1812 Virginia gubernatorial special election

1812 Virginia gubernatorial special election

←  1811 January 3, 1812 1812  →

Nominee James Barbour Party Democratic-Republican

Governor before election Peyton Randolph (acting) Democratic-Republican Elected Governor James Barbour Democratic-Republican

A gubernatorial special election was held in Virginia on January 3, 1812. The Democratic-Republican speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates James Barbour was elected without opposition. ^[1]

The previous governor George W. Smith died on December 26, 1811. Peyton Randolph succeeded to office in his capacity as president of the Council of State and acted as governor until the election of a successor. ^[2] Barbour had narrowly lost the preceding election to Smith and now emerged as the consensus candidate among the members of the legislature. ^[3]

The election was conducted by the Virginia General Assembly in joint session. ^[2] Barbour was elected with a majority on the first ballot. ^[1]

General election

1812 Virginia gubernatorial special election ^[1]

Party		Candidate	First ballot
			Count	Percent
	Democratic-Republican	James Barbour	**
Total			**	100.00

Notes

1. Virginia n.d., p. 62.
2. Sobel & Raimo 1978, p. 1630.
3. Lowery 1984, p. 61.

Bibliography

• Lowery, Charles D. (1984). James Barbour: A Jeffersonian Republican. University, AL: University of Alabama Press.
• Sobel, Robert; Raimo, John (1978). Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States 1789–1978. Vol. 4. Westport, CT: Meckler Books.
• Virginia (n.d.). Journal of the House of Delegates [...]. Richmond.