
| 2024 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 43,352 | 57.6% | 17.4 pts (13,121 votes) | 75,239 | -2.9 pts | 24.9 pts more Dem. |
Population Context
Total Census Bureau population estimate for the county that year, and recorded votes as a share of that total population. This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.
| Year | County Population | Votes Cast (% of Population) |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 199,743 | 38.4% of population |
| 2004 | 195,364 | 45.0% of population |
| 2008 | 192,414 | 42.9% of population |
| 2012 | 192,248 | 39.1% of population |
| 2016 | 186,196 | 40.7% of population |
| 2020 | 180,208 | 45.6% of population |
| 2024 | 173,906 | 43.3% of population |
Trend
Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Kanawha shifted 20.1 points toward the Republican candidate, based on recorded county returns. This reflects the vote totals in this dataset only; no claim is made here about the causes of that shift.
Margin Over Time
Democratic candidate's margin (percentage points, two-party vote share). Positive values favor the Democratic candidate; negative values favor the Republican candidate.
Bellwether Status
Kanawha has matched the national popular winner in 3 of the last 7 presidential elections (43%), and West Virginia's own statewide winner in 6 of 7 (86%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.
Related Pages
Other West Virginia Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How has Kanawha voted in presidential elections since 2000?
Since 2000, Kanawha has voted Democratic in 1 of 7 recorded presidential elections and Republican in 6 of 7, based on county-level returns through 2024.
What was the closest presidential election in Kanawha?
Kanawha's closest recorded margin was in 2008, when John McCain (Republican) won by 0.4 points (358 votes) out of 82,484 total votes cast.
Has Kanawha ever flipped between parties?
Yes. Kanawha changed which party won the county in: 2004, based on the 2000-2024 record on this page.
What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Kanawha?
The widest margin on record for Kanawha was in 2016, when Donald Trump (Republican) won by 21.6 points.
How many votes were cast in Kanawha relative to its population?
In 2024, 75,239 votes were recorded in Kanawha against a total population of 173,906 (43.3% of the total population). This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.
Is Kanawha a presidential bellwether county?
Kanawha has matched the national popular winner in 3 of the last 7 presidential elections (43%), and West Virginia's own statewide winner in 6 of 7 (86%).