1827 Virginia gubernatorial special election

1827 Virginia gubernatorial special election

←  1826 February 10, 1827 1827  →

Nominee William Branch Giles Hugh Nelson John Floyd [a] Party Jacksonian Jacksonian Jacksonian 1st ballot 107 62 37

Governor before election John Tyler Democratic-Republican Elected Governor William Branch Giles Jacksonian

A gubernatorial special election was held in Virginia on February 10, 1827. ^[2] The member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Amelia County William Branch Giles defeated the member from Albemarle County Hugh Nelson and the U.S. representative from Virginia's 20th congressional district John Floyd. ^[1]

The incumbent governor of Virginia John Tyler resigned effective March 4, 1827, following his election to the United States Senate. ^[3] The election was conducted by the Virginia General Assembly in joint session. Floyd formally declined to run, after which the race narrowed to between Giles and Nelson. Giles's supporters praised his opposition to internal improvements and his hostility to the national Adams administration, while Nelson was celebrated as an Old Republican of the "School of '98." ^[1] All three candidates were "opposition men" ^[4] and Jacksonians. ^[5] Giles was elected with a majority on the first ballot. ^[2]

General election

1827 Virginia gubernatorial special election ^{[1] [6]}

Party		Candidate	First ballot
			Count	Percent
	Jacksonian	William Branch Giles	107	50.95
	Jacksonian	Hugh Nelson	62	29.52
	Jacksonian	John Floyd	37	17.62
Others			4	1.90
Total			210	100.00

Notes

1. Nominated despite his refusal to become a candidate. ^[1]

1. "Virginia Legislature". Enquirer. February 13, 1827.
2. Virginia 1826, p. 156.
3. Sobel & Raimo 1978, p. 1635.
4. "Election of Governor". Enquirer. February 13, 1827.
5. "Election of Governor". Constitutional Whig. February 13, 1827.
6. "Virginia Legislature". Constitutional Whig. February 13, 1827.

Bibliography

• Sobel, Robert; Raimo, John (1978). Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States 1789–1978. Vol. 4. Westport, CT: Meckler Books.
• Virginia (1826). Journal of the House of Delegates [...]. Richmond.

Further reading

• For a list of members of the Virginia General Assembly, see Swem, Earl G.; Williams, John W. (1918). A Register of the General Assembly of Virginia, 1776–1918, and of the Constitutional Conventions. Richmond: Virginia. pp. 119–20.