1969 Virginia gubernatorial election

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1969 Virginia gubernatorial election
Flag of Virginia.svg
  1965 November 4, 1969 1973  
  Linwood Holton 1970.jpg Ambassador William C Battle.jpg
Nominee Linwood Holton William C. Battle
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote480,869415,695
Percentage52.5%45.4%

1969 Virginia gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County and independent city results
Holton:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Battle:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%

Governor before election

Mills Godwin
Democratic

Elected Governor

Linwood Holton
Republican

In the 1969 Virginia gubernatorial election, incumbent Governor Mills E. Godwin, Jr., a Democrat, was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. A. Linwood Holton, Jr., an attorney from Roanoke, was nominated again by the Republican Party to run against former United States Ambassador to Australia, Democratic candidate William C. Battle.

Contents

The Democrats had held the governor's mansion for 84 years since 1885, and Holton's victory was considered a historic upset at the time. This was the first election in which Republicans won a gubernatorial election in the state.

Godwin would later successfully run for reelection as a republican in 1973.

Democratic nomination

Candidates

General election

Candidates

Results

Virginia gubernatorial election, 1969 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican A. Linwood Holton, Jr. 480,869 52.51% +14.80%
Democratic William C. Battle 415,69545.39%−2.50%
Conservative Beverly McDowell10,5961.16%−12.22%
American Independent William Pennington7,3820.81%+0.81%
Independent George Walker1,1820.13%
Write-ins317<0.01%
Majority65,1747.12%−7.86%
Turnout 915,764
Republican gain from Democratic Swing

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