2016 West Virginia Secretary of State election
November 8, 2016
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| Turnout | 57.4%[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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County results Warner: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Tennant: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in West Virginia |
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The 2016 West Virginia Secretary of State election was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the West Virginia Secretary of State, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections for the U.S. House of Representatives, governor, and other state and local elections. Primary elections were held on May 10, 2016.[2]
Incumbent Democratic secretary of state Natalie Tennant ran for re-election to a third term in office, but lost to Republican attorney and veteran Mac Warner.[3] In 2020, a rematch between the two candidates occurred, with Warner expanding his margin of victory significantly.[4]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Natalie Tennant, incumbent secretary of state (2009–present) and nominee for United States Senate in 2014[5]
Eliminated in primary
- Patsy Trecost, state delegate from the 48th district (2014–present)[6]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Natalie Tennant (incumbent) | 192,176 | 77.18 | |
| Democratic | Patsy Trecost | 56,832 | 22.82 | |
| Total votes | 249,008 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Mac Warner, attorney and Army veteran[8]
Eliminated in primary
- Barry Holstein, Army veteran[9]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mac Warner | 105,800 | 63.33 | |
| Republican | Barry Holstein | 61,271 | 36.67 | |
| Total votes | 167,071 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Post-primary endorsements
Natalie Tennant (D)
Mac Warner (R)
Newspapers and other media
John Buckley (L)
Newspapers and other media
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mac Warner | 335,526 | 48.53 | ||
| Democratic | Natalie Tennant (incumbent) | 323,750 | 46.82 | ||
| Libertarian | John Buckley | 32,179 | 4.65 | ||
| Total votes | 691,455 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
See also
References
- ^ "2016 General" (PDF). West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ "Veterans Seek Republican Nod for Secretary of State Seat". The Intelligencer. April 26, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
A first-time candidate for political office and another whose name has been on multiple ballots over the past several years are seeking the GOP nomination for West Virginia secretary of state on May 10.
- ^ "Mac Warner defeats Natalie Tennant in secretary of state's race". WCHS-TV. November 9, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ "Mac Warner won reelection to W.Va. Secretary of State". WDTV 5. November 4, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ Fritz, Douglas (August 16, 2016). "Natalie Tennant". WVNS-TV. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ "Delegate to Challenge Secretary of State in Primary". West Virginia Public Broadcasting. January 20, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ a b "Primary Election - May 10,2016". West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ Johnson, Shauna (December 11, 2015). "Mac Warner announces Secretary of State run from Afghanistan". WV MetroNews. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ "W.Va. features packed ballot for 2016 election". Herald-Mail Media. February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ "WV AFL-CIO Endorses Candidates in 2016 General Election". West Virginia AFL-CIO. June 17, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ "Election 2016 Boilermaker Endorsements". International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. October 17, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ "Endorsement: Tennant deserves third term as WV secretary of state". West Virginia Press. October 27, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ "Endorsement: Natalie Tennant for Secretary of State". West Virginia Press. October 18, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ "Endorsements: Tennant, Claytor, Perdue, Helmick good choices". West Virginia Press. October 24, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ "Endorsement: Warner should be secretary of state". West Virginia Press. October 23, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ "Endorsements: Cole, Reynolds, Buckley get nod". West Virginia Press. October 24, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ "General Election - November 8, 2016". West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved February 20, 2026.