1965 Virginia gubernatorial election

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1965 Virginia gubernatorial election
Flag of Virginia.svg
  1961 November 2, 1965 1969  
  Mills Godwin 1966.jpg Linwood Holton 1970.jpg William J. Story Jr.png
Nominee Mills Godwin Linwood Holton William J. Story Jr.
Party Democratic Republican Conservative
Popular vote269,526212,20775,307
Percentage47.9%37.7%13.4%

1965 Virginia gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County and independent city results
Godwin:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Holton:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%
Story:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%

Governor before election

Albertis Harrison
Democratic

Elected Governor

Mills Godwin
Democratic

In the 1965 Virginia gubernatorial election, incumbent Governor Albertis Harrison, a Democrat, was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. Linwood Holton, an attorney from Roanoke, was nominated by the Republican Party to run against Democratic Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Mills Godwin.

Contents

George Lincoln Rockwell, an avowed white supremacist and founder/leader of the American Nazi Party, ran as an independent candidate.

Godwin won the election with a plurality over Holton and Story. Story's strength mainly came at the expense of the Democrats as counties in Eastern Virginia that had been won by Democrats with sixty to seventy percent shrank to forty or fifty percent. Story ran best in the Piedmont region of the state, while Holton ran best in the traditionally Republican Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia.

Candidates

Results

1965 Virginia gubernatorial election [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Mills E. Godwin Jr. 296,526 47.89% -15.96%
Republican A. Linwood Holton Jr. 212,20737.71%+1.56%
Conservative Party of Virginia (1965) William J. Story Jr.75,30713.38%+13.38%
American Nazi Party George Lincoln Rockwell 5,7301.02%
Write-ins19<0.01%
Majority84,31914.98%-12.73%
Turnout 562,789
Democratic hold Swing

Results by county

1965 Virginia gubernatorial election by county or independent city [2]
Mills Edwin Godwin jr.
Democratic
Abner Linwood Holton jr.
Republican
William J. Story Jr.
Conservative
George Lincoln Rockwell
Independent
MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %# %
Accomack County 2,28465.67%89225.65%2557.33%471.35%1,39240.02%3,478
Albemarle County 2,10851.31%1,49536.39%43810.66%661.61%61314.92%4,107
Alleghany County 90355.67%58335.94%1106.78%261.60%32019.73%1,622
Amelia County 62740.14%1569.99%76248.78%171.09%-135 [lower-alpha 1] -8.64%1,562
Amherst County 1,55352.01%62921.06%75925.42%451.51%794 [lower-alpha 1] 26.59%2,986
Appomattox County 1,21659.43%24712.07%55927.32%241.17%657 [lower-alpha 1] 32.11%2,046
Arlington County 11,19343.72%13,07951.09%1,0264.01%3031.18%-1,886-7.37%25,601
Augusta County 2,50343.95%2,91451.17%2113.71%671.18%-411-7.22%5,695
Bath County 41157.32%24834.59%517.11%70.98%16322.73%717
Bedford County 2,05345.21%1,51333.32%84718.65%1282.82%54011.89%4,541
Bland County 54253.82%41040.71%393.87%161.59%13213.11%1,007
Botetourt County 1,14342.38%1,36750.69%1696.27%180.67%-224-8.31%2,697
Brunswick County 67225.30%51819.50%1,44754.48%190.72%-775 [lower-alpha 1] -29.18%2,656
Buchanan County 2,77661.46%1,55734.47%561.24%1282.83%1,21926.99%4,517
Buckingham County 1,01368.68%20513.90%24816.81%90.61%765 [lower-alpha 1] 51.86%1,475
Campbell County 1,66239.43%1,26730.06%1,19428.33%922.18%3959.37%4,215
Caroline County 83553.63%22514.45%49331.66%40.26%342 [lower-alpha 1] 21.97%1,557
Carroll County 1,43932.18%2,89564.74%922.06%461.03%-1,456-32.56%4,472
Charles City County 59877.97%8811.47%7710.04%40.52%51066.49%767
Charlotte County 66137.28%23813.42%85148.00%231.30%-190 [lower-alpha 1] -10.72%1,773
Chesterfield County 4,31429.40%4,63431.59%5,65638.55%670.46%-1,022 [lower-alpha 2] -6.97%14,671
Clarke County 60867.56%25528.33%202.22%171.89%35339.22%900
Craig County 48258.71%31938.86%192.31%10.12%16319.85%821
Culpeper County 1,45468.36%55225.95%803.76%411.93%90242.41%2,127
Cumberland County 59149.96%1109.30%47740.32%50.42%114 [lower-alpha 1] 9.64%1,183
Dickenson County 1,36953.08%1,15344.71%210.81%361.40%2168.38%2,579
Dinwiddie County 1,31354.28%26711.04%82634.15%130.54%487 [lower-alpha 1] 20.13%2,419
Essex County 33143.32%14218.59%29037.96%10.13%41 [lower-alpha 1] 5.37%764
Fairfax County 16,97443.20%20,91753.23%1,0552.68%3460.88%-3,943-10.03%39,292
Fauquier County 1,85067.64%80929.58%552.01%210.77%1,04138.06%2,735
Floyd County 62332.05%1,26164.87%482.47%120.62%-638-32.82%1,944
Fluvanna County 44146.52%19520.57%30031.65%121.27%141 [lower-alpha 1] 14.87%948
Franklin County 2,29853.13%1,65438.24%2836.54%902.08%64414.89%4,325
Frederick County 1,16856.32%82739.87%572.75%221.06%34116.44%2,074
Giles County 1,60651.74%1,34843.43%1344.32%160.52%2588.31%3,104
Gloucester County 93653.95%48527.95%29917.23%150.86%45125.99%1,735
Goochland County 85951.19%25114.96%55733.19%110.66%302 [lower-alpha 1] 18.00%1,678
Grayson County 2,20948.49%2,24049.17%811.78%260.57%-31-0.68%4,556
Greene County 30539.66%37048.11%577.41%374.81%-65-8.45%769
Greensville County 1,06828.34%1,44138.23%1,18231.36%782.07%259 [lower-alpha 2] 6.87%3,769
Halifax County 1,57845.51%95427.52%85224.57%832.39%62418.00%3,467
Hanover County 1,63640.78%1,23530.78%1,09927.39%421.05%40110.00%4,012
Henrico County 8,31135.91%8,81438.08%5,87525.38%1370.59%-503-2.17%23,137
Henry County 1,87953.30%1,22934.87%35910.18%581.65%65018.44%3,525
Highland County 32944.34%38151.35%222.96%101.35%-52-7.01%742
Isle of Wight County 1,59263.76%51120.46%38215.30%120.48%1,08143.29%2,497
James City County 60749.84%43936.04%15112.40%211.72%16813.79%1,218
King and Queen County 32852.40%9114.54%18729.87%203.19%141 [lower-alpha 1] 22.52%626
King George County 59564.19%27829.99%373.99%171.83%31734.20%927
King William County 63054.83%20217.58%30826.81%90.78%322 [lower-alpha 1] 28.02%1,149
Lancaster County 68848.66%45031.82%26118.46%151.06%23816.83%1,414
Lee County 2,58367.62%1,11829.27%330.86%862.25%1,46538.35%3,820
Loudoun County 1,84758.41%1,17137.03%872.75%531.68%67621.38%3,158
Louisa County 89049.53%30717.08%57231.83%271.50%318 [lower-alpha 1] 17.70%1,796
Lunenburg County 99340.58%2008.17%1,24750.96%70.29%-254 [lower-alpha 1] -10.38%2,447
Madison County 50050.15%37637.71%979.73%242.41%12412.44%997
Mathews County 78054.47%48233.66%15911.10%110.77%29820.81%1,432
Mecklenburg County 1,43939.03%66317.98%1,54942.01%360.98%-110 [lower-alpha 1] -2.98%3,687
Middlesex County 54151.67%19318.43%29928.56%141.34%242 [lower-alpha 1] 23.11%1,047
Montgomery County 2,19638.06%3,26356.55%2694.66%420.73%-1,067-18.49%5,770
Nansemond County 3,44171.90%69714.56%62813.12%200.42%2,74457.33%4,786
Nelson County 79367.43%22719.30%12110.29%342.89%56648.13%1,175
New Kent County 31441.48%18824.83%25033.03%50.66%64 [lower-alpha 1] 8.45%757
Northampton County 95856.62%49229.08%23714.01%50.30%46627.54%1,692
Northumberland County 54947.86%39434.35%19717.18%70.61%15513.51%1,147
Nottoway County 1,05439.91%1786.74%1,39152.67%180.68%-337 [lower-alpha 1] -12.76%2,641
Orange County 89254.59%49029.99%22813.95%241.47%40224.60%1,634
Page County 1,99245.46%2,25051.35%751.71%651.48%-258-5.89%4,382
Patrick County 93560.17%55035.39%573.67%120.77%38524.77%1,554
Pittsylvania County 2,33445.68%1,03320.22%1,64432.18%981.92%690 [lower-alpha 1] 13.51%5,109
Powhatan County 54641.74%1259.56%63648.62%10.08%-90 [lower-alpha 1] -6.88%1,308
Prince Edward County 1,08542.04%2369.14%1,24248.12%180.70%-157 [lower-alpha 1] -6.08%2,581
Prince George County 1,16952.26%49021.90%56425.21%140.63%605 [lower-alpha 1] 27.05%2,237
Prince William County 2,39261.43%1,36435.03%812.08%571.46%1,02826.40%3,894
Pulaski County 1,86549.29%1,66944.11%2245.92%260.69%1965.18%3,784
Rappahannock County 35565.26%17331.80%81.47%81.47%18233.46%544
Richmond County 32849.25%19729.58%13219.82%91.35%13119.67%666
Roanoke County 3,47031.36%7,03263.56%4924.45%700.63%-3,562-32.19%11,064
Rockbridge County 1,20643.76%1,30947.50%2238.09%180.65%-103-3.74%2,756
Rockingham County 2,30240.79%3,08954.73%1893.35%641.13%-787-13.94%5,644
Russell County 1,79745.15%2,06451.86%751.88%441.11%-267-6.71%3,980
Scott County 1,90937.39%3,03259.39%761.49%881.72%-1,123-22.00%5,105
Shenandoah County 1,90038.23%2,89658.27%1222.45%521.05%-996-20.04%4,970
Smyth County 1,84341.68%2,46755.79%721.63%400.90%-624-14.11%4,422
Southampton County 1,28445.12%28910.15%1,26244.34%110.39%22 [lower-alpha 1] 0.77%2,846
Spotsylvania County 1,32660.69%58626.82%1697.73%1044.76%74033.87%2,185
Stafford County 1,71955.98%1,11736.37%973.16%1384.49%60219.60%3,071
Surry County 47227.60%60635.44%62336.43%90.53%-17 [lower-alpha 2] -0.99%1,710
Sussex County 93135.08%58422.00%1,13042.58%90.34%-199 [lower-alpha 1] -7.50%2,654
Tazewell County 2,73654.10%2,15342.57%1112.19%571.13%58311.53%5,057
Warren County 1,49058.78%90335.62%1094.30%331.30%58723.16%2,535
Washington County 2,64248.02%2,77250.38%400.73%480.87%-130-2.36%5,502
Westmoreland County 50953.69%31433.12%10811.39%171.79%19520.57%948
Wise County 3,17558.81%2,18640.49%150.28%230.43%98918.32%5,399
Wythe County 1,93248.24%1,84446.04%1864.64%431.07%882.20%4,005
York County 1,43546.88%1,28942.11%2879.38%501.63%1464.77%3,061
Alexandria City 5,07747.22%5,26949.00%2832.63%1221.13%-192-1.79%10,751
Bristol City 1,15661.46%71037.75%120.64%30.16%44623.71%1,881
Buena Vista City 50157.39%31035.51%576.53%50.57%19121.88%873
Charlottesville City 2,70550.36%1,99737.18%61311.41%561.04%70813.18%5,371
Chesapeake City 5,12447.82%2,12419.82%3,35331.29%1141.06%1,771 [lower-alpha 1] 16.53%10,715
Clifton Forge City 76156.25%48335.70%957.02%141.03%27820.55%1,353
Colonial Heights City 1,08842.75%60423.73%83332.73%200.79%255 [lower-alpha 1] 10.02%2,545
Covington City 1,27361.44%66932.29%1014.87%291.40%60429.15%2,072
Danville City 2,42045.08%1,24723.23%1,65130.76%500.93%769 [lower-alpha 1] 14.33%5,368
Fairfax City 1,00649.07%96246.93%673.27%150.73%442.15%2,050
Falls Church City 98045.73%1,09050.86%542.52%190.89%-110-5.13%2,143
Franklin City 83859.43%24617.45%31722.48%90.64%521 [lower-alpha 1] 36.95%1,410
Fredericksburg City 1,58458.86%96235.75%1043.86%411.52%62223.11%2,691
Galax City 63449.65%59246.36%473.68%40.31%423.29%1,277
Hampton City 5,20551.81%4,02540.07%7247.21%920.92%1,18011.75%10,046
Harrisonburg City 1,12246.13%1,24551.19%502.06%150.62%-123-5.06%2,432
Hopewell City 2,26256.96%1,10927.93%55113.88%491.23%1,15329.04%3,971
Lynchburg City 3,86443.80%3,42238.79%1,42216.12%1121.27%4425.01%8,820
Martinsville City 1,58152.11%1,16838.50%2578.47%280.92%41313.61%3,034
Newport News City 7,26456.30%4,40534.14%1,0598.21%1741.35%2,85922.16%12,902
Norfolk City 12,41952.74%7,31531.07%3,66315.56%1500.64%5,10421.68%23,547
Norton City 34348.79%35550.50%10.14%40.57%-12-1.71%703
Petersburg City 2,79058.72%89718.88%1,04722.04%170.36%1,743 [lower-alpha 1] 36.69%4,751
Portsmouth City 7,20660.28%2,63922.08%1,99716.71%1120.94%4,56738.20%11,954
Radford City 1,30747.42%1,33548.44%973.52%170.62%-28-1.02%2,756
Richmond City 18,03255.27%8,79826.97%5,61317.21%1800.55%9,23428.31%32,623
Roanoke City 5,88835.12%9,94759.33%8164.87%1140.68%-4,059-24.21%16,765
South Boston City 49046.85%32330.88%22421.41%90.86%16715.97%1,046
Staunton City 2,06250.51%1,80444.19%1734.24%431.05%2586.32%4,082
Suffolk City 1,45371.05%38218.68%2049.98%50.24%1,07152.37%2,044
Virginia Beach City 6,22454.43%3,71832.51%1,44512.64%480.42%2,50621.92%11,435
Waynesboro City 1,27543.80%1,49951.49%1163.98%210.72%-224-7.69%2,911
Williamsburg City 47945.40%48345.78%858.06%80.76%-4-0.38%1,055
Winchester City 1,10059.91%67536.76%492.67%120.65%42523.15%1,836
Totals269,52647.89%212,20737.71%75,30713.38%5,7301.02%57,31910.18%562,770

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 In this county or city where Holton ran third behind Godwin and Story, margin given is Godwin vote minus Story vote and percentage margin Godwin percentage minus Story percentage.
  2. 1 2 3 In this county or city where Godwin ran third behind both Holton and Story, margin given is Holton vote minus Story vote and percentage margin Holton percentage minus Story percentage.

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References

  1. Hunter, Jack R. "Linwood Holton's long quest for the governorship of Virginia and its impact on the growth of the Republican Party". University of Richmond.
  2. "VA Governor November 02, 1965". Our Campaigns.