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Turnout | 49.5% (voting eligible) [1] | ||||||||||||||||
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County and independent city results Gilmore: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Beyer: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Virginia |
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The 1997 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1997. The incumbent Governor, George Allen, was barred from seeking a second term due to Virginia's unique term limits law. The Republican candidate, Jim Gilmore, the Attorney General of Virginia defeated the Democratic nominee, Don Beyer, the incumbent Lieutenant Governor.
Coupled with Republican gains in the House of Delegates in 1999, Republicans won a trifecta in the state for the first time since 1870. As of 2024, this is the last time in which the Republicans won the governorship for two consecutive terms.
Gilmore and Beyer were the two most prominent statewide officials for their parties, with Gilmore having been first elected Attorney General in 1993, and Beyer having been first elected in 1989, and re-elected in 1993, the only Democrat to win a statewide contest that year. Consequently, both candidates were seen as their respective party's heir apparent to replace term-limited Governor George Allen. The field was cleared for both candidates, allowing them time to fundraise and begin attacks on one another. [2]
Among the earliest attacks was against Gilmore's hesitancy to resign as Attorney General to campaign for governor. Doing so was seen as tradition, and also as a way to avoid any appearance of impropriety from receiving campaign funds from companies the Attorney General's office might be involved with. Thus, Gilmore's reluctance to resign was the subject of criticism from Beyer. [3] Ultimately, Gilmore announced his intent to resign on April 3, and his resignation became effective June 11. [4]
Moreover, Beyer tried to attack Gilmore for his social conservatism. He attacked Gilmore for his stances and comments against abortion, in an attempt to court women voters, with whom he had an advantage. [5] [6] He also attacked Gilmore for his ties to Pat Robertson and the religious right, launching television ads highlighting the fact that Robertson had donated $100,000 to the Gilmore campaign. [7]
But as the election came closer, Gilmore shifted his campaign's focus against the state's tax on personal vehicles. The tax was strongly disliked by Virginians, per polling by the Gilmore camp, and thus it became a central focus of his campaign. [8] Beyer attacked the plan to remove the tax as a gimmick and as a fraud that would take away an estimated $1 billion from schools, but nevertheless, put forth a more moderate tax cut of his own, owing to how salient the issue had become. [9] [10]
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Don Beyer (D) | Jim Gilmore (R) | Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington Post [11] | October 19–21, 1997 | 1,005 | ± 3.0% | 41% | 48% | 4% | 11% |
Washington Post [12] | September 12–16, 1997 | 808 | ± 3.5% | 44% | 43% | 4% | 9% |
The election was hard-fought and a dead heat, with polls from the summer into September showing little movement between either candidate. [13] It was not until the final weeks that polls showed movement towards Gilmore, who ultimately won the race. [14] Gilmore's opposition to the car tax was a major factor in his victory, and polls showed this was a factor in his support. [15] His win was also in part due to his strength in rural and suburban areas, while performing relatively well in more populated urban areas. [8] His victory also helped to flip the Lieutenant Governor's race and hold the Attorney General's race for Republicans. [14] This was the first time a sweep of the three statewide offices had occurred since Reconstruction. [16]
Beyer also was seen by some as having run an underwhelming campaign, and struggled in many respects. [6] As taxes grew to become a major issue, Beyer's attacks on Gilmore's abortion stance seemed to become secondary, and failed to move support away from Gilmore. [5] Moreover, his shift on the tax issue from opposition to proposing a tax cut of his own drew criticism from Gilmore. [17] Beyer also was unable to secure the endorsement of former Governor Douglas L. Wilder, which was seen by many as a rebuke towards his campaign, and was believed to hurt his ability to mobilize Black voters. [18] After the election, Beyer would stay out of elected office, until making a political comeback, going on to represent Virginia's 8th Congressional District in Congress, being first elected in 2014.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jim Gilmore | 969,062 | 55.81% | −2.46% | |
Democratic | Don Beyer | 738,971 | 42.56% | +1.67% | |
Reform | Sue Harris DeBauche | 25,955 | 1.49% | ||
Write-ins | 2,326 | 0.13% | |||
Majority | 230,091 | 13.25% | −4.13% | ||
Turnout | 1,736,314 | ||||
Republican hold | Swing |
County | Gilmore | Votes | Beyer | Votes | DeBauche | Votes | Others | Votes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Accomack | 62.3% | 4,529 | 34.5% | 2,511 | 3.2% | 234 | 0.0% | 0 |
Albemarle | 54.4% | 13,287 | 44.2% | 10,784 | 1.3% | 319 | 0.1% | 26 |
Alexandria | 37.6% | 11,115 | 61.4% | 18,144 | 0.8% | 251 | 0.1% | 31 |
Alleghany | 56.8% | 2,337 | 41.5% | 1,708 | 1.7% | 72 | 0.0% | 0 |
Amelia | 62.3% | 1,947 | 35.3% | 1,101 | 2.4% | 75 | 0.0% | 0 |
Amherst | 56.4% | 4,571 | 42.0% | 3,400 | 1.6% | 131 | 0.0% | 0 |
Appomattox | 55.0% | 2,177 | 43.1% | 1,707 | 1.9% | 76 | 0.0% | 0 |
Arlington | 36.8% | 18,252 | 62.0% | 30,736 | 1.1% | 568 | 0.0% | 24 |
Augusta | 71.8% | 11,789 | 26.9% | 4,416 | 1.3% | 214 | 0.0% | 0 |
Bath | 54.6% | 807 | 42.8% | 632 | 2.6% | 38 | 0.1% | 1 |
Bedford County | 66.2% | 10,989 | 31.9% | 5,300 | 1.8% | 304 | 0.0% | 0 |
Bedford | 50.2% | 833 | 47.2% | 784 | 2.6% | 44 | 0.0% | 0 |
Bland | 66.3% | 1,180 | 31.7% | 564 | 2.0% | 35 | 0.0% | 0 |
Botetourt | 66.0% | 6,378 | 32.5% | 3,136 | 1.5% | 148 | 0.0% | 0 |
Bristol | 58.8% | 2,172 | 40.6% | 1,499 | 0.6% | 21 | 0.1% | 3 |
Brunswick | 45.5% | 1,946 | 51.9% | 2,220 | 2.6% | 113 | 0.0% | 0 |
Buchanan | 47.5% | 2,941 | 50.4% | 3,120 | 2.1% | 129 | 0.0% | 1 |
Buckingham | 52.4% | 1,799 | 45.1% | 1,548 | 2.6% | 89 | 0.0% | 0 |
Buena Vista | 57.0% | 846 | 42.0% | 623 | 1.0% | 15 | 0.0% | 0 |
Campbell | 65.0% | 9,230 | 33.4% | 4,744 | 1.5% | 216 | 0.0% | 2 |
Caroline | 47.7% | 2,600 | 50.1% | 2,731 | 2.1% | 115 | 0.0% | 0 |
Carroll | 66.4% | 4,549 | 31.2% | 2,136 | 2.4% | 164 | 0.0% | 1 |
Charles City | 35.5% | 743 | 62.6% | 1,311 | 1.9% | 40 | 0.0% | 0 |
Charlotte | 61.4% | 2,184 | 36.1% | 1,285 | 2.5% | 88 | 0.0% | 0 |
Charlottesville | 37.7% | 3,354 | 60.2% | 5,352 | 1.6% | 142 | 0.5% | 44 |
Chesapeake | 57.0% | 25,636 | 41.2% | 18,509 | 1.3% | 571 | 0.5% | 221 |
Chesterfield | 67.2% | 46,779 | 31.1% | 21,621 | 1.1% | 779 | 0.6% | 394 |
Clarke | 56.3% | 1,800 | 42.1% | 1,347 | 1.6% | 50 | 0.0% | 0 |
Clifton Forge | 43.5% | 589 | 54.9% | 744 | 1.6% | 21 | 0.0% | 0 |
Colonial Heights | 75.1% | 4,622 | 23.5% | 1,446 | 1.3% | 83 | 0.1% | 7 |
Covington | 47.0% | 857 | 51.3% | 935 | 1.6% | 30 | 0.1% | 1 |
Craig | 59.8% | 1,180 | 37.3% | 736 | 2.8% | 56 | 0.0% | 0 |
Culpeper | 64.5% | 5,095 | 34.3% | 2,708 | 1.2% | 97 | 0.0% | 1 |
Cumberland | 62.1% | 1,549 | 35.9% | 896 | 2.0% | 50 | 0.0% | 0 |
Danville | 59.1% | 7,165 | 39.8% | 4,828 | 1.1% | 134 | 0.0% | 0 |
Dickenson | 48.5% | 2,326 | 49.6% | 2,379 | 2.0% | 94 | 0.0% | 0 |
Dinwiddie | 58.6% | 3,554 | 38.3% | 2,321 | 3.1% | 190 | 0.0% | 0 |
Emporia | 57.5% | 855 | 38.5% | 573 | 4.0% | 60 | 0.0% | 0 |
Essex | 56.8% | 1,499 | 40.9% | 1,079 | 2.3% | 62 | 0.0% | 0 |
Fairfax County | 52.5% | 129,038 | 46.7% | 114,697 | 0.8% | 1,922 | 0.0% | 121 |
Fairfax | 52.5% | 3,451 | 46.4% | 3,047 | 1.0% | 66 | 0.1% | 4 |
Falls Church | 34.2% | 1,396 | 65.1% | 2,655 | 0.6% | 26 | 0.0% | 2 |
Fauquier | 65.2% | 9,293 | 33.6% | 4,792 | 1.1% | 160 | 0.1% | 14 |
Floyd | 61.0% | 2,288 | 36.0% | 1,350 | 3.0% | 111 | 0.0% | 0 |
Fluvanna | 64.0% | 3,337 | 34.3% | 1,790 | 1.6% | 84 | 0.0% | 1 |
Franklin County | 58.5% | 7,134 | 39.0% | 4,760 | 2.5% | 299 | 0.0% | 0 |
Franklin | 47.3% | 1,134 | 50.3% | 1,207 | 2.5% | 59 | 0.0% | 0 |
Frederick | 68.8% | 9,672 | 30.2% | 4,246 | 1.0% | 146 | 0.0% | 0 |
Fredericksburg | 44.1% | 1,952 | 54.0% | 2,394 | 1.5% | 66 | 0.4% | 19 |
Galax | 58.4% | 853 | 40.2% | 588 | 1.4% | 20 | 0.0% | 0 |
Giles | 55.9% | 2,582 | 42.3% | 1,951 | 1.8% | 83 | 0.0% | 1 |
Gloucester | 62.3% | 5,513 | 34.8% | 3,074 | 2.9% | 255 | 0.0% | 1 |
Goochland | 60.8% | 3,929 | 37.1% | 2,395 | 2.1% | 136 | 0.0% | 0 |
Grayson | 60.6% | 2,803 | 36.7% | 1,696 | 2.7% | 125 | 0.0% | 0 |
Greene | 68.9% | 2,233 | 28.7% | 930 | 2.3% | 75 | 0.1% | 2 |
Greensville | 44.0% | 1,201 | 54.4% | 1,483 | 1.6% | 43 | 0.0% | 0 |
Halifax | 62.0% | 5,756 | 35.8% | 3,328 | 2.2% | 206 | 0.0% | 0 |
Hampton | 47.1% | 15,432 | 51.5% | 16,850 | 1.3% | 435 | 0.1% | 28 |
Hanover | 70.5% | 19,187 | 28.2% | 7,679 | 1.3% | 354 | 0.0% | 7 |
Harrisonburg | 60.3% | 3,793 | 38.6% | 2,429 | 1.0% | 66 | 0.0% | 1 |
Henrico | 59.2% | 46,367 | 39.1% | 30,661 | 1.2% | 912 | 0.5% | 424 |
Henry | 54.4% | 8,014 | 42.3% | 6,233 | 3.2% | 477 | 0.0% | 0 |
Highland | 64.9% | 630 | 33.4% | 324 | 1.6% | 16 | 0.0% | 0 |
Hopewell | 63.0% | 3,100 | 35.0% | 1,723 | 2.0% | 97 | 0.0% | 1 |
Isle of Wight | 56.9% | 4,647 | 41.8% | 3,411 | 1.2% | 100 | 0.1% | 9 |
James City | 58.3% | 8,984 | 40.4% | 6,218 | 1.2% | 180 | 0.1% | 16 |
King and Queen | 49.8% | 1,032 | 47.7% | 988 | 2.5% | 51 | 0.0% | 0 |
King George | 56.9% | 2,063 | 41.4% | 1,502 | 1.5% | 55 | 0.1% | 5 |
King William | 60.4% | 2,277 | 38.0% | 1,430 | 1.6% | 59 | 0.1% | 2 |
Lancaster | 62.0% | 2,523 | 36.0% | 1,464 | 1.8% | 74 | 0.1% | 6 |
Lee | 60.1% | 4,460 | 36.1% | 2,676 | 3.8% | 282 | 0.0% | 0 |
Lexington | 46.0% | 703 | 52.8% | 808 | 1.1% | 17 | 0.1% | 1 |
Loudoun | 59.7% | 20,997 | 39.0% | 13,697 | 1.2% | 407 | 0.1% | 44 |
Louisa | 56.0% | 3,832 | 41.0% | 2,806 | 2.9% | 200 | 0.0% | 0 |
Lunenburg | 58.8% | 2,230 | 39.6% | 1,502 | 1.5% | 58 | 0.0% | 0 |
Lynchburg | 55.5% | 9,724 | 43.6% | 7,634 | 0.8% | 144 | 0.1% | 15 |
Madison | 63.1% | 2,386 | 34.7% | 1,312 | 2.2% | 84 | 0.0% | 0 |
Manassas | 61.3% | 4,277 | 37.4% | 2,611 | 1.2% | 87 | 0.0% | 1 |
Manassas Park | 70.1% | 754 | 28.1% | 302 | 1.8% | 19 | 0.0% | 0 |
Martinsville | 46.7% | 2,206 | 50.4% | 2,377 | 2.8% | 133 | 0.1% | 3 |
Mathews | 61.9% | 2,184 | 35.0% | 1,236 | 3.1% | 110 | 0.0% | 1 |
Mecklenburg | 61.7% | 4,226 | 35.1% | 2,408 | 3.2% | 217 | 0.0% | 0 |
Middlesex | 59.9% | 2,279 | 36.8% | 1,401 | 3.2% | 122 | 0.0% | 0 |
Montgomery | 53.5% | 9,445 | 44.7% | 7,882 | 1.7% | 308 | 0.0% | 3 |
Nelson | 47.5% | 2,014 | 49.9% | 2,113 | 2.6% | 110 | 0.0% | 1 |
New Kent | 62.7% | 2,856 | 35.1% | 1,599 | 1.7% | 78 | 0.5% | 21 |
Newport News | 52.7% | 20,033 | 45.4% | 17,237 | 1.9% | 732 | 0.0% | 4 |
Norfolk | 40.1% | 17,101 | 57.9% | 24,679 | 1.7% | 736 | 0.3% | 126 |
Northampton | 48.9% | 1,755 | 48.7% | 1,747 | 2.3% | 84 | 0.1% | 4 |
Northumberland | 63.1% | 2,409 | 35.0% | 1,337 | 1.6% | 62 | 0.2% | 7 |
Norton | 44.3% | 647 | 53.2% | 777 | 2.5% | 36 | 0.0% | 0 |
Nottoway | 54.8% | 2,201 | 43.7% | 1,754 | 1.5% | 60 | 0.0% | 0 |
Orange | 61.8% | 4,124 | 36.6% | 2,443 | 1.7% | 111 | 0.0% | 0 |
Page | 62.3% | 3,220 | 36.6% | 1,890 | 0.7% | 38 | 0.4% | 19 |
Patrick | 60.2% | 2,726 | 37.1% | 1,679 | 2.7% | 123 | 0.0% | 0 |
Petersburg | 30.3% | 2,460 | 67.4% | 5,475 | 2.4% | 192 | 0.0% | 1 |
Pittsylvania | 67.8% | 10,445 | 30.6% | 4,720 | 1.6% | 243 | 0.0% | 2 |
Poquoson | 70.5% | 2,592 | 28.6% | 1,053 | 0.8% | 31 | 0.1% | 3 |
Portsmouth | 41.5% | 10,641 | 57.0% | 14,613 | 1.4% | 363 | 0.1% | 32 |
Powhatan | 71.4% | 4,186 | 26.7% | 1,567 | 1.9% | 109 | 0.0% | 0 |
Prince Edward | 52.1% | 2,476 | 46.0% | 2,186 | 1.8% | 86 | 0.0% | 0 |
Prince George | 65.1% | 4,461 | 33.6% | 2,305 | 1.2% | 79 | 0.1% | 7 |
Prince William | 63.1% | 32,049 | 35.6% | 18,110 | 1.3% | 651 | 0.0% | 10 |
Pulaski | 58.4% | 5,162 | 39.8% | 3,522 | 1.8% | 159 | 0.0% | 3 |
Radford | 49.0% | 1,466 | 49.2% | 1,471 | 1.7% | 52 | 0.1% | 2 |
Rappahannock | 56.2% | 1,301 | 42.4% | 982 | 1.3% | 30 | 0.1% | 2 |
Richmond County | 63.3% | 1,211 | 34.0% | 651 | 2.6% | 50 | 0.0% | 0 |
Richmond | 35.7% | 17,544 | 62.3% | 30,643 | 2.0% | 967 | 0.0% | 17 |
Roanoke County | 62.5% | 18,384 | 36.0% | 10,576 | 1.5% | 439 | 0.0% | 4 |
Roanoke | 48.3% | 11,628 | 49.2% | 11,857 | 2.5% | 598 | 0.0% | 5 |
Rockbridge | 62.4% | 3,339 | 36.2% | 1,937 | 1.5% | 78 | 0.0% | 1 |
Rockingham | 73.1% | 12,074 | 25.6% | 4,224 | 1.3% | 214 | 0.0% | 3 |
Russell | 49.1% | 3,675 | 49.2% | 3,687 | 1.7% | 125 | 0.0% | 0 |
Salem | 59.1% | 4,445 | 39.0% | 2,934 | 1.8% | 139 | 0.0% | 0 |
Scott | 64.7% | 4,050 | 33.3% | 2,087 | 2.0% | 125 | 0.0% | 0 |
Shenandoah | 71.2% | 7,069 | 27.4% | 2,718 | 1.2% | 122 | 0.1% | 14 |
Smyth | 59.3% | 5,366 | 38.8% | 3,510 | 1.9% | 175 | 0.0% | 0 |
Southampton | 51.0% | 2,345 | 45.8% | 2,105 | 3.3% | 151 | 0.0% | 0 |
Spotsylvania | 60.1% | 10,747 | 38.4% | 6,872 | 1.5% | 276 | 0.0% | 1 |
Stafford | 60.2% | 11,416 | 38.1% | 7,224 | 1.6% | 295 | 0.1% | 18 |
Staunton | 60.3% | 3,707 | 38.3% | 2,352 | 1.4% | 85 | 0.0% | 0 |
Suffolk | 53.8% | 8,398 | 44.6% | 6,959 | 1.6% | 257 | 0.0% | 3 |
Surry | 42.5% | 944 | 55.3% | 1,229 | 2.2% | 50 | 0.0% | 0 |
Sussex | 46.3% | 1,371 | 51.1% | 1,512 | 2.6% | 77 | 0.0% | 0 |
Tazewell | 55.4% | 5,515 | 42.6% | 4,235 | 2.0% | 194 | 0.0% | 3 |
Virginia Beach | 59.1% | 51,945 | 38.7% | 34,036 | 1.7% | 1,511 | 0.5% | 475 |
Warren | 60.5% | 4,139 | 38.4% | 2,628 | 1.0% | 70 | 0.1% | 4 |
Washington | 60.3% | 7,528 | 38.1% | 4,761 | 1.6% | 198 | 0.1% | 7 |
Waynesboro | 63.6% | 3,188 | 35.1% | 1,758 | 1.3% | 67 | 0.0% | 2 |
Westmoreland | 53.4% | 2,148 | 44.8% | 1,801 | 1.8% | 74 | 0.0% | 0 |
Williamsburg | 44.7% | 1,206 | 53.8% | 1,451 | 1.4% | 39 | 0.0% | 0 |
Winchester | 58.7% | 3,114 | 40.2% | 2,131 | 1.1% | 59 | 0.0% | 0 |
Wise | 52.2% | 4,834 | 46.3% | 4,292 | 1.5% | 142 | 0.0% | 0 |
Wythe | 62.1% | 4,401 | 35.5% | 2,512 | 2.1% | 149 | 0.3% | 22 |
York | 62.9% | 9,628 | 35.7% | 5,469 | 1.3% | 200 | 0.1% | 14 |
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The 2018 United States Senate election in Virginia took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the Commonwealth of Virginia, concurrently with other elections to the U.S. Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who had been his party's unsuccessful nominee for vice president two years earlier, was re-elected to a second term in office, winning this seat by the largest margin since 1988. This was the first election since 1994 that anyone had been re-elected to this seat.
The 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the next governor of Virginia. The election was concurrent with other elections for Virginia state offices. Incumbent Democratic governor Ralph Northam was ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits governors from serving consecutive terms. Businessman Glenn Youngkin won the Republican nomination at the party's May 8 convention, which was held in 37 polling locations across the state, and was officially declared the nominee on May 10. The Democratic Party held its primary election on June 8, which former governor Terry McAuliffe easily won.
The 2022 Kansas gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Kansas, with primary elections taking place on August 2, 2022. Governor Laura Kelly ran for re-election to a second term, facing Republican State Attorney General Derek Schmidt in the general election. Kelly defeated Schmidt by a margin of roughly 2.2 percentage points.