Charlotte Pritt


Charlotte Pritt is an American educator, businesswoman, and politician in the U.S. state of West Virginia. From 1984 to 1988, she served in the West Virginia House of Delegates. From 1988 to 1992, she served in the West Virginia State Senate. She ran unsuccessfully for West Virginia governor in 1992, 1996 and 2016 and for West Virginia Secretary of State in 2000.

Career

Prior to entering politics, Pritt was a high school English teacher and a college professor. When elected to the West Virginia State Legislature, she directed two federal education grants and the National Writing Program in West Virginia.

Statewide campaigns

1992

Pritt ran for governor as a Democrat in the primary election in 1992, but lost to Gaston Caperton. She gained notoriety initially by challenging then-Governor Caperton on his grocery and gasoline taxes and opposition to collective bargaining. Pritt entered the race as a Democrat in 1992 after 100,000 people signed a petition.
Caperton defeated Pritt in the primary, 42.68 to 34.65 percent. West Virginia attorney general Mario Palumbo came in third, with 20.1 percent.
After losing the Democratic primary to Caperton, Pritt refused to endorse her opponent and mounted an independent write-in bid for governor in the general election. She garnered 7.4 percent in the race, in which Caperton defeated Republican Cleve Benedict, 56 to 36.6 percent.

1996

Pritt ran as a Democrat for governor and defeated Joe Manchin in the primary, 39.5 to 32.6 percent.
Pritt lost in the general election to Republican Cecil Underwood, 51.6 to 45.8 percent. She was the first woman to secure the West Virginia gubernatorial nomination of either of the two major political parties. A group, known as "Democrats for Underwood" consisted of some West Virginia Democratic officials who refused to back her in the general election.

2000

Pritt ran for West Virginia Secretary of State in 2000, losing the Democratic primary to Manchin, 51.1 to 28.9 percent.

2016

She was nominated as the Mountain Party's candidate for West Virginia governor on July 16, 2016, at the party's convention. She came in third place in the general election, receiving nearly 6% of the vote, behind winner Jim Justice and Bill Cole.

Mountain Party

From 2012 to 2014, she was Chairwoman of the Mountain Party which is the Green Party's state branch affiliate for West Virginia.

Personal life

Today, she is the president of Better Balance, a West Virginia-based educational and wellness consulting firm.

Electoral history