1957 Virginia gubernatorial election

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1957 Virginia gubernatorial election
Flag of Virginia.svg
  1953 November 5, 1957 1961  
  J. Lindsay Almond (VA).png Ted Dalton 1956.jpg
Nominee J. Lindsay Almond Ted Dalton
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote326,921188,628
Percentage63.2%36.4%

1957 Virginia gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County and independent city results
Almond:      40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
Dalton:      50–60%     60–70%

Governor before election

Thomas B. Stanley
Democratic

Elected Governor

J. Lindsay Almond
Democratic

In the 1957 Virginia gubernatorial election, incumbent Governor Thomas B. Stanley, a Democrat, was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. State Senator Theodore Roosevelt Dalton was again nominated by the Republican Party to run against former Democratic Attorney General J. Lindsay Almond.

Contents

Background

The preceding election had seen Dalton receive 45 percent of Virginia's limited electorate, which was the most any GOP nominee had garnered since 1885 when large numbers of subsequently disenfranchised blacks and poor whites remained enfranchised. [1] This alongside the election of three Representatives in 1952 produced expectations of a continued GOP rise in Virginia. [2] As early as 1950, sitting Attorney-General Lindsay Almond had helped eight black students led by Irving Linwood Peddrew III integrate Virginia Polytechnic Institute, [3] which suggested that the state would be able to navigate the emerging Civil Rights movement reasonably well.

Brown v. Board of Education

Governor Stanley did not wish to defy the federal courts against 1954's landmark Brown v. Board of Education . [4] but did urge black leaders to not press for compliance. [5] However, a year of black pressure caused the white masses to protest demanding that integration be resisted much more vigorously, [6] something Senator Byrd and his ruling machine had always urged. [7] Polls carried out by the state's highest-circulation newspaper, the Richmond Times-Dispatch , in 1956 showed that 92 percent of white Virginians supported segregation and only six percent opposed. [8] A referendum in January 1956, in which turnout of registered voters was extremely low in the whitest parts of the state, voted 304 thousand to 144 thousand in favour of a constitutional convention [note 1] with the explicit goal of maintaining segregated schools, [9] and in August Stanley presented a package of legislation that mandated closing any public school under a Federal desegregation order, which passed the legislature under a tide of "segregationist emotionalism". [10]

This severely divided and weakened the emerging Republican opposition to the Byrd Organization, [11] and also progressive state Democrats. Virginia was one of seven states whose entire Congressional delegation had signed the "Southern Manifesto" in March. [note 2]

Campaign

Several members of the ruling Byrd Organization would contemplate running for Governor in the aftermath of the "Southern Manifesto", but by December it was clear that sitting Attorney General Almond would be the organization nominee. [12] which under the extremely restricted Virginia electorate [1] was tantamount to gaining the Democratic nomination, which Almond did by a four-to-one majority in the July primary. [13] Unlike previous organization nominees, Almond had not been a favorite of Byrd especially given his past role in integrating Virginia Polytechnic, but sought the governorship for himself, in the process adopting Byrd's rigid segregationist views from the start of the campaign. [7]

Dalton's 45 percent of the vote in 1953 remained viewed as extremely impressive, but he was reluctant before accepting the Republican nomination a second time. [14]

School segregation was the solitary issue in the campaign, with Dalton proposing locally administered pupil assignment plans, [note 3] [15] emphasising the need to keep public schools open, [16] and criticizing "Massive Resistance". [17] Despite publicly expressing doubts about his campaign promises to prevent any integration whatsoever, [12] Almond supported "Massive Resistance" [17] and vigorously exploited the ongoing Little Rock Crisis [7] to successfully argue that Dalton's policy would be certain to result in large-scale integration. When Almond improved upon Stanley's 1953 margin by sixteen percentage points, Senator Byrd, alongside the governor-elect, said that the election was a mandate

to defend and preserve the inherent powers of Virginia's sovereign statehood. [12]

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Ledger-Star [18] Certain DSeptember 30, 1957

General election

Candidates

Results

1957 Virginia gubernatorial election [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic J. Lindsay Almond 326,921 63.16% +8.33%
Republican Theodore Roosevelt Dalton 188,62836.44%−7.84%
Independent C. Gilmer Brooks2,0890.40%
Majority 138,29326.72%+16.17%
Turnout 517,638
Democratic hold Swing

Results by county or independent city

1957 Virginia gubernatorial election by county or independent city [20]
James Lindsay Almond Jr.
Democratic
Theodore Roosevelt Dalton
Republican
C. Gilmer Brooks
Independent
MarginTotal votes cast
#%#%#%#%
Accomack County 3,21581.02%74118.67%120.30%2,47462.35%3,968
Albemarle County 2,06568.13%95931.64%70.23%1,10636.49%3,031
Alleghany County 86759.22%59240.44%50.34%27518.78%1,464
Amelia County 1,09774.73%36624.93%50.34%73149.80%1,468
Amherst County 2,11980.51%50419.15%90.34%1,61561.36%2,632
Appomattox County 1,77687.70%24712.20%20.10%1,52975.51%2,025
Arlington County 12,36846.84%13,66051.74%3751.42%-1,292-4.89%26,403
Augusta County 2,10657.23%1,56942.64%50.14%53714.59%3,680
Bath County 50161.78%30737.85%30.37%19423.92%811
Bedford County 3,37670.38%1,41329.46%80.17%1,96340.92%4,797
Bland County 73149.49%74050.10%60.41%-9-0.61%1,477
Botetourt County 1,75355.13%1,42144.69%60.19%33210.44%3,180
Brunswick County 2,50884.84%44715.12%10.03%2,06169.72%2,956
Buchanan County 2,14847.95%2,29751.27%350.78%-149-3.33%4,480
Buckingham County 1,19081.06%27618.80%20.14%91462.26%1,468
Campbell County 3,27677.78%93022.08%60.14%2,34655.70%4,212
Caroline County 1,39970.66%57729.14%40.20%82241.52%1,980
Carroll County 1,51433.72%2,96866.10%80.18%-1,454-32.38%4,490
Charles City County 29536.51%51263.37%10.12%-217-26.86%808
Charlotte County 2,12890.09%2329.82%20.08%1,89680.27%2,362
Chesterfield County 6,18576.33%1,90023.45%180.22%4,28552.88%8,103
Clarke County 88877.55%25522.27%20.17%63355.28%1,145
Craig County 51765.11%27734.89%00.00%24030.23%794
Culpeper County 1,66175.91%51723.63%100.46%1,14452.29%2,188
Cumberland County 88877.69%25322.13%20.17%63555.56%1,143
Dickenson County 2,67352.18%2,42847.39%220.43%2454.78%5,123
Dinwiddie County 1,77383.75%34116.11%30.14%1,43267.64%2,117
Essex County 69276.04%21623.74%20.22%47652.31%910
Fairfax County 10,94846.25%12,53852.97%1840.78%-1,590-6.72%23,670
Fauquier County 2,14873.61%76726.29%30.10%1,38147.33%2,918
Floyd County 77437.52%1,28962.48%00.00%-515-24.96%2,063
Fluvanna County 78673.94%27325.68%40.38%51348.26%1,063
Franklin County 2,32467.64%1,10732.22%50.15%1,21735.42%3,436
Frederick County 1,56970.96%61327.73%291.31%95643.24%2,211
Giles County 1,87154.44%1,52644.40%401.16%34510.04%3,437
Gloucester County 1,45673.54%52226.36%20.10%93447.17%1,980
Goochland County 98975.09%32324.53%50.38%66650.57%1,317
Grayson County 2,47044.28%3,08755.34%210.38%-617-11.06%5,578
Greene County 27656.67%21143.33%00.00%6513.35%487
Greensville County 1,93581.30%43318.19%120.50%1,50263.11%2,380
Halifax County 4,30386.51%65813.23%130.26%3,64573.28%4,974
Hanover County 2,73375.90%85723.80%110.31%1,87652.10%3,601
Henrico County 10,73676.86%3,21122.99%210.15%7,52553.87%13,968
Henry County 2,72270.89%1,10828.85%100.26%1,61442.03%3,840
Highland County 43058.90%29840.82%20.27%13218.08%730
Isle of Wight County 1,97475.14%64124.40%120.46%1,33350.74%2,627
James City County 61163.05%35736.84%10.10%25426.21%969
King and Queen County 59971.82%22727.22%80.96%37244.60%834
King George County 65567.81%30431.47%70.72%35136.34%966
King William County 86173.46%31026.45%10.09%55147.01%1,172
Lancaster County 1,06269.78%45329.76%70.46%60940.01%1,522
Lee County 3,69353.96%3,11045.44%410.60%5838.52%6,844
Loudoun County 2,43970.29%1,01229.16%190.55%1,42741.12%3,470
Louisa County 1,65676.74%49122.75%110.51%1,16553.99%2,158
Lunenburg County 2,11790.86%2119.06%20.09%1,90681.80%2,330
Madison County 80771.61%31928.31%10.09%48843.30%1,127
Mathews County 89471.86%34627.81%40.32%54844.05%1,244
Mecklenburg County 3,51388.20%46011.55%100.25%3,05376.65%3,983
Middlesex County 88774.85%29424.81%40.34%59350.04%1,185
Montgomery County 2,19040.61%3,19259.19%110.20%-1,002-18.58%5,393
Nelson County 1,29583.07%26216.81%20.13%1,03366.26%1,559
New Kent County 51167.50%24231.97%40.53%26935.54%757
Norfolk County 6,21577.30%1,80322.43%220.27%4,41254.88%8,040
Northampton County 1,61882.59%34017.36%10.05%1,27865.24%1,959
Northumberland County 1,19474.30%40725.33%60.37%78748.97%1,607
Nottoway County 2,45384.67%43815.12%60.21%2,01569.55%2,897
Orange County 1,59877.61%45322.00%80.39%1,14555.61%2,059
Page County 1,94456.71%1,45842.53%260.76%48614.18%3,428
Patrick County 1,84180.25%45019.62%30.13%1,39160.64%2,294
Pittsylvania County 5,57087.30%78512.30%250.39%4,78575.00%6,380
Powhatan County 75666.14%38533.68%20.17%37132.46%1,143
Prince Edward County 2,34483.36%46316.47%50.18%1,88166.89%2,812
Prince George County 87076.12%27023.62%30.26%60052.49%1,143
Prince William County 2,03670.67%82928.77%160.56%1,20741.90%2,881
Princess Anne County 4,91573.33%1,77626.50%120.18%3,13946.83%6,703
Pulaski County 2,09947.33%2,33052.54%60.14%-231-5.21%4,435
Rappahannock County 60475.41%19624.47%10.12%40850.94%801
Richmond County 64674.86%21524.91%20.23%43149.94%863
Roanoke County 4,21953.16%3,70646.69%120.15%5136.46%7,937
Rockbridge County 1,34352.83%1,19547.01%40.16%1485.82%2,542
Rockingham County 2,08451.22%1,96048.17%250.61%1243.05%4,069
Russell County 2,66651.28%2,51548.37%180.35%1512.90%5,199
Scott County 2,43638.87%3,80460.70%270.43%-1,368-21.83%6,267
Shenandoah County 2,31849.99%2,30849.77%110.24%100.22%4,637
Smyth County 2,26843.14%2,97856.65%110.21%-710-13.51%5,257
Southampton County 2,71180.80%63218.84%120.36%2,07961.97%3,355
Spotsylvania County 1,39272.96%51026.73%60.31%88246.23%1,908
Stafford County 1,21269.70%51929.84%80.46%69339.85%1,739
Surry County 97774.18%33425.36%60.46%64348.82%1,317
Sussex County 1,61982.48%34117.37%30.15%1,27865.10%1,963
Tazewell County 3,10457.13%2,30342.39%260.48%80114.74%5,433
Warren County 1,64965.41%85934.07%130.52%79031.34%2,521
Warwick County 5,01368.90%2,23230.68%310.43%2,78138.22%7,276
Washington County 3,16452.21%2,87547.44%210.35%2894.77%6,060
Westmoreland County 1,03878.70%27921.15%20.15%75957.54%1,319
Wise County 5,02467.24%2,42332.43%250.33%2,60134.81%7,472
Wythe County 1,86648.11%1,96150.55%521.34%-95-2.45%3,879
York County 1,49168.90%65630.31%170.79%83538.59%2,164
Alexandria City 5,08156.58%3,84442.81%550.61%1,23713.78%8,980
Bristol City 1,38565.27%72133.98%160.75%66431.29%2,122
Buena Vista City 52767.13%25832.87%00.00%26934.27%785
Charlottesville City 2,83961.28%1,78838.59%60.13%1,05122.69%4,633
Clifton Forge City 79662.14%48437.78%10.08%31224.36%1,281
Colonial Heights City 1,32289.32%15610.54%20.14%1,16678.78%1,480
Covington City 1,28359.12%88340.69%40.18%40018.43%2,170
Danville City 4,21580.56%1,00419.19%130.25%3,21161.37%5,232
Falls Church City 89143.72%1,12955.40%180.88%-238-11.68%2,038
Fredericksburg City 1,41462.98%82236.61%90.40%59226.37%2,245
Galax City 53743.62%69056.05%40.32%-153-12.43%1,231
Hampton City 5,86364.00%3,27335.73%250.27%2,59028.27%9,161
Harrisonburg City 2,08451.22%1,96048.17%250.61%1243.05%4,069
Hopewell City 1,99077.22%58122.55%60.23%1,40954.68%2,577
Lynchburg City 4,62667.08%2,26232.80%80.12%2,36434.28%6,896
Martinsville City 1,77460.77%1,14239.12%30.10%63221.65%2,919
Newport News City 3,14655.92%2,43543.28%450.80%71112.64%5,626
Norfolk City 14,10961.57%8,74138.14%670.29%5,36823.42%22,917
Norton City 53559.25%36540.42%30.33%17018.83%903
Petersburg City 3,14172.39%1,18627.33%120.28%1,95545.06%4,339
Portsmouth City 5,71166.35%2,86233.25%350.41%2,84933.10%8,608
Radford City 1,07938.54%1,72161.46%00.00%-642-22.93%2,800
Richmond City 21,17764.45%11,66535.50%150.05%9,51228.95%32,857
Roanoke City 9,85855.52%7,86644.30%310.17%1,99211.22%17,755
South Norfolk City 1,99875.74%62923.84%110.42%1,36951.90%2,638
Staunton City 1,59051.39%1,49548.32%90.29%953.07%3,094
Suffolk City 1,67772.01%64627.74%60.26%1,03144.27%2,329
Virginia Beach City 1,16173.67%41226.14%30.19%74947.53%1,576
Waynesboro City 1,25253.80%1,06745.85%80.34%1857.95%2,327
Williamsburg City 52155.54%41043.71%70.75%11111.83%938
Winchester City 1,44267.51%67031.37%241.12%77236.14%2,136
Totals326,92163.16%188,62836.44%2,0890.40%138,29326.72%517,638

Notes

  1. This Convention would be known as the Commission on Constitutional Government (CCG).
  2. The others were Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. Virginia was nonetheless unique among those states in having two Republicans in Richard H. Poff and Joel Broyhill sign the Manifesto.
  3. These were already being tried in North Carolina at the time of the election.

References

  1. 1 2 Kousser, J. Morgan (1974). The Shaping of Southern Politics: Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910. Yale University Press. pp. 178–181. ISBN   0-300-01696-4.
  2. Atkinson, Frank B. (2006). The Dynamic Dominion: Realignment and the rise of Two-Party Competition in Virginia, 1945-1980. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 78–79. ISBN   9780742552081.
  3. Kennelly, Tamara (2018). "The Quiet Path of an Invisible Man: Irving Linwood Peddrew III and Desegregation at Virginia Tech". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 126 (4). Richmond, Virginia: 422.
  4. Heinemann, Ronald L. (1982). "Thomas B. Stanley: Reluctant Resister". In Younger, Edward; Moore, James Tice (eds.). The Governors of Virginia, 1860-1978. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. pp. 340–344.
  5. Smith, Douglas (January 1994). ""When Reason Collides with Prejudice": Armistead Lloyd Boothe and the Politics of Desegregation in Virginia, 1948-1963". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Vol. 102, no. 1. Virginia Historical Society. pp. 5–46.
  6. Buni, Andrew (1967). "Prelude to Massive Resistance". The Negro in Virginia Politics 1902–1965. Charlottesville, Virginia: University of Virginia Press. pp. 175–178.
  7. 1 2 3 Lechner, Ira M. (Autumn 1998). "Massive Resistance: Virginia's Great Leap Backward". The Virginia Quarterly Review . 74 (4): 631–640.
  8. Ely, James W. (1976). The Crisis of Conservative Virginia: The Byrd Organization and the Politics of Massive Resistance. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. p. 5. ISBN   0870491881.
  9. Muse, Benjamin (1961). Virginia's Massive Resistance. Indiana University Press. p. 19.
  10. Hershman, Jr., James H. (Autumn 1983). "Public School Bonds and Virginia's Massive Resistance". The Journal of Negro Education. 52 (4): 398–409.
  11. Atkinson (2006). The Dynamic Dominion. pp. 93–99.
  12. 1 2 3 Bartley, Numan V. (1969). The Rise of Massive Resistance: Race and Politics in the South during the 1950's. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. p. 272.
  13. "VA Governor – D Primary, Jul 09 1957". Our Campaigns.
  14. Muse (1961). Virginia's Massive Resistance. pp. 41–42.
  15. Latimer, James (November 6, 1957). "Almond Is Elected Governor: Victory Margin Is About 2–1; Dalton, Sure Only of 10th, Concedes Defeat at 9:15 P.M.". Richmond Times-Dispatch. pp. 1, 2.
  16. Lewis, George (2006). Massive Resistance: The White Response to the Civil Rights Movement. Oxford University Press. p. 60. ISBN   9780340900222.
  17. 1 2 "Democratic Victories Rebuff to Eisenhower". The Herald-Sun . Durham, North Carolina. United Press. p. 1.
  18. Dodson, Bob (September 30, 1957). "Gubernatorial Polls Start Light: J. Lindsay Almond Has Big Lead Over Ted Dalton in First Count". Ledger-Star. Norfolk, Virginia. p. 7.
  19. "Auto Salesman to Seek Virginia Governor's Chair". Richmond News-Leader . July 12, 1957. p. 4.
  20. 1 2 "VA Governor Race — Nov 05, 1957". Our Campaigns.