1820 Virginia gubernatorial election

1820 Virginia gubernatorial election

←  1819 December 16, 1820 1821  →

Nominee Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. Hugh Nelson 1st ballot 134 38

Governor before election Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. Democratic-Republican Elected Governor Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. Democratic-Republican [a]

A gubernatorial election was held in Virginia on December 16, 1820. ^[4] The incumbent governor of Virginia Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. defeated the U.S. representative from Virginia's 22nd congressional district Hugh Nelson. ^[1]

The election was conducted by the Virginia General Assembly in joint session. ^[5] Voting was scheduled to have begun on December 9, but was postponed until the following Saturday by agreement of the Senate and the House of Delegates. ^[6] Randolph was elected with a majority on the first ballot. ^[1]

General election

1820 Virginia gubernatorial special election ^[1]

Candidate	First ballot
	Count	Percent
Thomas Mann Randolph Jr.	164	79.23
Hugh Nelson	38	18.36
Others [b]	5	2.41
Total	207	100.00

Notes

1. Lampi lists no parties for this election. ^[1] Kallenbach and Kallenbach list Randolph as a Jeffersonian Republican, ^[2] while Sobel and Raimo do not indicate a party. ^[3]
2. The Virginia Patriot and Richmond Daily Mercantile Advertiser shows 6 votes for others. ^[7]

1. Lampi 2012.
2. Kallenbach & Kallenbach 1977, p. 613.
3. Sobel & Raimo 1978, pp. 1632–33.
4. Virginia 1820, p. 48.
5. Sobel & Raimo 1978, p. 1632.
6. Virginia 1820, p. 28.
7. Lampi 2012, n2.

Bibliography

• Kallenbach, Joseph E.; Kallenbach, Jessamine S. (1977). American State Governors, 1776–1976. Vol. 1. Dobbs Ferry, NY: Oceana Publications.
• Lampi, Philip J. (2012). "Virginia 1820 Governor". A New Nation Votes. American Antiquarian Society. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
• Sobel, Robert; Raimo, John (1978). Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States 1789–1978. Vol. 4. Westport, CT: Meckler Books.
• Virginia (1820). Journal of the House of Delegates [...]. Richmond.