West Virginia Auditor election, 2016
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← 2012
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May 10, 2015 |
November 8, 2016 |
John B. McCuskey (R) |
Lisa Hopkins (D) |
Governor • Attorney General • Treasurer • Secretary of State Down Ballot Auditor • Agriculture Commissioner |
January 30, 2016 |
May 10, 2016 |
August 1, 2016 |
September 20, 2016 |
November 8, 2016 |
TBD |
January 16, 2017 |
West Virginia held an election for auditor on November 8, 2016. State Rep. John B. McCuskey (R) won the general election, becoming the first Republican to win the seat since 1928.
Overview
The auditor is West Virginia's official bookkeeper, responsible for ensuring that state funds are withdrawn and deposited legally.[1] West Virginia has a divided government: Democrats hold the governorship while Republicans have controlled the state legislature since 2014, when they ended a 13-year Democratic trifecta. At the time of the 2016 election, West Virginians had not elected a Republican to the office of state auditor since Edgar C. Lawson (R) in 1928.[2]
Glen Gainer III (D), who held the office from 1993 to 2016, declined to run for re-election. He had initially stated his intent to finish out his term but announced on April 15, 2016, that he would step down effective May 14. There was speculation that Governor Earl Ray Tomblin (D) would appoint the winner of the May 10 Democratic primary election as interim treasurer, which would give the Democratic nominee an incumbency advantage and effectively block Republican efforts to win back the auditor seat.[3] However, Tomblin chose Lisa Hopkins, general counsel of the auditor's office and deputy commissioner of securities, to serve as interim director until a replacement was elected.[4]
McCuskey won the general election on November 8, 2016. The seat changed party hands for the first time in almost 90 years.
Candidates
Mary Ann Claytor (D)
Freelance financial and compliance auditor
John B. McCuskey (R)
State representative since 2012
Brenton Ricketts (Lib.)
Project manager, small business owner
| Click [show] to view candidates who were defeated in the primary elections. | |||
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Results
General election
John B. McCuskey defeated Mary Ann Claytor and Brenton Ricketts in the West Virginia auditor election.
| West Virginia Auditor, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  John B. McCuskey |
58.48% | 385,831 | |
| Democratic | Mary Ann Claytor | 34.56% | 228,001 | |
| Libertarian | Brenton Ricketts | 6.96% | 45,908 | |
| Total Votes | 659,740 | |||
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State | ||||
Primary elections
Democratic primary election
Mary Ann Claytor defeated Jason Pizatella and Robin Righter in the Democratic primary for auditor.
| Democratic primary for Auditor, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Mary Ann Claytor |
43.95% | 93,790 |
| Jason Pizatella | 34.38% | 73,371 |
| Robin Righter | 21.67% | 46,257 |
| Total Votes (1,745 of 1,745 precincts reporting) | 213,418 | |
| Source: MetroNews | ||
Republican primary election
John B. McCuskey ran unopposed in the Republican primary for auditor.
| Republican primary for Auditor, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| John B. McCuskey (unopposed) |
100.00% | 149,793 |
| Total Votes (1,745 of 1,745 precincts reporting) | 149,793 | |
| Source: MetroNews | ||
Context of the 2016 election
Primary elections
A primary election is an election in which voters select the candidate they believe should represent a political party in a general election. Primaries usually take place several months before a general election. West Virginia utilizes a hybrid primary system. Parties decide who may vote. Both the Democratic and Republican parties allow unaffiliated voters to vote in their primaries.[5]
West Virginia's primary election took place on May 10, 2016.
Former Auditor Glen Gainer (D) and incumbent interim officeholder Lisa Hopkins
State Auditor Glen Gainer III (D) was first elected in 1992, replacing his father, Glen B. Gainer Jr. (D), who had served as state auditor from 1977-1993. Gainer Jr.'s cousin, Denzil Gainer, also served as state auditor, from 1960-1972.[6] In December 2015, Gainer III announced that he would not seek re-election to another term, opting instead to take a job in the private sector. "I don’t want to be stagnant," he stated.[6] Though he had initially stated his intent to finish out his term, he announced on April 15, 2016, that he would step down effective May 14. There has been speculation that Governor Earl Ray Tomblin would appoint the winner of the May 10 Democratic primary contest as interim treasurer, which would give the Democratic nominee an incumbency advantage and effectively block Republican efforts to win back the auditor seat.[3] However, Tomblin instead appointed Lisa Hopkins, general counsel of the auditor's office and the deputy commissioner of securities.[7]
Gainer had previously made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. House in 2014, losing to incumbent David McKinley (R) in the general election.[8] Prior to his tenure as auditor, Gainer worked for four years in the state treasurer's office, three years in the state Department of Energy, and one year in the private sector.[9]
Party control in West Virginia
West Virginia had a divided government at the time of the election: Democrats held the governorship, while Republicans controlled both chambers of the state legislature. The state had been under Democratic trifecta control from 2001 until the 2014 elections, when Republicans gained control of the House of Delegates and state Senate for the first time since the 1930s.
West Virginia had been represented by Democrats in the U.S. Senate from 1958 until the 2014 election, when Shelley Moore Capito (R) won the open seat. The state's electoral votes had gone to both Democrats and Republicans over the 30 years preceding 2016, though the Republican presidential candidate had won the state every four years since 2000.[10]
The last Republican to hold the office of state auditor was Litz McGuire (R), who was appointed in June 1960 upon the death of previous auditor Edgar B. Simms (D). McGuire served for less than a year and was succeeded by Democrat Denzil L. Gainer (D), who was elected in 1960. At the time of the 2016 election, West Virginians had not elected a Republican to the office of state auditor since Edgar C. Lawson (R) in 1928.[2] Given the open election and Republicans' recent success in state elections, 2016 was expected to be Republicans' best chance in decades to win back the auditor's seat. Indeed, the seat changed party hands into Republican control after the November 8, 2016, election.
West Virginia Party Control: 1992-2024
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas • Seven years of Republican trifectas
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D[11] | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Campaigns
Polls
| Hypothetical match-up for state auditor: John McCuskey (R) and Jason Pizatella (D) | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | McCuskey | Pizatella | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| Onion Strategies Poll February 21, 2016-February 22, 2016 | 31% | 22% | 50% | +/-5.6 | 306 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected]. | |||||||||||||||||||
Campaign finance
General election
| Mary Ann Claytor Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| First Primary | April 1, 2016 | $0 | $1,234.00 | $(267.16) | $966.84 | ||||
| Pre-Primary | April 29, 2016 | $ | $4,067.35 | $(511.77) | $ | ||||
| Post-Primary | June 21, 2016 | $ | $2,780.00 | $(3,255.99) | $ | ||||
| First General | Oct. 1, 2016 | $ | $13,061.99 | $(12,273.31) | $ | ||||
| Pre-General | Oct. 29, 2016 | $ | $8,820.00 | $(2,209.59) | $ | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $29,963.34 | $(18,517.82) | ||||||||
| John McCuskey Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| First Primary | April 1, 2016 | $0 | $64,021.61 | $(23,758.98) | $45,262.63 | ||||
| Pre-Primary | April 29, 2016 | $ | $4,050.00 | $(1,666.04) | $ | ||||
| Post-Primary | June 21, 2016 | $ | $18,550.00 | $(1,297.01) | $ | ||||
| First General | Oct. 1, 2016 | $ | $55,470.00 | $(44,487.80) | $ | ||||
| Pre-General | Oct. 29, 2016 | $ | $28,680.00 | $(100,146.18) | $ | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $170,771.61 | $(171,356.01) | ||||||||
Primary candidates
| Jason Pizatella Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| First-Primary | March 31, 2016 | $0 | $19,480.00 | $(2,885.50) | $17,194.00 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $19,480 | $(2,885.5) | ||||||||
| Robin Righter Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| First Primary | March 28, 2016 | $0 | $5,000.00 | $(1,934.44) | $3,465.56 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $5,000 | $(1,934.44) | ||||||||
Endorsements
| Key endorsements, Democratic primary candidates[12][13] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Pizatella | Mary Ann Claytor | Robin Righter | |||||||
| West Virginia Education Association | National Association of Social Workers | ||||||||
| West Virginia Sheriff's Association | Former Deputy State Auditor Lisa Thornburg | ||||||||
| West Virginia ALF-CIO | |||||||||
| International Brotherhood of Teamsters | |||||||||
| West Virginia Deputy Sheriff | |||||||||
| United Mine Workers of America | |||||||||
| What is a key endorsement? | |||||||||
Campaign media
Note: If a candidate is not listed below, Ballotpedia staff were unable to locate any campaign media for that candidate. Do you know of any? Tell us!
Democrats
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Republicans
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About the office
- See also: West Virginia State Auditor
The auditor is West Virginia's official bookkeeper, responsible for ensuring that state funds are withdrawn and deposited legally. As the state's chief inspector, the auditor is responsible for conducting audits of county governments, county boards of election, municipalities, boards, commissions, districts, offices, public authorities, public corporations, and county boards of education.[1]
Incumbent
The incumbent was Lisa Hopkins. She was appointed on May 14, 2016, by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) to replace former Auditor Glen Gainer III (D), who retired to pursue a career in the private sector. Gainer was first elected auditor in 1992, replacing his father, Glen B. Gainer Jr., who had served as state auditor from 1977-1993.
Authority
The auditor's installation is established by Article VII of the West Virginia Constitution.
Article VII, Section 1:
| The executive department shall consist of a governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, commissioner of agriculture and attorney general... |
Qualifications
Article IV, Section 4 of the West Virginia Constitution establishes the qualifications of office as such:
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No person, except citizens entitled to vote, shall be elected or appointed to any state, county or municipal office; but the governor and judges must have attained the age of thirty, and the attorney general and senators the age of twenty-five years, at the beginning of their respective terms of service; and must have been citizens of the state for five years next preceding their election or appointment, or be citizens at the time this constitution goes into operation. |
- a citizen entitled to vote
- a resident of West Virginia for at least the preceding five years
Past elections
The auditor is a publicly elected statewide position with elections held every four years. Elections are held in November and officers assume their duties the following January. There are no term limits for the office.
Full history
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See also
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West Virginia government: |
Previous elections: |
Ballotpedia exclusives: |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 West Virginia Code online, Chapter 6, Article, Section 9," accessed June 20, 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 West Virginia Archives & History, "State of Auditor Of West Virginia," accessed April 16, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The State Journal, "West Virginia Auditor Glen Gainer resigning for new job," April 14, 2016
- ↑ WVVA, "West Virginia Governor Appoints Hopkins as State Auditor," accessed May 14, 2016
- ↑ Fair Vote, "Congressional and Presidential Primaries: Open, Closed, Semi-Closed, and 'Top Two,'" accessed January 6, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Metro News, "Auditor Glen Gainer will not seek re-election," December 7, 2015
- ↑ The State Journal, "Lisa Hopkins appointed interim state auditor for WV," accessed May 14, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Candidate Listing By Office," accessed January 27, 2014
- ↑ West Virginia State Auditor Office, "About," accessed September 4, 2011
- ↑ National Archives and Records Administration, "Historical Election Results," accessed September 24, 2016
- ↑ Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration to Republican on August 4, 2017.
- ↑ Jason Pizatella for State Auditor, "Bio," accessed April 16, 2016
- ↑ Mary Ann Claytor for WV Auditor, "Home," accessed April 16, 2016
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