1978 United States Senate election in Virginia

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1978 United States Senate election in Virginia
Flag of Virginia.svg
  1972 November 7, 1978 1984  
  John W Warner Sec of Navy (cropped).jpg Official portrait of Andrew P. Miller, Attorney General of Virginia.jpg
Nominee John Warner Andrew P. Miller
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote613,232608,511
Percentage50.17%49.79%

1978 United States Senate election in Virginia results map by county.svg
County and independent city results
Warner:     50–60%     60–70%
Miller:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

U.S. senator before election

William Lloyd Scott
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

John Warner
Republican

The 1978 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Senator William L. Scott did not run for re-election to a second term. Republican former Secretary of the Navy John Warner narrowly defeated Democratic Attorney General of Virginia Andrew P. Miller to succeed him. Originally, this election was a match between Republican Richard Obenshain and Miller, then Obenshain died in a plane crash, leaving the party in disarray. Warner was then nominated to run in Obenshain's place, and his victorious election thrust him into a thirty-year career in the United States Senate, which started with this election.

Contents

Republican nomination

Candidates

Convention

1978 Virginia Republican Convention [1]
Ballot123456
Obenshain 1,1921,2611,3381,5211,5161,580
Warner 8539089961,3381,3931,474
Holton 780751620000
Miller 2621601222011660

Obenshain's victory set up the general election as a rematch of the 1969 Attorney General race between him and Andrew P. Miller, the Democratic nominee who defeated Obenshain in 1969.

Aftermath

On August 2, Obenshain died in a twin-engine plane crash, effectively shaking up this election. He was then replaced by Warner after other recruits turned down the chance to be nominated in respect for Obenshain. [2] [3]

General election

Candidates

Results

United States Senate election in Virginia, 1978 [4] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican John Warner 613,232 50.17% −1.28%
Democratic Andrew P. Miller 608,51149.79%+3.67%
Write-ins5130.04%+0.04%
Majority 4,7210.39%−4.94%
Turnout 1,222,256
Republican hold

See also

References

  1. "Our Campaigns - VA US Senate - R Convention Race - Jun 03, 1978".
  2. Ken Ringle (August 4, 1978). "Crash Kills Obenshain". Washington Post. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  3. Harden, Blaine (August 4, 1978). "Pilot of Obenshain Plane Called 'Very Cautious'". The Washington Post . Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  4. "Our Campaigns - VA US Senate Race - Nov 07, 1978".
  5. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives (1979). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1978" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.