 | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
 County and independent city results Darden: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Muse: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Elections in Virginia |
|---|
 |
In the 1941 Virginia gubernatorial election, incumbent Governor James H. Price, a Democrat, was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. U.S. Representative Colgate Darden was nominated by the Democratic Party to run against Republican former Virginia State Senator Benjamin Muse.
For the previous four decades Virginia had almost completely disenfranchised its black and poor white populations through the use of a cumulative poll tax and literacy tests. [1] So restricted was suffrage that it has been calculated that a third of Virginia's electorate during the first half of the twentieth century comprised state employees and officeholders. [1] This limited electorate allowed Virginian politics to be controlled for four decades by the Byrd Organization, as progressive "antiorganization" factions were rendered impotent by the inability of almost all their potential electorate to vote. [2] Historical fusion with the "Readjuster" Democrats, [3] defection of substantial proportions of the Northeast-aligned white electorate of the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia over free silver, [4] and an early move towards a "lily white" Jim Crow party [3] meant Republicans retained a small but permanent number of legislative seats and local offices in the western part of the state. [5] Nevertheless, in gubernatorial elections during this period the Republican vote was mostly in the nature of a protest, and in most elections between 1925 and 1949 turnout was higher in the Democratic primary than the general election. [6]
The preceding gubernatorial election, for the only time in the Byrd machine's history, had seen it defeated in the primaries [a] by the relatively liberal Price. [8] However, continuing conservative control of the state legislature and the complete failure of FDR's attempt to deny conservative Senators Byrd and Carter Glass federal patronage, [7] meant that Price could not deliver significant reforms. This was seen in Roosevelt's antiorganization nomination to the Western District federal court, Floyd H. Roberts being defeated 9–72, [9] and that Virginia's electorate is known to have been overwhelmingly opposed to Roberts. [7] FDR also failed to have an antiorganization man installed as Attorney for that same district court, [10] whilst organization leader Colgate Darden recaptured the Second Congressional District from New Dealer Norman R. Hamilton.
By the 1940 Democratic State Convention, the liberals from three years back had been completely routed,and even such old New Dealers as John W. Flannagan Jr. were supporting Byrd. [8] No strong opposition candidate could be found by Martin Hutchinson, and Darden's two primary opponents were state senators not allied with either party faction. [8]
Darden would win extremely easily in both the primary and the general election, with the ordinarily extremely low turnout being further reduced by the absence of many voters serving in World War II. [11]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Colgate W. Darden, Jr. | 105,655 | 76.58% | ||
| Democratic | Vivian L. Page | 19,526 | 14.15% | ||
| Democratic | Hudson Cary | 12,793 | 9.27% | ||
| Majority | 86,129 | 62.43% | |||
| Turnout | 137,974 | 4.60% | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Colgate Darden | 98,680 | 80.58% | −2.20% | |
| Republican | Benjamin Muse | 21,896 | 17.88% | +2.10% | |
| Communist | Alice Burke | 1,096 | 0.89% | +0.11% | |
| Socialist | Hilliard Bernstein | 787 | 0.64% | +0.64% | |
| Majority | 76,784 | 62.70% | −4.30% | ||
| Turnout | 122,459 | 4.09% | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
| Colgate W. Darden Jr. Democratic | Benjamin Muse Republican | Alice Burke Communist | Hilliard E. Bernstein Socialist | Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Accomack County | 769 | 94.70% | 36 | 4.43% | 5 | 0.62% | 2 | 0.25% | 733 | 90.27% | 812 |
| Albemarle County | 614 | 90.56% | 59 | 8.70% | 3 | 0.44% | 2 | 0.29% | 555 | 81.86% | 678 |
| Alleghany County | 646 | 58.20% | 452 | 40.72% | 7 | 0.63% | 5 | 0.45% | 194 | 17.48% | 1,110 |
| Amelia County | 214 | 82.95% | 43 | 16.67% | 1 | 0.39% | 0 | 0.00% | 171 | 66.28% | 258 |
| Amherst County | 794 | 93.74% | 31 | 3.66% | 17 | 2.01% | 5 | 0.59% | 763 | 90.08% | 847 |
| Appomattox County | 605 | 95.58% | 26 | 4.11% | 1 | 0.16% | 1 | 0.16% | 579 | 91.47% | 633 |
| Arlington County | 2,302 | 82.27% | 451 | 16.12% | 25 | 0.89% | 20 | 0.71% | 1,851 | 66.15% | 2,798 |
| Augusta County | 1,080 | 81.20% | 242 | 18.20% | 4 | 0.30% | 4 | 0.30% | 838 | 63.01% | 1,330 |
| Bath County | 280 | 62.08% | 163 | 36.14% | 3 | 0.67% | 5 | 1.11% | 117 | 25.94% | 451 |
| Bedford County | 795 | 85.85% | 127 | 13.71% | 4 | 0.43% | 0 | 0.00% | 668 | 72.14% | 926 |
| Bland County | 433 | 59.64% | 283 | 38.98% | 4 | 0.55% | 6 | 0.83% | 150 | 20.66% | 726 |
| Botetourt County | 779 | 73.77% | 268 | 25.38% | 8 | 0.76% | 1 | 0.09% | 511 | 48.39% | 1,056 |
| Brunswick County | 508 | 97.69% | 11 | 2.12% | 1 | 0.19% | 0 | 0.00% | 497 | 95.58% | 520 |
| Buchanan County | 1,482 | 75.27% | 420 | 21.33% | 33 | 1.68% | 34 | 1.73% | 1,062 | 53.94% | 1,969 |
| Buckingham County | 411 | 91.33% | 38 | 8.44% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.22% | 373 | 82.89% | 450 |
| Campbell County | 458 | 94.24% | 19 | 3.91% | 8 | 1.65% | 1 | 0.21% | 439 | 90.33% | 486 |
| Caroline County | 299 | 91.16% | 25 | 7.62% | 1 | 0.30% | 3 | 0.91% | 274 | 83.54% | 328 |
| Carroll County | 705 | 46.72% | 762 | 50.50% | 23 | 1.52% | 19 | 1.26% | -57 | -3.78% | 1,509 |
| Charles City County | 83 | 92.22% | 4 | 4.44% | 3 | 3.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 79 | 87.78% | 90 |
| Charlotte County | 639 | 97.41% | 12 | 1.83% | 4 | 0.61% | 1 | 0.15% | 627 | 95.58% | 656 |
| Chesterfield County | 590 | 84.89% | 103 | 14.82% | 2 | 0.29% | 0 | 0.00% | 487 | 70.07% | 695 |
| Clarke County | 248 | 92.54% | 18 | 6.72% | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 0.75% | 230 | 85.82% | 268 |
| Craig County | 224 | 74.42% | 75 | 24.92% | 1 | 0.33% | 1 | 0.33% | 149 | 49.50% | 301 |
| Culpeper County | 412 | 92.38% | 31 | 6.95% | 2 | 0.45% | 1 | 0.22% | 381 | 85.43% | 446 |
| Cumberland County | 194 | 90.65% | 19 | 8.88% | 1 | 0.47% | 0 | 0.00% | 175 | 81.78% | 214 |
| Dickenson County | 1,082 | 70.17% | 429 | 27.82% | 14 | 0.91% | 17 | 1.10% | 653 | 42.35% | 1,542 |
| Dinwiddie County | 491 | 90.93% | 49 | 9.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 442 | 81.85% | 540 |
| Elizabeth City County | 356 | 90.36% | 33 | 8.38% | 2 | 0.51% | 3 | 0.76% | 323 | 81.98% | 394 |
| Essex County | 104 | 90.43% | 9 | 7.83% | 1 | 0.87% | 1 | 0.87% | 95 | 82.61% | 115 |
| Fairfax County | 2,298 | 80.74% | 470 | 16.51% | 49 | 1.72% | 29 | 1.02% | 1,828 | 64.23% | 2,846 |
| Fauquier County | 651 | 90.04% | 68 | 9.41% | 3 | 0.41% | 1 | 0.14% | 583 | 80.64% | 723 |
| Floyd County | 234 | 34.06% | 446 | 64.92% | 2 | 0.29% | 5 | 0.73% | -212 | -30.86% | 687 |
| Fluvanna County | 253 | 93.36% | 16 | 5.90% | 2 | 0.74% | 0 | 0.00% | 237 | 87.45% | 271 |
| Franklin County | 889 | 83.08% | 176 | 16.45% | 4 | 0.37% | 1 | 0.09% | 713 | 66.64% | 1,070 |
| Frederick County | 380 | 78.03% | 106 | 21.77% | 1 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | 274 | 56.26% | 487 |
| Giles County | 924 | 76.43% | 265 | 21.92% | 12 | 0.99% | 8 | 0.66% | 659 | 54.51% | 1,209 |
| Gloucester County | 389 | 91.10% | 35 | 8.20% | 2 | 0.47% | 1 | 0.23% | 354 | 82.90% | 427 |
| Goochland County | 323 | 92.29% | 17 | 4.86% | 6 | 1.71% | 4 | 1.14% | 306 | 87.43% | 350 |
| Grayson County | 2,042 | 45.67% | 2,379 | 53.21% | 26 | 0.58% | 24 | 0.54% | -337 | -7.54% | 4,471 |
| Greene County | 127 | 82.47% | 23 | 14.94% | 2 | 1.30% | 2 | 1.30% | 104 | 67.53% | 154 |
| Greensville County | 280 | 93.96% | 17 | 5.70% | 1 | 0.34% | 0 | 0.00% | 263 | 88.26% | 298 |
| Halifax County | 1,388 | 98.02% | 14 | 0.99% | 13 | 0.92% | 1 | 0.07% | 1,374 | 97.03% | 1,416 |
| Hanover County | 696 | 84.67% | 88 | 10.71% | 24 | 2.92% | 14 | 1.70% | 608 | 73.97% | 822 |
| Henrico County | 386 | 77.82% | 98 | 19.76% | 3 | 0.60% | 9 | 1.81% | 288 | 58.06% | 496 |
| Henry County | 385 | 91.67% | 30 | 7.14% | 3 | 0.71% | 2 | 0.48% | 355 | 84.52% | 420 |
| Highland County | 233 | 59.90% | 150 | 38.56% | 5 | 1.29% | 1 | 0.26% | 83 | 21.34% | 389 |
| Isle of Wight County | 515 | 96.62% | 17 | 3.19% | 1 | 0.19% | 0 | 0.00% | 498 | 93.43% | 533 |
| James City County | 91 | 91.00% | 9 | 9.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 82 | 82.00% | 100 |
| King and Queen County | 123 | 90.44% | 8 | 5.88% | 3 | 2.21% | 2 | 1.47% | 115 | 84.56% | 136 |
| King George County | 132 | 85.71% | 16 | 10.39% | 4 | 2.60% | 2 | 1.30% | 116 | 75.32% | 154 |
| King William County | 231 | 95.45% | 11 | 4.55% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 220 | 90.91% | 242 |
| Lancaster County | 256 | 87.97% | 33 | 11.34% | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 0.69% | 223 | 76.63% | 291 |
| Lee County | 2,331 | 81.16% | 407 | 14.17% | 81 | 2.82% | 53 | 1.85% | 1,924 | 66.99% | 2,872 |
| Loudoun County | 720 | 92.78% | 54 | 6.96% | 2 | 0.26% | 0 | 0.00% | 666 | 85.82% | 776 |
| Louisa County | 966 | 86.40% | 125 | 11.18% | 15 | 1.34% | 12 | 1.07% | 841 | 75.22% | 1,118 |
| Lunenburg County | 316 | 96.34% | 11 | 3.35% | 1 | 0.30% | 0 | 0.00% | 305 | 92.99% | 328 |
| Madison County | 229 | 74.59% | 72 | 23.45% | 4 | 1.30% | 2 | 0.65% | 157 | 51.14% | 307 |
| Mathews County | 341 | 94.46% | 19 | 5.26% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.28% | 322 | 89.20% | 361 |
| Mecklenburg County | 521 | 94.04% | 28 | 5.05% | 5 | 0.90% | 0 | 0.00% | 493 | 88.99% | 554 |
| Middlesex County | 205 | 97.62% | 5 | 2.38% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 200 | 95.24% | 210 |
| Montgomery County | 810 | 73.04% | 288 | 25.97% | 5 | 0.45% | 6 | 0.54% | 522 | 47.07% | 1,109 |
| Nansemond County | 426 | 97.93% | 9 | 2.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 417 | 95.86% | 435 |
| Nelson County | 1,077 | 91.66% | 70 | 5.96% | 21 | 1.79% | 7 | 0.60% | 1,007 | 85.70% | 1,175 |
| New Kent County | 105 | 91.30% | 9 | 7.83% | 1 | 0.87% | 0 | 0.00% | 96 | 83.48% | 115 |
| Norfolk County | 1,366 | 97.85% | 24 | 1.72% | 2 | 0.14% | 4 | 0.29% | 1,342 | 96.13% | 1,396 |
| Northampton County | 407 | 97.14% | 12 | 2.86% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 395 | 94.27% | 419 |
| Northumberland County | 221 | 90.95% | 18 | 7.41% | 3 | 1.23% | 1 | 0.41% | 203 | 83.54% | 243 |
| Nottoway County | 326 | 90.30% | 33 | 9.14% | 2 | 0.55% | 0 | 0.00% | 293 | 81.16% | 361 |
| Orange County | 422 | 92.95% | 24 | 5.29% | 1 | 0.22% | 7 | 1.54% | 398 | 87.67% | 454 |
| Page County | 987 | 77.53% | 277 | 21.76% | 3 | 0.24% | 6 | 0.47% | 710 | 55.77% | 1,273 |
| Patrick County | 788 | 93.25% | 47 | 5.56% | 7 | 0.83% | 3 | 0.36% | 741 | 87.69% | 845 |
| Pittsylvania County | 1,138 | 91.85% | 80 | 6.46% | 14 | 1.13% | 7 | 0.56% | 1,058 | 85.39% | 1,239 |
| Powhatan County | 228 | 91.94% | 18 | 7.26% | 2 | 0.81% | 0 | 0.00% | 210 | 84.68% | 248 |
| Prince Edward County | 400 | 91.12% | 34 | 7.74% | 2 | 0.46% | 3 | 0.68% | 366 | 83.37% | 439 |
| Prince George County | 164 | 82.00% | 33 | 16.50% | 2 | 1.00% | 1 | 0.50% | 131 | 65.50% | 200 |
| Prince William County | 362 | 90.27% | 34 | 8.48% | 4 | 1.00% | 1 | 0.25% | 328 | 81.80% | 401 |
| Princess Anne County | 838 | 97.56% | 21 | 2.44% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 817 | 95.11% | 859 |
| Pulaski County | 1,037 | 87.07% | 145 | 12.17% | 4 | 0.34% | 5 | 0.42% | 892 | 74.90% | 1,191 |
| Rappahannock County | 198 | 88.79% | 23 | 10.31% | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 0.90% | 175 | 78.48% | 223 |
| Richmond County | 182 | 93.81% | 11 | 5.67% | 1 | 0.52% | 0 | 0.00% | 171 | 88.14% | 194 |
| Roanoke County | 1,273 | 67.32% | 592 | 31.31% | 18 | 0.95% | 8 | 0.42% | 681 | 36.01% | 1,891 |
| Rockbridge County | 778 | 82.94% | 155 | 16.52% | 3 | 0.32% | 2 | 0.21% | 623 | 66.42% | 938 |
| Rockingham County | 1,847 | 59.54% | 1,168 | 37.65% | 29 | 0.93% | 58 | 1.87% | 679 | 21.89% | 3,102 |
| Russell County | 2,211 | 72.33% | 780 | 25.52% | 35 | 1.14% | 31 | 1.01% | 1,431 | 46.81% | 3,057 |
| Scott County | 1,423 | 53.64% | 1,147 | 43.23% | 50 | 1.88% | 33 | 1.24% | 276 | 10.40% | 2,653 |
| Shenandoah County | 1,247 | 47.31% | 1,376 | 52.20% | 5 | 0.19% | 8 | 0.30% | -129 | -4.89% | 2,636 |
| Smyth County | 1,620 | 61.74% | 959 | 36.55% | 27 | 1.03% | 18 | 0.69% | 661 | 25.19% | 2,624 |
| Southampton County | 782 | 98.36% | 13 | 1.64% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 769 | 96.73% | 795 |
| Spotsylvania County | 255 | 91.40% | 20 | 7.17% | 1 | 0.36% | 3 | 1.08% | 235 | 84.23% | 279 |
| Stafford County | 185 | 78.06% | 49 | 20.68% | 2 | 0.84% | 1 | 0.42% | 136 | 57.38% | 237 |
| Surry County | 241 | 93.77% | 15 | 5.84% | 1 | 0.39% | 0 | 0.00% | 226 | 87.94% | 257 |
| Sussex County | 419 | 95.88% | 18 | 4.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 401 | 91.76% | 437 |
| Tazewell County | 1,106 | 72.33% | 375 | 24.53% | 18 | 1.18% | 30 | 1.96% | 731 | 47.81% | 1,529 |
| Warren County | 638 | 93.69% | 41 | 6.02% | 1 | 0.15% | 1 | 0.15% | 597 | 87.67% | 681 |
| Warwick County | 115 | 87.79% | 16 | 12.21% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 99 | 75.57% | 131 |
| Washington County | 1,030 | 72.74% | 356 | 25.14% | 18 | 1.27% | 12 | 0.85% | 674 | 47.60% | 1,416 |
| Westmoreland County | 304 | 91.29% | 27 | 8.11% | 2 | 0.60% | 0 | 0.00% | 277 | 83.18% | 333 |
| Wise County | 3,145 | 89.83% | 334 | 9.54% | 12 | 0.34% | 10 | 0.29% | 2,811 | 80.29% | 3,501 |
| Wythe County | 749 | 68.21% | 339 | 30.87% | 6 | 0.55% | 4 | 0.36% | 410 | 37.34% | 1,098 |
| York County | 203 | 93.12% | 11 | 5.05% | 3 | 1.38% | 1 | 0.46% | 192 | 88.07% | 218 |
| Alexandria City | 539 | 90.44% | 47 | 7.89% | 6 | 1.01% | 4 | 0.67% | 492 | 82.55% | 596 |
| Bristol City | 1,087 | 93.30% | 69 | 5.92% | 6 | 0.52% | 3 | 0.26% | 1,018 | 87.38% | 1,165 |
| Buena Vista City | 340 | 82.93% | 65 | 15.85% | 4 | 0.98% | 1 | 0.24% | 275 | 67.07% | 410 |
| Charlottesville City | 498 | 91.38% | 44 | 8.07% | 3 | 0.55% | 0 | 0.00% | 454 | 83.30% | 545 |
| Clifton Forge City | 676 | 78.06% | 169 | 19.52% | 11 | 1.27% | 10 | 1.15% | 507 | 58.55% | 866 |
| Danville City | 640 | 93.16% | 40 | 5.82% | 6 | 0.87% | 1 | 0.15% | 600 | 87.34% | 687 |
| Fredericksburg City | 974 | 91.71% | 63 | 5.93% | 20 | 1.88% | 5 | 0.47% | 911 | 85.78% | 1,062 |
| Hampton City | 243 | 95.67% | 9 | 3.54% | 1 | 0.39% | 1 | 0.39% | 234 | 92.13% | 254 |
| Harrisonburg City | 1,144 | 76.32% | 332 | 22.15% | 11 | 0.73% | 12 | 0.80% | 812 | 54.17% | 1,499 |
| Hopewell City | 904 | 77.86% | 216 | 18.60% | 30 | 2.58% | 11 | 0.95% | 688 | 59.26% | 1,161 |
| Lynchburg City | 828 | 88.56% | 95 | 10.16% | 5 | 0.53% | 7 | 0.75% | 733 | 78.40% | 935 |
| Martinsville City | 821 | 86.60% | 85 | 8.97% | 27 | 2.85% | 15 | 1.58% | 736 | 77.64% | 948 |
| Newport News City | 556 | 86.47% | 73 | 11.35% | 9 | 1.40% | 5 | 0.78% | 483 | 75.12% | 643 |
| Norfolk City | 4,005 | 96.60% | 118 | 2.85% | 16 | 0.39% | 7 | 0.17% | 3,887 | 93.75% | 4,146 |
| Petersburg City | 532 | 81.97% | 113 | 17.41% | 1 | 0.15% | 3 | 0.46% | 419 | 64.56% | 649 |
| Portsmouth City | 1,465 | 93.79% | 78 | 4.99% | 10 | 0.64% | 9 | 0.58% | 1,387 | 88.80% | 1,562 |
| Radford City | 676 | 74.70% | 216 | 23.87% | 5 | 0.55% | 8 | 0.88% | 460 | 50.83% | 905 |
| Richmond City | 11,715 | 92.65% | 724 | 5.73% | 131 | 1.04% | 75 | 0.59% | 10,991 | 86.92% | 12,645 |
| Roanoke City | 1,964 | 71.97% | 713 | 26.13% | 36 | 1.32% | 16 | 0.59% | 1,251 | 45.84% | 2,729 |
| South Norfolk City | 305 | 95.31% | 9 | 2.81% | 1 | 0.31% | 5 | 1.56% | 296 | 92.50% | 320 |
| Staunton City | 480 | 86.64% | 71 | 12.82% | 0 | 0.00% | 3 | 0.54% | 409 | 73.83% | 554 |
| Suffolk City | 379 | 98.19% | 6 | 1.55% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.26% | 373 | 96.63% | 386 |
| Williamsburg City | 96 | 91.43% | 8 | 7.62% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.95% | 88 | 83.81% | 105 |
| Winchester City | 308 | 79.18% | 81 | 20.82% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 227 | 58.35% | 389 |
| Totals | 98,680 | 80.58% | 21,896 | 17.88% | 1,096 | 0.89% | 787 | 0.64% | 76,784 | 62.70% | 122,459 |
