2012 West Virginia gubernatorial election
The 2012 West Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2012, to elect the governor of West Virginia. Democratic incumbent Earl Ray Tomblin, who was elected governor in a special election in 2011, was elected to a full four-year term. The election was a rematch of the 2011 special election.
As of 2025, this was the last gubernatorial election in which a Democratic governor was re-elected in the state.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Arne Moltis, candidate for governor in 2011
- Earl Ray Tomblin, incumbent governor
Declined
- Jeff Kessler, state senator, president of the state senate, and candidate for governor in 2011
- Brooks McCabe, state senator
Republican primary
Candidates
- Ralph William Clark, philosophy professor at West Virginia University and candidate for governor in 2011
- Bill Maloney, businessman and Republican nominee for governor in 2011
Declined
- Clark Barnes, state senator and candidate for governor in 2011
- Mark Sorsaia, Putnam County prosecutor and candidate for governor in 2011
- Mike Stuart, West Virginia Republican Party chairman
General election
Candidates
- Jesse Johnson, former gubernatorial and senate nominee
- Bill Maloney, businessman and Republican nominee for governor in 2011
- David Moran, farmer and retired engineer
- Earl Ray Tomblin, incumbent governor
Other potential candidates
- Norman Ferguson
- Phil Hudok, write-in candidate for governor in 2011
Debates
Results
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
By congressional district
Ray Tomblin won two of three congressional districts, including one that elected a Republican.| District | Ray Tomblin | Maloney | Representative |
| 47.99% | 48.21% | David McKinley | |
| 49.4% | 46.19% | Shelley Moore Capito | |
| 54.43% | 42.25% | Nick Rahall |