1985 Virginia gubernatorial election

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1985 Virginia gubernatorial election
Flag of Virginia.svg
  1981 November 5, 1985 1989  
Turnout53.0% (voting eligible) [1]
  Gerald Baliles 1986.jpg Wyatt Durrette 1976.jpg
Nominee Gerald Baliles Wyatt Durrette
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote741,438601,652
Percentage55.2%44.8%

1985 Virginia gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
1985 Virginia gubernatorial election by congressional district.svg
Baliles:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Durrette:     50–60%     60–70%

Governor before election

Charles Robb
Democratic

Elected Governor

Gerald Baliles
Democratic

In the 1985 Virginia gubernatorial election, incumbent Governor Chuck Robb, a Democrat, was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. Jerry Baliles, the Attorney General of Virginia, was nominated by the Democratic Party to run against Republican, Wyatt B. Durrette in a re-match of the 1981 Attorney General election.

Contents

Background

During the 1970s the formerly dominant Virginia Democratic Party became severely divided into conservative, moderate and liberal factions. [2] Consequently, the Republican Party, aided by large-scale in-migration from the Northeast to Washington D.C and Richmond suburbs, was, aided by alliances with Democratic conservatives, able to claim the governorship three consecutive times between 1969 and 1977. [3] Indeed, the division in the state Democrats was so bad that they did not nominate a candidate for governor in 1973 — most of the party supported populist Henry Howell, [4] who was mortally feared by the major industries and utilities. [5] The failure of Howell in 1973 and more decisively in 1977 helped mortally weaken the radicalism he stood for, [6] and pushed the state Democratic Party to a centrist path subsequently referred to by the moniker "New Democrats".

Chuck Robb, a son-in-law of former President Lyndon B. Johnson, would win the lieutenant governorship in 1977 with a candid but positive campaign, [7] and regain the governorship in 1981 by placing the party solidly back in the state's mainstream, [3] aided by bitter division inside the state GOP. [8] By 1984, amidst a Democratic presidential election debacle, Robb had become head of the Democratic Governors Association, [9] and had high approval ratings as he prepared to leave office [10] – one poll had his approval rating at 80 percent. [11]

Democratic nomination

Candidates

Davis, who had apparently been endorsed by the AFL-CIO, would withdraw in June before the primary to unify the party behind Baliles. [12]

Republican nomination

1981 Attorney General nominee Wyatt Durrette was always regarded as the party's front-runner, with his chief rival being Eighth District Congressman Stanford Parris. [13] Although a decision was planned for the last week of May, Parris withdrew at the beginning of that month. [14]

General election

Candidates

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Danville Register and Bee [15] TossupJuly 19, 1985
The Star-Ledger [16] Likely DOctober 27, 1985
The Saginaw News [11] Likely DOctober 31, 1985
New York Times [17] Likely DNovember 5, 1985

Results

1985 Virginia gubernatorial election [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Gerald L. Baliles 741,438 55.20% +1.67%
Republican Wyatt B. Durrette Jr. 601,65244.79%−1.63%
Write-ins1530.01%
Majority 139,78610.41%+3.30%
Turnout 1,343,24332.2%−5.1%
Democratic hold Swing

Results by county or independent city

1985 Virginia gubernatorial election by county or independent city [19]
Gerald Lee Baliles
Democratic
Wyatt Beazley Durrette Jr.
Republican
Various candidates
Write-ins
MarginTotal votes cast
#%#%#%#%
Accomack County 4,47649.34%4,59650.66%-120-1.32%9,072
Albemarle County 7,52855.25%6,09644.74%10.01%1,43210.51%13,625
Alleghany County 1,79161.72%1,11138.28%68023.43%2,902
Amelia County 1,52250.53%1,49049.47%321.06%3,012
Amherst County 4,00153.78%3,43846.22%5637.57%7,439
Appomattox County 2,62358.35%1,87241.65%75116.71%4,495
Arlington County 26,43665.17%14,12434.82%70.02%12,31230.35%40,567
Augusta County 4,93642.16%6,77157.84%-1,835-15.67%11,707
Bath County 68557.71%50242.29%18315.42%1,187
Bedford County 5,07051.94%4,69248.06%3783.87%9,762
Bland County 87451.72%81648.28%583.43%1,690
Botetourt County 2,52855.20%2,05144.78%10.02%47710.41%4,580
Brunswick County 2,76062.74%1,63937.26%1,12125.48%4,399
Buchanan County 4,39065.85%2,27734.15%2,11331.69%6,667
Buckingham County 2,07557.37%1,54242.63%53314.74%3,617
Campbell County 4,93245.92%5,80854.08%-876-8.16%10,740
Caroline County 2,83664.18%1,58335.82%1,25328.35%4,419
Carroll County 2,68745.06%3,27654.94%-589-9.88%5,963
Charles City County 1,48777.49%43222.51%1,05554.98%1,919
Charlotte County 1,92354.17%1,62745.83%2968.34%3,550
Chesterfield County 18,85038.94%29,54061.03%160.03%-10,690-22.08%48,406
Clarke County 1,16655.16%94844.84%21810.31%2,114
Craig County 90955.22%73744.78%17210.45%1,646
Culpeper County 2,45548.38%2,61951.62%-164-3.23%5,074
Cumberland County 1,35549.54%1,38050.46%-25-0.91%2,735
Dickenson County 3,32561.81%2,05438.19%1,27123.63%5,379
Dinwiddie County 3,31058.24%2,37241.74%10.02%93816.51%5,683
Essex County 1,22449.08%1,27050.92%-46-1.84%2,494
Fairfax County 87,54255.33%70,65644.66%80.01%16,88610.67%158,206
Fauquier County 4,17550.03%4,16849.95%20.02%70.08%8,345
Floyd County 1,52249.29%1,56650.71%-44-1.42%3,088
Fluvanna County 1,26053.19%1,10946.81%1516.37%2,369
Franklin County 4,82662.05%2,95037.93%10.01%1,87624.12%7,777
Frederick County 3,47550.14%3,45549.86%200.29%6,930
Giles County 2,65057.68%1,94442.32%70615.37%4,594
Gloucester County 3,41850.18%3,39449.82%240.35%6,812
Goochland County 2,22451.77%2,07248.23%1523.54%4,296
Grayson County 2,44853.58%2,12146.42%3277.16%4,569
Greene County 70041.15%1,00058.79%10.06%-300-17.64%1,701
Greensville County 1,99763.04%1,17136.96%82626.07%3,168
Halifax County 3,77850.73%3,67049.27%1081.45%7,448
Hanover County 6,53537.85%10,72662.12%50.03%-4,191-24.27%17,266
Henrico County 27,42445.20%33,21854.75%320.05%-5,794-9.55%60,674
Henry County 9,18462.81%5,43737.19%3,74725.63%14,621
Highland County 43750.70%42549.30%121.39%862
Isle of Wight County 3,76157.18%2,81742.82%94414.35%6,578
James City County 3,62153.14%3,19346.86%4286.28%6,814
King and Queen County 1,13860.92%73039.08%40821.84%1,868
King George County 1,27156.36%98443.64%28712.73%2,255
King William County 1,53250.63%1,49449.37%381.26%3,026
Lancaster County 1,70844.17%2,15955.83%-451-11.66%3,867
Lee County 3,98462.43%2,39837.57%1,58624.85%6,382
Loudoun County 7,92553.81%6,80246.18%10.01%1,1237.62%14,728
Louisa County 2,85657.56%2,10442.40%20.04%75215.16%4,962
Lunenburg County 1,80456.85%1,36943.15%43513.71%3,173
Madison County 1,53852.62%1,38547.38%1535.23%2,923
Mathews County 1,29847.06%1,46052.94%-162-5.87%2,758
Mecklenburg County 3,19548.70%3,36551.30%-170-2.59%6,560
Middlesex County 1,50051.35%1,42148.65%792.70%2,921
Montgomery County 7,70257.03%5,80142.96%10.01%1,90114.08%13,504
Nelson County 2,04366.20%1,04333.80%1,00032.40%3,086
New Kent County 1,43649.81%1,44750.19%-11-0.38%2,883
Northampton County 2,37560.68%1,53939.32%83621.36%3,914
Northumberland County 1,65745.13%2,01554.87%-358-9.75%3,672
Nottoway County 2,26953.24%1,99346.76%2766.48%4,262
Orange County 2,24351.44%2,11748.56%1262.89%4,360
Page County 2,33053.35%2,03746.65%2936.71%4,367
Patrick County 3,24970.43%1,36429.57%1,88540.86%4,613
Pittsylvania County 6,88646.21%8,01453.79%-1,128-7.57%14,900
Powhatan County 1,49839.72%2,27360.28%-775-20.55%3,771
Prince Edward County 2,73656.09%2,14043.87%20.04%59612.22%4,878
Prince George County 2,40048.31%2,56851.69%-168-3.38%4,968
Prince William County 13,49955.30%10,90944.69%40.02%2,59010.61%24,412
Pulaski County 5,38059.74%3,62640.26%1,75419.48%9,006
Rappahannock County 93055.59%74344.41%18711.18%1,673
Richmond County 92946.15%1,08453.85%-155-7.70%2,013
Roanoke County 10,71053.44%9,33246.56%10.00%1,3786.88%20,043
Rockbridge County 1,87852.87%1,67247.07%20.06%2065.80%3,552
Rockingham County 4,22941.73%5,90458.27%-1,675-16.53%10,133
Russell County 4,62264.53%2,54135.47%2,08129.05%7,163
Scott County 3,45354.28%2,90945.72%5448.55%6,362
Shenandoah County 3,13842.16%4,30557.84%-1,167-15.68%7,443
Smyth County 4,42652.55%3,99647.45%4305.11%8,422
Southampton County 2,72151.55%2,55748.45%1643.11%5,278
Spotsylvania County 4,14654.61%3,44645.39%7009.22%7,592
Stafford County 5,07850.48%4,98049.50%20.02%980.97%10,060
Surry County 1,40565.44%74234.56%66330.88%2,147
Sussex County 2,06661.18%1,31138.82%75522.36%3,377
Tazewell County 4,72258.97%3,28541.03%1,43717.95%8,007
Warren County 2,32756.23%1,81143.77%51612.47%4,138
Washington County 5,69153.55%4,93646.45%7557.10%10,627
Westmoreland County 1,97257.06%1,48442.94%48814.12%3,456
Wise County 6,44565.57%3,38434.43%3,06131.14%9,829
Wythe County 3,59753.03%3,18646.97%4116.06%6,783
York County 4,53648.60%4,79551.38%20.02%-259-2.78%9,333
Alexandria City 15,50665.12%8,30434.87%30.01%7,20230.24%23,813
Bedford City 1,17159.50%79740.50%37419.00%1,968
Bristol City 2,73456.77%2,08243.23%65213.54%4,816
Buena Vista City 1,04159.52%70840.48%33319.04%1,749
Charlottesville City 5,71566.02%2,94133.97%10.01%2,77432.04%8,657
Chesapeake City 16,49559.21%11,36440.79%10.00%5,13118.42%27,860
Clifton Forge City 81567.13%39932.87%41634.27%1,214
Colonial Heights City 1,95036.19%3,43763.79%10.02%-1,487-27.60%5,388
Covington City 1,62567.23%79232.77%83334.46%2,417
Danville City 4,71841.87%6,54858.12%10.01%-1,830-16.24%11,267
Emporia City 77951.02%74848.98%312.03%1,527
Fairfax City 2,57750.38%2,53849.62%390.76%5,115
Falls Church City 1,81660.07%1,20639.89%10.03%61020.18%3,023
Franklin City 1,30759.41%89340.59%41418.82%2,200
Fredericksburg City 2,18654.46%1,82745.52%10.02%3598.94%4,014
Galax City 1,08756.00%85444.00%23312.00%1,941
Hampton City 16,63460.92%10,67139.08%10.00%5,96321.84%27,306
Harrisonburg City 2,29847.36%2,55352.62%10.02%-255-5.26%4,852
Hopewell City 2,99948.58%3,17351.40%10.02%-174-2.82%6,173
Lexington City 88354.88%72645.12%1579.76%1,609
Lynchburg City 8,38948.85%8,78451.15%-395-2.30%17,173
Manassas City 1,53448.54%1,62651.46%-92-2.91%3,160
Manassas Park City 45754.67%37945.33%789.33%836
Martinsville City 3,22060.89%2,06839.11%1,15221.79%5,288
Newport News City 19,42957.37%14,43342.61%70.02%4,99614.75%33,869
Norfolk City 30,85767.79%14,65232.19%80.02%16,20535.60%45,517
Norton City 94570.21%40129.79%54440.42%1,346
Petersburg City 7,55667.71%3,60432.29%3,95235.41%11,160
Poquoson City 1,15439.74%1,75060.26%-596-20.52%2,904
Portsmouth City 19,09867.82%9,05932.17%30.01%10,03935.65%28,160
Radford City 1,97759.19%1,36340.81%61418.38%3,340
Richmond City 42,95367.24%20,90432.72%220.03%22,04934.52%63,879
Roanoke City 13,38064.78%7,27235.21%20.01%6,10829.57%20,654
Salem City 3,08255.27%2,49344.71%10.02%58910.56%5,576
South Boston City 89044.26%1,12155.74%-231-11.49%2,011
Staunton City 2,72945.27%3,29954.73%-570-9.46%6,028
Suffolk City 7,93761.18%5,03738.82%2,90022.35%12,974
Virginia Beach City 29,96749.03%31,14450.96%50.01%-1,177-1.93%61,116
Waynesboro City 2,21753.27%1,94546.73%2726.54%4,162
Williamsburg City 1,28458.66%90541.34%37917.31%2,189
Winchester City 2,44353.34%2,13746.66%3066.68%4,580
Totals741,43855.20%601,65244.79%1530.01%139,78610.41%1,343,243

Analysis

This is the most recent time the Democratic candidate won a gubernatorial race in Virginia with a double-digit margin of victory. It is also the last time, and only time since 1961, [20] that a gubernatorial candidate swept every congressional district in the state, and the last time Amelia County, Bland County, Botetourt County, Clarke County, Fauquier County, Frederick County, Gloucester County, Goochland County, Grayson County, Highland County, King George County, King William County, Madison County, Middlesex County, Orange County, Page County, Patrick County, Rappahannock County, Roanoke County, Russell County, Scott County, Spotsylvania County, Stafford County, Warren County, Washington County, Wythe County, or the independent cities of Bristol, Galax and Waynesboro backed a Democrat for Governor.

The election attracted press attention for the poor turnout, which was overall the lowest for a gubernatorial election since 1969, [21] and sufficiently low that winning Democrat Baliles polled fewer votes in the state than Walter Mondale had when decisively beaten in the previous years's presidential election. It was the first election since 1961 when the state's electorate was still severely restricted by the poll tax that turnout had fallen from the preceding gubernatorial election. [20] This was widely seen as being substantially due to the Election Day floods, but as the Danville Register and Bee noted, turnout declines were worst in Northern Virginia [21] which was not affected by flooding.

References

  1. Virginia Department of Elections (2016). "Registration/Turnout Statistics". The Commonwealth of Virginia. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  2. Bass, Jack; De Vries, Walter (1995). The Transformation of Southern Politics: Social Change and Political Consequence Since 1945. pp. 347–353.
  3. 1 2 Edds, Margaret (1990). Claiming the dream: the victorious campaign of Douglas Wilder of Virginia. p. 14. ISBN   0912697857.
  4. Bass; De Vries (1995). The Transformation of Southern Politics. p. 360.
  5. Peirce, Neal R. (1975). The Border South States; people, politics, and power in the five Border South States. New York City: Norton. pp. 64–65. ISBN   9780393055313.
  6. Sweeney, James R. (2022). "Armageddon Revisited: The 1973 Gubernatorial Election in Virginia". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 130 (4). Virginia Historical Society: 290–347.
  7. Fleming, Stephen R. (January 1978). "Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia". Virginia Record. pp. 30–31, 89.
  8. Rozell, Mark J. (1996). Second Coming: The New Christian Right in Virginia Politics. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 43–46. ISBN   0801852978.
  9. From, Al (2013). The New Democrats and the Return to Power. New York City: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 49. ISBN   9781137278647.
  10. Rozell (1996). Second Coming. p. 31.
  11. 1 2 Farmer, John J. (October 31, 1985). "Democrats May Win Top Offices in Virginia Races: One Candidate Black, One Female". The Saginaw News . Newhouse News Service. p. D8.
  12. Fisher, Margie (June 9, 1985). "Party leaders Praise Democratic Nominees". The Roanoke Times . pp. A1, A10.
  13. Bowles, George (April 19, 1985). "Five Going for the GOP's Gold Ring". Suffolk News-Herald . p. 4.
  14. "Last Week Davis, This Week Parris". The Roanoke Times . May 3, 1985. p. A8.
  15. Jackman, Frank (July 19, 1985). "Polls Show State Races Are Close". Danville Register and Bee. p. 3A.
  16. Farmer, John J. (October 27, 1985). "'Liberal' Democratic Gubernatorial Sweep Likely in Conservative Virginia". The Star-Ledger. Newark, New Jersey. p. 3A.
  17. Clendinen, Dudley (November 5, 1985). "In Virginia, A Republican Sees Signs of Hope But Polls Do Not". New York Times. p. 3A.
  18. Leip, Dave. "1985 Gubernatorial General Election Results – Virginia". US Election Atlas.
  19. "VA Governor – November 05, 1985". Our Campaigns.
  20. 1 2 Sabato, Larry (January 1986). "The 1985 Statewide Election in Virginia: History Quietly Writ Large" (PDF). University of Virginia Newsletter. Vol. 62, no. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2016.
  21. 1 2 "Voter Turnout for Election Lowest Since 1969". Danville Register and Bee. November 17, 1985. p. 4B.