1860 United States presidential election in Virginia

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1860 United States presidential election in Virginia
Flag of Virginia (October 1859).png
  1856 November 6, 1860 1872 (Va.)
1864 (W. Va.)  
  John Bell (Restored).png John C Breckinridge-04775-restored.jpg Senator Stephen A. Douglas (edited).png
Nominee John Bell John C. Breckinridge Stephen A. Douglas
Party Constitutional Union Southern Democratic Democratic
Home state Tennessee Kentucky Illinois
Running mate Edward Everett Joseph Lane Herschel V. Johnson
Electoral vote1500
Popular vote74,48174,32516,198
Percentage44.63%44.54%9.71%

Virginia Presidential Election Results 1860.svg
County results

President before election

James Buchanan
Democratic

Elected President

Abraham Lincoln
Republican

The 1860 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 6, 1860, as part of the 1860 United States presidential election. Voters chose 15 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Contents

Campaign

Archibald Campbell and John Curtiss Underwood attempted to have the Republican National Convention held in Wheeling, Virginia. Many national Republicans supported the idea, including chair Edwin D. Morgan. However, the hostile reaction to the Republican Party by the south after John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry resulted in the committee choosing to host the convention in Chicago. [1]

1,500 people attended the Republican Party of Virginia's state convention in Wheeling on May 2, 1860. The party's delegation to the national convention was the sixth-largest there, despite a credentials challenge against the entire south by opponents of William H. Seward. The initially pro-Seward Virginia delegation gave a majority of its votes to Abraham Lincoln on the first ballot. The delegation supported Cassius Marcellus Clay for the vice presidential nomination. [2]

Four companies of Wide Awakes totaling 350 men were formed during the campaign. [3] Almost all of Lincoln's support came from around Wheeling [4] and his best county was Ohio County. [3]

Results

1860 United States presidential election in Virginia [5]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Constitutional Union John Bell 74,48144.63%15
Southern Democratic John C. Breckinridge 74,32544.54%0
Democratic Stephen A. Douglas 16,1989.71%0
Republican Abraham Lincoln 1,8871.13%0
Totals166,891100.0%15

Results by County

1860 United States Presidential Election in Virginia (By County) [6]
CountyJohn Bell

Constitutional Union

John C. Breckinridge

Southern Democratic

Stephen A. Douglas

Democratic

Abraham Lincoln

Republican

Total Votes Cast [6]
#%#%#%#%
Accomack 73647.39%73747.46%805.15%00.00%1,553
Albemarle 1,31753.32%1,05642.75%973.93%00.00%2,470
Alexandria 1,01258.36%56532.58%1418.13%160.92%1,734
Alleghany 25039.62%34454.52%375.86%00.00%631
Amelia 28250.09%24944.23%325.68%00.00%563
Amherst 62242.72%80855.49%261.79%00.00%1,456
Appomattox 22127.83%56370.91%101.26%00.00%794
Augusta 2,55366.05%2185.64%1,09428.31%00.00%3,865
Barbour 42230.71%91066.23%392.84%30.22%1,374
Bath 22045.32%16340.25%225.43%00.00%405
Bedford 1,46856.55%1,03739.95%913.50%00.00%2,596
Berkeley 91349.38%83044.89%1065.73%00.00%1,849
Boone 12134.67%20458.45%246.88%00.00%349
Botetourt 59043.61%58943.53%17412.86%00.00%1,353
Braxton 27450.09%22741.50%468.41%00.00%547
Brooke 17319.84%45051.61%768.72%17319.84%872
Brunswick 30832.90%44446.28%18719.91%00.00%939
Buchanan 148.38%13480.24%1911.38%00.00%167
Buckingham 54550.00%52347.98%222.02%00.00%1,090
Cabell 31635.59%16118.13%40745.83%40.45%888
Calhoun 196.23%28593.44%10.32%00.00%305
Campbell 1,52152.90%1,20842.02%1465.08%00.00%2,875
Caroline 56141.52%77257.14%181.33%00.00%1,351
Carroll 31529.86%72969.10%111.04%00.00%1,055
Charles City 22465.12%11132.26%92.62%00.00%344
Charlotte 41846.04%46551.21%252.75%00.00%908
Chesterfield 78846.24%32819.25%58834.51%00.00%1,704
Clarke 28842.86%33549.85%497.29%00.00%672
Clay 11976.28%3723.72%00.00%00.00%156
Craig 11225.69%32273.85%20.46%00.00%436
Culpeper 52649.16%52549.07%191.78%00.00%1,070
Cumberland 27847.04%27646.70%376.26%00.00%591
Dinwiddie 38947.09%25430.75%18322.16%00.00%826
Doddridge 14324.20%35660.24%9115.40%10.16%591
Elizabeth City 24856.88%16437.61%245.51%00.00%436
Essex 27947.21%30852.11%40.68%00.00%591
Fairfax 69147.10%68546.69%916.20%00.00%1,491
Fauquier 98948.13%1,02749.98%391.90%00.00%2,056
Fayette 38155.46%24135.08%659.46%00.00%687
Floyd 38446.83%40048.78%364.39%00.00%820
Fluvanna 48751.97%44347.28%70.72%00.00%937
Franklin 86341.65%1,07651.93%1336.42%00.00%2,072
Frederick 96341.08%1,31556.10%662.82%00.00%2,344
Giles 36654.46%24436.31%629.23%00.00%672
Gilmer 11728.40%26865.05%276.55%00.00%412
Gloucester 30139.55%46060.45%00.00%00.00%761
Goochland 24434.41%42860.37%375.22%00.00%709
Grayson 31540.49%44757.46%162.05%00.00%762
Greenbrier 99360.88%50530.96%1338.15%00.00%1,631
Greene 7412.23%52186.12%101.65%00.00%605
Greensville 13941.99%15145.62%4112.39%00.00%331
Halifax 56327.97%1,31265.18%1386.86%00.00%2,013
Hampshire 87843.37%1,05452.49%753.74%10.04%2,008
Hancock 335.29%26241.32%8513.42%25440.06%634
Hanover 57542.56%74955.44%272.00%00.00%1,351
Hardy 89467.57%35526.83%745.60%00.00%1,323
Harrison 93141.36%1,19152.91%1074.75%220.98%2,251
Henrico 1,40362.83%64128.71%1898.46%00.00%2,233
Henry 54351.91%44444.45%595.64%00.00%1,046
Highland 21533.59%17026.56%25539.84%00.00%640
Isle of Wight 14715.93%75782.02%192.05%00.00%923
Jackson 38839.88%50051.39%646.58%212.16%973
James City 14869.48%6028.17%52.35%00.00%213
Jefferson 95951.64%45824.66%44023.69%00.00%1,857
Kanawha 1,17667.55%51329.47%522.99%00.00%1,741
King and Queen 25533.25%51066.49%20.26%00.00%767
King George 18441.44%22350.23%378.33%00.00%444
King William 14230.54%31567.74%81.72%00.00%465
Lancaster 20957.58%14239.12%123.31%00.00%363
Lee 46233.82%89465.45%100.73%00.00%1,366
Lewis 33228.06%60451.06%24720.88%00.00%1,183
Logan 10026.53%27171.88%61.59%00.00%377
Loudoun 2,03369.10%77826.44%1204.08%110.37%2,942
Louisa 49839.71%75460.13%20.16%00.00%1,254
Lunenburg 25130.99%52765.06%323.95%00.00%810
McDowell 3548.61%3751.39%00.00%00.00%72
Madison 747.97%83489.87%202.16%00.00%928
Marion 56927.84%1,33765.41%1376.70%10.01%2,044
Marshall 92845.49%80939.66%1085.29%1959.56%2,040
Mason 71647.39%43929.05%29719.66%593.90%1,511
Mathews 25145.06%30654.94%00.00%00.00%557
Mecklenburg 43030.85%90164.63%634.52%00.00%1,394
Mercer 44349.89%43248.65%131.46%00.00%888
Middlesex 15138.52%24161.48%00.00%00.00%392
Monongalia 62230.24%60129.22%75736.80%773.74%2,057
Monroe 69353.47%52040.12%836.40%00.00%1,296
Montgomery 71258.79%42535.09%746.11%00.00%1,211
Morgan 30852.92%25443.62%203.44%00.00%582
Nansemond 47752.59%42947.30%10.11%00.00%907
Nelson 73359.35%39031.58%1129.07%00.00%1,235
New Kent 26460.27%17239.27%20.46%00.00%438
Nicholas 34563.03%15227.89%488.81%00.00%545
Norfolk City 98259.38%43926.54%23314.09%00.00%1,654
Norfolk County 70458.52%44737.16%524.32%00.00%1,203
Northampton 23451.54%21447.14%61.32%00.00%454
Northumberland 27644.02%35055.82%10.16%00.00%627
Nottoway 23252.85%17940.77%286.39%00.00%439
Ohio 1,20233.43%91525.39%71619.87%77121.39%3,604
Orange 42746.72%47551.97%121.31%00.00%914
Page 14112.23%93781.27%756.50%00.00%1,153
Patrick 43346.31%43246.20%707.49%00.00%935
Pendleton 40053.33%21728.93%13317.73%00.00%750
Petersburg 97053.71%22312.35%61333.94%00.00%1,806
Pittsylvania 1,70257.98%1,05736.00%1776.01%00.00%2,936
Pleasants 14032.94%16639.06%11928.00%00.00%425
Pocahontas 16330.99%33363.31%305.70%00.00%526
Portsmouth 67846.60%55938.42%21414.72%40.27%1,455
Powhatan 22547.67%12726.91%12025.42%00.00%472
Preston 56230.33%94250.84%23912.90%1105.94%1,853
Prince Edward 37443.39%42349.07%657.54%00.00%862
Prince George 24343.39%19134.11%12622.50%00.00%560
Princess Anne 45153.31%37944.80%161.89%00.00%846
Prince William 24323.32%71868.91%262.50%555.28%1,042
Pulaski 33256.56%25042.59%50.85%00.00%587
Putnam 40052.29%32742.75%384.97%00.00%765
Raleigh 23073.48%6922.04%144.47%00.00%313
Randolph 25939.85%24838.15%14322.00%00.00%650
Rappahannock 49152.85%40944.03%293.12%00.00%929
Richmond City 2,40255.58%1,16727.08%75317.42%00.00%4,322
Richmond County 35364.89%18534.01%61.10%00.00%544
Ritchie 22426.26%54463.77%738.56%121.41%853
Roane 23745.84%26451.06%163.09%00.00%517
Roanoke 29340.81%37351.95%527.24%00.00%718
Rockbridge 1,23155.13%36116.17%64128.71%00.00%2,233
Rockingham 88330.31%67623.21%1,35446.48%00.00%2,913
Russell 47347.35%52652.65%00.00%00.00%999
Scott 49141.75%59450.60%917.74%00.00%1,176
Shenandoah 42717.13%1,88375.53%1706.82%130.52%2,493
Smyth 44645.01%49650.05%494.94%00.00%991
Southampton 54548.79%56350.40%90.81%00.00%1,117
Spotsylvania 59943.66%51637.61%25718.73%00.00%1,372
Stafford 40441.61%40241.41%16516.99%00.00%971
Surry 19753.68%11531.34%5514.99%00.00%367
Sussex 17731.22%29451.85%9616.93%00.00%567
Taylor 64751.68%57545.93%262.08%40.32%1,252
Tazewell 30624.68%93475.32%00.00%00.00%1,240
Tucker 2215.28%9968.75%2315.97%00.00%144
Tyler 31533.69%42345.24%19721.07%00.00%935
Upshur 33133.98%58960.47%545.54%00.00%974
Warren 27636.80%46261.60%121.60%00.00%750
Warwick 7269.23%3230.77%00.00%00.00%104
Washington 91642.60%1,17854.79%562.60%00.00%2,150
Wayne 32656.82%16628.42%8214.04%101.71%584
Webster 8645.03%9650.26%94.71%00.00%191
Westmoreland 43872.76%16026.58%40.66%00.00%602
Wetzel 9010.51%60770.91%15317.87%60.70%856
Williamsburg 4942.24%4337.07%2420.69%00.00%116
Wirt 15035.63%25560.57%163.80%00.00%421
Wise 10221.56%36376.74%81.69%00.00%473
Wood 83246.20%83246.20%563.11%814.50%1,801
Wyoming [a] 6061.22%2929.60%99.18%00.00%98
Wythe 61743.03%79555.44%221.53%00.00%1,434
York 22770.93%9028.13%30.94%00.00%320
Total74,70144.65%74,37944.46%16,2929.74%1,9291.15%167,301

Analysis

Virginia was one of only three states to vote for the Constitutional Union candidate, former U.S. Senator John Bell, over the Southern Democratic candidate, Vice President John C. Breckinridge, and the Democratic candidate, U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas. Former U.S. Representative Abraham Lincoln was also the Republican candidate in this election, but he received the lowest support for any Republican presidential candidate (as well as the lowest support of any candidate who won the presidency) in the history of Virginia.

This was the first presidential election since the formation of political parties in which Virginia did not vote for the Democratic or Democratic-Republican candidate. It was also the closest presidential election result in Virginia history: Bell won by 156 votes, or a margin of 0.093474% – the thirteenth-closest statewide presidential result in United States history and the closest between 1836 and 1876. Virginia eventually seceded from the United States on April 17, 1861, and did not participate in the following elections in 1864 and 1868. However, unionist counties in the Ohio basin, plus a number of adjacent counties in the northwest, seceded to form the state of West Virginia and did participate in those two elections. As of the 2024 presidential election , [7] this is the last election in which Morgan County, one of the counties that broke off to form West Virginia, did not vote for the Republican candidate.

Virginia was the only one of the eleven states that would later declare their secession from the Union and be controlled by Confederate armies where any ballots for Lincoln were distributed, and the vast majority of the votes Lincoln received were cast in border counties of what would soon become West Virginia – the future state accounted for 1,832 of Lincoln's 1,929 votes. [8] Lincoln received no votes at all in 121 of the state's then-145 counties (including 31 of the 50 that would form West Virginia), received a single vote in three counties and received ten or fewer votes in nine of the 24 counties where he polled votes. Lincoln's best results, by far, were in the four counties that comprised the state's northern panhandle, a region which had long felt alienated from Richmond and which was economically and culturally linked to its neighbors Ohio and Pennsylvania and which would become the key driver in the successful effort to form a separate state. Hancock County (Virginia's northernmost at the time) returned Lincoln's best result – he polled over 40% of the vote there and finished in second place (Lincoln polled only eight votes fewer than Breckinridge). Of the 97 votes cast for Lincoln in the state's post-1863 boundaries, 93 were polled in four counties along the Potomac River and four were cast in the coastal city of Portsmouth.

See also

Notes

  1. The official return from Wyoming County was received in Richmond after the legal deadline for submission of returns and so was not counted in the totals.

References

  1. Lowe 1973, p. 273-274.
  2. Lowe 1973, p. 275-277.
  3. 1 2 Lowe 1973, p. 278.
  4. Abbott 1986, p. 17.
  5. "1860 Presidential General Election Results – Virginia". U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  6. 1 2 "1860 Election Returns" (PDF). Virginia Memory.
  7. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  8. Results by county in Virginia

Works cited