New WMOV American Pulse Poll of West Virginia Released

New WMOV / American Pulse West Virginia Poll Released

GOP Primary Poll has implications for U.S. Senate Control & points to competitive gubernatorial & other statewide races

Ravenswood, WV / Alexandria, VA - The WMOV / American Pulse Poll is releasing its Statewide Survey of West Virginia Republican Primary Voters this morning, offering a detailed snapshot of West Virginia's political climate, including the U.S. Senate race, Gubernatorial race, and other key races.

The WMOV / American Pulse Poll is a partnership between WMOV, one of West Virginia’s top news and talk radio stations, and the independent polling operation of American Pulse Research & Polling.

Tom Susman, the owner of WMOV will be exclusively announcing the results of the WMOV / American Pulse Poll live on air at 9 AM ET and then discuss insights from the poll with the lead pollster for the survey, Dustin Olson of American Pulse.

Click to Listen Live on WMOV
9AM - 10 AM
Today Nov. 22

The poll is embargoed until 9:30 AM EST, following the Live Announcement on WMOV.

“WMOV is proud to partner once again to gauge the opinions of West Virginians and share them across the state,” said WMOV Owner and Operator Tom Susman. “With so many competitive statewide Republican primaries, West Virginia families and leaders have a lot to talk about around the Thanksgiving table.”

The lead pollster for the survey, Dustin Olson of American Pulse Research & Polling, said “With the recent retirement announcement from Senator Joe Manchin and the strong Republican tilt of the state, Jim Justice is the catbird seat to be West Virginia's next senator.”

Key Highlights from the WMOV / American Pulse Poll:

Jim Justice's high favorability makes him the frontrunner for the U.S. Senate, despite lingering legal issues. It’s not all bad news for Alex Mooney because he remains strong in a hypothetical race for reelection to his Congressional District.

The poll also shows a potential voter backlash against political family connections, a factor that could significantly sway voter choices in several key races.

That, along with the relatively unknown field in many races, has many of the statewide primaries wide open as we head into the holiday season. 

1. Primary Election Preferences

• U.S. Senate Race: Jim Justice leads with 55.7% of likely Republican Primary voters choosing him with Undecided (not sure / don’t know) in 2nd at 22.1% and Alex Mooney in 3rd at 19.9%. Following Sen. Manchin’s decision to retire, our survey indicates Jim Justice will likely be the next U.S. Senator from West Virginia, which makes the nationwide battle for the U.S. Senate that much more competitive.
• Governor's Race: Patrick Morrisey (30.5%) and Moore Capito (22.6%) are the top choices. The next highest is Undecided (not sure / don’t know) at 22.8%.
• 2nd Congressional District: If Alex Mooney is a choice on the ballot, he is the clear leader with 41.1%. 40.8% are Undecided. Next up is Riley Moore at 11.6%.
• Attorney General: JB McCuskey slightly leads with 16.1% to Mike Stuart’s 10.6% and Ryan Weld at 5.4%. With 67.9% Undecided, this race is still very much up in the air.
• Secretary of State: Kris Warner is the only candidate in double digits and leads the field with a solid 20.3%. Doug Skaff comes in 2nd at 7.5%. With 58.2% Undecided and a large field of candidates, it is still anybody’s game.
• Auditor: Of all the races tested, this one has the most Undecideds at 71.5% and is neck and neck with Householder at 15.7%, and Hanna at 12.8%.

2. Voter Concerns and Issues

• Justice Lawsuits: 46.2% say they are less likely to vote for Jim Justice due to the lawsuits, but surprisingly, 25.6% are more likely to vote for him.
• Family Tradition: 48.2% are less likely to support candidates with family members simultaneously in office.

3. Popular Political Figures

• Governor Jim Justice leads with the highest favorability at 73.0%, positioning him as a top political figure in West Virginia.
• Patrick Morrisey and Moore Capito also enjoy high favorability among Republican voters, at 62.9% and 60.1% respectively.

Methodology:

The poll was conducted using American Pulse’s precision multimodal methodology, comprising 414 interviews, ensuring broad demographic representation. This approach includes live telephone interviews, text-to-web surveys, and interactive voice response, achieving a Margin of Error of +/- 4.8% at a 95% Confidence Level.

Attachments:

• Polling Memo with more of the top takeaways [download here]
• Top Line Poll Results [download here]
• Crosstabs, available on request

Stay tuned for the announcement of this critical poll on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, at 9 AM EST on WMOV, one of West Virginia’s top news and talk stations.

For media appearances or inquiries, please contact Dustin Olson at [email protected] or (202) 916-7744.