1831 Virginia gubernatorial election

1831 Virginia gubernatorial election

←  1830 February 11, 1830 1834  →

Nominee John Floyd Party Democratic 1st ballot 153

Governor before election John Floyd Democratic Elected Governor John Floyd Democratic

A gubernatorial election was held in Virginia on February 11, 1831. The Democratic incumbent governor of Virginia John Floyd was re-elected unanimously. ^[1]

Floyd belonged to a group of Virginia Old Republicans who were close allies of the vice president of the United States John C. Calhoun. When Calhoun did not run in the 1828 United States presidential election, Floyd campaigned for Andrew Jackson and hoped for an appointment in Jackson's administration. ^[2] Calhoun's falling out with Jackson during 1830–31 preceded Floyd's exit from the Virginia Democratic Party. ^[3] In a letter to John Williams dated December 27, 1830, Floyd described his rift with Jackson as irreparable and vowed to win re-election. His campaign became intertwined with the efforts to organize an opposition party in the state from among the supporters of Calhoun and Henry Clay. ^[4]

The election was conducted by the Virginia General Assembly in joint session. ^[5] Thomas W. Gilmer nominated Floyd in a speech that paid tribute to the incumbent's statesmanship and republican principles. ^[6] No other candidates were nominated. Floyd was elected unanimously on the first ballot. ^[7]

General election

1831 Virginia gubernatorial election ^[1]

Party		Candidate	First ballot
			Count	Percent
	Democratic	John Floyd	153	100.00
Total			153	100.00

References

1. Virginia 1830, p. 161.
2. Dent 1974, p. 85.
3. Simms 1929, p. 44.
4. Ambler 1918, pp. 100–2.
5. Sobel & Raimo 1978, p. 1,636.
6. "Virginia Legislature". Richmond Enquirer. February 12, 1831.
7. Ambler 1918, p. 103.

Bibliography

• Ambler, Charles H. (1918). The Life and Diary of John Floyd [...]. Richmond: Richmond Press.
• Dent, Lynwood Miller (1974). The Virginia Democratic Party, 1824-1847. (Volumes I and II) (PhD thesis). [Baton Rouge]: Louisiana State University.
• Simms, Henry H. (1929). The Rise of the Whigs in Virginia, 1824–1840. Richmond: William Byrd Press.
• Sobel, Robert; Raimo, John (1978). Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States 1789–1978. Vol. 4. Westport, CT: Meckler Books.
• Virginia (1830). Journal of the House of Delegates [...]. Richmond.