1896 United States presidential election in Virginia

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1896 United States presidential election in Virginia

← 1892 November 3, 1896 1900 →
 
Nominee William Jennings Bryan William McKinley
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Nebraska Ohio
Running mate Arthur Sewall Garret Hobart
Electoral vote 12 0
Popular vote 154,708 135,379
Percentage 52.50% 45.94%

County Results

President before election

Grover Cleveland
Democratic

Elected President

William McKinley
Republican

The 1896 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 3, 1896, as part of the 1896 United States presidential election. Voters chose 12 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Following the state’s delayed readmission to the Union, Virginia was unique among ex-Confederate states in not having a period of Republican control during Reconstruction, due to the failure of the Underwood Constitution to pass in 1868[1] and the consequent support for the Conservative Party that fused prewar Democrats and Whigs in the first postwar elections and consistently controlled the state legislature after readmission. From 1879, however, a fusion with the “Readjuster” faction of the state Democratic Party would revitalize the Republicans[1] until 1883, although the state GOP would remain competitive in statewide elections — only narrowly failing to carry the state in 1888[1] — until the Cleveland Administration eliminated federal oversight while the Walton Act created the secret ballot and began large-scale black disenfranchisement.[2]

However, despite its dominant position, the Democratic Party was deeply divided between the conservative Gold Democrats of a state whose economy was already substantially influenced by the rapidly industrializing Northeast, and a Populist-influenced faction centered in the state’s rural areas.[2] Many Virginia farmers still depended upon a tobacco monoculture and had been affected severely by consistently declining prices, poor harvests[3] and the evolving rift between growing Northern and Southwest Virginia which were deeply tied culturally to the border states, and the declining, agrarian Southside.

After the nomination of Nebraska congressman William Jennings Bryan on a free silver platform was confirmed in June, it became clear he would face opposition in Virginia’s larger cities and towns, with the leader of this opposition being the Richmond Times under Bryan’s namesake Joseph.[3] At the beginning of the fall campaign Virginia was viewed as fairly secure for Bryan despite the defections that were expected to (and did) cost him the border states,[4] and this opinion did not change as the campaign developed during October.[5] Near the end, the state was heavily debated by politicians of opposing views on Bryan and Republican nominee, Ohio Governor William McKinley, some of whose supporters thought the GOP had a chance of carrying the state.[6]

Virginia ultimately voted comfortably for Bryan over McKinley. Bryan won the state by a margin of 6.56 percentage points; however, McKinley did make major gains in developing Southwest Virginia, where he was the first-ever Republican victor in Botetourt, Buchanan, Carroll, Grayson, Greene, Pulaski, Shenandoah, Smyth and Washington Counties.[7] Aided by the developing shift to a “lily-white” Jim Crow state Republican Party,[1][2] this region and these counties would become the party’s stronghold in Virginia during the first half of the twentieth century, allowing the party to remain more viable than in any other ex-Confederate state other than North Carolina and Tennessee where extremely loyal Unionist Republicanism remained.[8]

Bryan would later win the state against McKinley again four years later and would later win the state again in 1908 against William Howard Taft.

Results[edit]

1896 United States presidential election in Virginia[9]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic William Jennings Bryan 154,708 52.50% 12
Republican William McKinley 135,379 45.94% 0
Prohibition Joshua Levering 2,350 0.80% 0
National Democratic John M. Palmer 2,129 0.72% 0
Socialist Labor Charles H. Matchett 108 0.04% 0
Totals 294,674 100.0% 12

Results by county[edit]

1896 United States presidential election in Virginia by counties and independent cities[10][11]
County or Independent City William Jennings Bryan
Democratic
William McKinley
Republican
Joshua Levering
Prohibition
John McAuley Palmer
National Democratic
Charles Horatio Matchett
Socialist Labor
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Accomack County 3,115 62.25% 1,675 33.47% 186 3.72% 28 0.56% 1 0.02% 1,440 28.78% 5,004
Albemarle County 2,628 56.86% 1,918 41.50% 25 0.54% 51 1.10% 2 0.04% 710 15.36% 4,622
Alexandria County 322 30.99% 713 68.62% 2 0.19% 2 0.19% 0 0.00% -391 -37.63% 1,039
Alleghany County 720 28.55% 1,711 67.84% 78 3.09% 13 0.52% 0 0.00% -991 -39.29% 2,522
Amelia County 663 42.20% 899 57.22% 8 0.51% 1 0.06% 1 0.06% -236 -15.02% 1,571
Amherst County 1,751 59.26% 1,190 40.27% 4 0.14% 10 0.34% 6 0.20% 561 18.98% 2,955
Appomattox County 946 60.76% 598 38.41% 8 0.51% 5 0.32% 0 0.00% 348 22.35% 1,557
Augusta County 3,066 50.12% 2,823 46.15% 194 3.17% 34 0.56% 2 0.03% 243 3.97% 6,117
Bath County 508 51.42% 471 47.67% 3 0.30% 6 0.61% 0 0.00% 37 3.74% 988
Bedford County 3,085 57.13% 2,248 41.63% 32 0.59% 35 0.65% 2 0.04% 837 15.50% 5,400
Bland County 498 56.14% 388 43.74% 0 0.00% 1 0.11% 0 0.00% 110 12.40% 887
Botetourt County 1,494 47.44% 1,614 51.25% 19 0.60% 22 0.70% 0 0.00% -120 -3.81% 3,149
Brunswick County 1,372 58.56% 956 40.80% 3 0.13% 12 0.51% 3 0.13% 416 17.76% 2,343
Buchanan County 509 42.28% 695 57.72% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -186 -15.45% 1,204
Buckingham County 1,247 50.32% 1,199 48.39% 8 0.32% 24 0.97% 2 0.08% 48 1.94% 2,478
Campbell County 2,115 55.27% 1,696 44.32% 8 0.21% 8 0.21% 2 0.05% 419 10.95% 3,827
Caroline County 1,293 45.97% 1,502 53.39% 9 0.32% 9 0.32% 1 0.04% -209 -7.43% 2,813
Carroll County 1,528 47.65% 1,673 52.17% 3 0.09% 3 0.09% 0 0.00% -145 -4.52% 3,207
Charles City County 272 42.11% 362 56.04% 5 0.77% 7 1.08% 0 0.00% -90 -13.93% 646
Charlotte County 1,458 70.78% 538 26.12% 30 1.45% 34 1.65% 5 0.24% 920 44.66% 2,060
Chesterfield County 1,727 56.88% 1,273 41.93% 14 0.46% 22 0.72% 1 0.03% 454 14.95% 3,036
Clarke County 1,114 68.39% 490 30.08% 18 1.10% 7 0.43% 0 0.00% 624 38.31% 1,629
Craig County 490 64.73% 249 32.89% 18 2.38% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 241 31.84% 757
Culpeper County 1,704 59.98% 1,113 39.18% 10 0.35% 14 0.49% 0 0.00% 591 20.80% 2,841
Cumberland County 618 48.13% 657 51.17% 4 0.31% 5 0.39% 0 0.00% -39 -3.04% 1,284
Dickenson County 547 50.09% 534 48.90% 1 0.09% 10 0.92% 0 0.00% 13 1.19% 1,092
Dinwiddie County 1,099 59.47% 741 40.10% 1 0.05% 7 0.38% 0 0.00% 358 19.37% 1,848
Elizabeth City County 572 37.39% 919 60.07% 20 1.31% 19 1.24% 0 0.00% -347 -22.68% 1,530
Essex County 924 57.86% 669 41.89% 1 0.06% 3 0.19% 0 0.00% 255 15.97% 1,597
Fairfax County 2,109 52.51% 1,877 46.74% 8 0.20% 22 0.55% 1 0.02% 232 5.78% 4,016
Fauquier County 2,744 63.40% 1,553 35.88% 9 0.21% 22 0.51% 2 0.05% 1,191 27.52% 4,328
Floyd County 848 35.53% 1,525 63.89% 12 0.50% 2 0.08% 1 0.04% -677 -28.36% 2,387
Fluvanna County 919 55.97% 708 43.12% 3 0.18% 12 0.73% 1 0.06% 211 12.85% 1,642
Franklin County 2,305 57.28% 1,711 42.52% 5 0.12% 3 0.07% 0 0.00% 594 14.76% 4,024
Frederick County 1,848 67.74% 845 30.98% 24 0.88% 11 0.40% 0 0.00% 1,003 36.77% 2,728
Giles County 993 54.08% 777 42.32% 51 2.78% 15 0.82% 0 0.00% 216 11.76% 1,836
Gloucester County 819 59.13% 549 39.64% 10 0.72% 7 0.51% 1 0.07% 270 19.49% 1,385
Goochland County 676 42.62% 897 56.56% 3 0.19% 10 0.63% 0 0.00% -221 -13.93% 1,586
Grayson County 1,328 46.91% 1,473 52.03% 2 0.07% 28 0.99% 0 0.00% -145 -5.12% 2,831
Greene County 533 47.76% 581 52.06% 2 0.18% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -48 -4.30% 1,116
Greensville County 850 64.05% 471 35.49% 3 0.23% 3 0.23% 0 0.00% 379 28.56% 1,327
Halifax County 3,231 60.57% 2,050 38.43% 33 0.62% 20 0.37% 1 0.02% 1,181 22.14% 5,334
Hanover County 1,499 51.71% 1,337 46.12% 26 0.90% 37 1.28% 1 0.03% 162 5.59% 2,899
Henrico County 2,332 55.39% 1,817 43.16% 13 0.31% 48 1.14% 5 0.12% 515 12.23% 4,210
Henry County 1,409 43.95% 1,783 55.61% 10 0.31% 4 0.12% 0 0.00% -374 -11.67% 3,206
Highland County 553 52.62% 489 46.53% 7 0.67% 2 0.19% 1 0.10% 64 6.09% 1,051
Isle of Wight County 1,264 63.17% 727 36.33% 7 0.35% 3 0.15% 7 0.35% 537 26.84% 2,001
James City County 261 47.03% 291 52.43% 2 0.36% 1 0.18% 1 0.18% -30 -5.41% 555
King and Queen County 853 56.27% 655 43.21% 5 0.33% 3 0.20% 0 0.00% 198 13.06% 1,516
King George County 582 45.75% 681 53.54% 3 0.24% 6 0.47% 0 0.00% -99 -7.78% 1,272
King William County 592 37.16% 990 62.15% 6 0.38% 5 0.31% 0 0.00% -398 -24.98% 1,593
Lancaster County 1,073 63.42% 599 35.40% 16 0.94% 4 0.24% 3 0.18% 474 28.01% 1,692
Lee County 1,475 49.63% 1,470 49.46% 16 0.54% 11 0.37% 0 0.00% 5 0.17% 2,972
Loudoun County 2,741 56.67% 1,991 41.16% 96 1.98% 9 0.19% 0 0.00% 750 15.51% 4,837
Louisa County 1,366 48.93% 1,391 49.82% 25 0.90% 10 0.36% 0 0.00% -25 -0.90% 2,792
Lunenburg County 1,045 68.30% 475 31.05% 6 0.39% 4 0.26% 0 0.00% 570 37.25% 1,530
Madison County 1,089 59.90% 724 39.82% 5 0.28% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 365 20.08% 1,818
Mathews County 797 62.36% 444 34.74% 30 2.35% 7 0.55% 0 0.00% 353 27.62% 1,278
Mecklenburg County 2,099 46.81% 2,353 52.48% 26 0.58% 6 0.13% 0 0.00% -254 -5.66% 4,484
Middlesex County 688 50.00% 680 49.42% 5 0.36% 3 0.22% 0 0.00% 8 0.58% 1,376
Montgomery County 1,317 44.21% 1,594 53.51% 56 1.88% 12 0.40% 1 0.03% -277 -9.30% 2,979
Nansemond County 1,300 54.64% 1,060 44.56% 11 0.46% 8 0.34% 2 0.08% 240 10.09% 2,379
Nelson County 1,492 54.89% 1,183 43.52% 20 0.74% 23 0.85% 0 0.00% 309 11.37% 2,718
New Kent County 369 44.84% 446 54.19% 3 0.36% 5 0.61% 0 0.00% -77 -9.36% 823
Norfolk County 2,137 37.66% 3,475 61.24% 33 0.58% 29 0.51% 7 0.12% -1,338 -23.58% 5,674
Northampton County 1,086 56.56% 802 41.77% 21 1.09% 11 0.57% 0 0.00% 284 14.79% 1,920
Northumberland County 953 50.88% 904 48.26% 13 0.69% 3 0.16% 1 0.05% 49 2.62% 1,873
Nottoway County 936 65.36% 478 33.38% 16 1.12% 2 0.14% 0 0.00% 458 31.98% 1,432
Orange County 1,324 57.44% 957 41.52% 11 0.48% 13 0.56% 0 0.00% 367 15.92% 2,305
Page County 1,166 43.67% 1,454 54.46% 37 1.38% 13 0.49% 2 0.07% -288 -10.79% 2,670
Patrick County 886 43.45% 1,140 55.91% 10 0.49% 3 0.15% 1 0.05% -254 -12.46% 2,039
Pittsylvania County 3,987 55.04% 3,196 44.12% 36 0.50% 25 0.35% 0 0.00% 791 10.92% 7,244
Powhatan County 528 45.17% 637 54.49% 0 0.00% 4 0.34% 0 0.00% -109 -9.32% 1,169
Prince Edward County 991 49.60% 979 49.00% 6 0.30% 22 1.10% 0 0.00% 12 0.60% 1,998
Prince George County 518 56.43% 394 42.92% 1 0.11% 5 0.54% 1 0.11% 124 13.51% 918
Prince William County 1,341 64.56% 727 35.00% 2 0.10% 7 0.34% 0 0.00% 614 29.56% 2,077
Princess Anne County 790 53.20% 687 46.26% 6 0.40% 2 0.13% 0 0.00% 103 6.94% 1,485
Pulaski County 1,109 42.51% 1,489 57.07% 3 0.11% 8 0.31% 1 0.04% -380 -14.56% 2,609
Rappahannock County 1,076 65.05% 569 34.40% 1 0.06% 8 0.48% 0 0.00% 507 30.65% 1,654
Richmond County 667 49.63% 667 49.63% 3 0.22% 7 0.52% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 1,344
Roanoke County 1,116 42.15% 1,484 56.04% 36 1.36% 12 0.45% 1 0.04% -368 -13.90% 2,648
Rockbridge County 1,634 40.41% 2,290 56.63% 17 0.42% 103 2.55% 0 0.00% -656 -16.22% 4,044
Rockingham County 2,998 45.09% 3,524 53.00% 100 1.50% 27 0.41% 0 0.00% -526 -7.91% 6,649
Russell County 1,530 50.70% 1,475 48.87% 9 0.30% 4 0.13% 1 0.03% 55 1.82% 3,018
Scott County 1,793 44.67% 2,206 54.96% 4 0.10% 11 0.27% 1 0.02% -413 -10.29% 4,014
Shenandoah County 2,052 48.26% 2,102 49.44% 51 1.20% 47 1.11% 0 0.00% -50 -1.18% 4,252
Smyth County 1,407 47.41% 1,546 52.09% 8 0.27% 7 0.24% 4 0.13% -139 -4.68% 2,968
Southampton County 1,438 75.80% 439 23.14% 14 0.74% 6 0.32% 0 0.00% 999 52.66% 1,897
Spotsylvania County 877 49.05% 903 50.50% 4 0.22% 4 0.22% 0 0.00% -26 -1.45% 1,788
Stafford County 629 36.59% 1,084 63.06% 3 0.17% 3 0.17% 0 0.00% -455 -26.47% 1,719
Surry County 709 53.39% 609 45.86% 5 0.38% 5 0.38% 0 0.00% 100 7.53% 1,328
Sussex County 769 64.46% 418 35.04% 2 0.17% 4 0.34% 0 0.00% 351 29.42% 1,193
Tazewell County 1,582 38.36% 2,525 61.23% 8 0.19% 9 0.22% 0 0.00% -943 -22.87% 4,124
Warren County 1,172 65.40% 575 32.09% 25 1.40% 20 1.12% 0 0.00% 597 33.31% 1,792
Warwick County 238 29.10% 577 70.54% 1 0.12% 2 0.24% 0 0.00% -339 -41.44% 818
Washington County 2,374 46.74% 2,669 52.55% 20 0.39% 16 0.32% 0 0.00% -295 -5.81% 5,079
Westmoreland County 705 45.72% 827 53.63% 2 0.13% 8 0.52% 1 0.06% -122 -7.91% 1,542
Wise County 966 43.87% 1,230 55.86% 0 0.00% 6 0.27% 1 0.05% -264 -11.99% 2,202
Wythe County 1,683 46.17% 1,882 51.63% 9 0.25% 71 1.95% 4 0.11% -199 -5.46% 3,645
York County 722 75.05% 223 23.18% 16 1.66% 1 0.10% 0 0.00% 499 51.87% 962
Alexandria City 1,830 57.55% 1,281 40.28% 37 1.16% 32 1.01% 4 0.13% 549 17.26% 3,180
Bristol City 413 50.06% 384 46.55% 16 1.94% 12 1.45% 0 0.00% 29 3.52% 825
Buena Vista City 219 53.81% 184 45.21% 0 0.00% 3 0.74% 0 0.00% 35 8.60% 407
Charlottesville City 801 67.31% 371 31.18% 7 0.59% 11 0.92% 0 0.00% 430 36.13% 1,190
Danville City 1,702 59.26% 1,078 37.53% 51 1.78% 41 1.43% 0 0.00% 624 21.73% 2,872
Fredericksburg City 533 56.88% 388 41.41% 7 0.74% 9 0.96% 3 0.32% 145 15.47% 937
Lynchburg City 1,657 49.21% 1,647 48.92% 37 1.10% 26 0.77% 0 0.00% 10 0.30% 3,367
Manchester City 812 56.90% 588 41.21% 9 0.63% 18 1.26% 1 0.07% 224 15.70% 1,427
Newport News City 676 44.59% 815 53.76% 5 0.33% 20 1.32% 1 0.07% -139 -9.17% 1,516
Norfolk City 3,068 58.67% 1,995 38.15% 73 1.39% 93 1.78% 5 0.10% 1,073 20.52% 5,229
Petersburg City 1,682 66.32% 766 30.21% 5 0.20% 83 3.27% 2 0.08% 916 36.12% 2,536
Portsmouth City 1,380 62.61% 769 34.89% 7 0.32% 48 2.18% 1 0.05% 611 27.72% 2,204
Radford City 372 52.47% 309 43.58% 18 2.54% 10 1.41% 0 0.00% 63 8.89% 709
Richmond City 7,839 58.36% 5,160 38.42% 99 0.74% 334 2.49% 5 0.04% 2,679 19.94% 13,432
Roanoke City 2,005 52.86% 1,697 44.74% 58 1.53% 33 0.87% 2 0.05% 308 8.12% 3,793
Staunton City 713 50.82% 556 39.63% 92 6.55% 42 2.99% 1 0.07% 157 11.19% 1,403
Williamsburg City 113 54.59% 90 43.48% 3 1.45% 1 0.48% 0 0.00% 23 11.11% 207
Winchester City 490 49.70% 447 45.33% 22 2.23% 27 2.74% 1 0.10% 43 4.36% 986
Totals 154,978 52.56% 135,379 45.92% 2,350 0.80% 2,129 0.72% 108 0.04% 19,599 6.65% 294,837

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Heersink, Boris; Jenkins, Jeffrey A. Republican Party Politics and the American South, 1865–1968. pp. 217–221. ISBN 1107158435.
  2. ^ a b c Moger, Allen. "The Rift in Virginia Democracy in 1896". The Journal of Southern History. 4 (3): 295–317.
  3. ^ a b Wright, James D. (May 18, 1978). "The farmer's revolt: the election of 1896 in Virginia". University of Richmond.
  4. ^ "A Conservative Estimate of the Electoral Vote Makes a Fine Showing for Bryan". The Hustler. Madisonville, Kentucky. September 22, 1896. p. 2.
  5. ^ "Chairman Jones' Bluff". Reading Times. Reading, Pennsylvania. October 14, 1896. p. 1.
  6. ^ "Doubtful States: Representatives of Them Interviewed on the Outlook — Opinions of the Common People: Results of Visits to Hotels and Railroad Stations — The Views Expressed". Evening Star. Washington, D.C. October 31, 1896. p. 10.
  7. ^ Menendez, Albert J. The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004. pp. 322–324. ISBN 0786422173.
  8. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 210, 242 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
  9. ^ "1896 Presidential General Election Results – Virginia". U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  10. ^ Robinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote 1896-1932, pp. 354-361 ISBN 9780804716963
  11. ^ "Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1896". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)