1920 United States presidential election in Virginia explained

See main article: 1920 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1920 United States presidential election in Virginia
Country:Virginia
Flag Year:1861
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1916 United States presidential election in Virginia
Previous Year:1916
Next Election:1924 United States presidential election in Virginia
Next Year:1924
Election Date:November 2, 1920
Image1:James M. Cox 1920.jpg
Nominee1:James M. Cox
Party1:Democratic Party (United States)
Home State1:Ohio
Running Mate1:Franklin D. Roosevelt
Electoral Vote1:12
Popular Vote1:141,670
Percentage1:61.32%
Nominee2:Warren G. Harding
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Home State2:Ohio
Running Mate2:Calvin Coolidge
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:87,456
Percentage2:37.85%
Map Size:435px
President
Before Election:Woodrow Wilson
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Warren G. Harding
After Party:Republican Party (United States)

The 1920 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 2, 1920. Voters chose twelve representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. This was also the first presidential election after the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women the right to vote throughout the United States, including Virginia.

The 1900s decade had seen Virginia, like all former Confederate States, almost completely disenfranchise its black and poor white populations through the use of a cumulative poll tax and literacy tests.[1] So severe was the disenfranchising effect of the new 1902 Constitution that the electorate for the 1904 presidential election was halved compared to that of previous elections, and it has been calculated that a third of those who voted were state employees and officeholders.[1]

This limited electorate meant Virginian politics was controlled by political machines based in Southside Virginia — firstly one led by Thomas Staples Martin and after he died the Byrd Organization. Progressive “antiorganization” factions were rendered impotent by the inability of almost all of their potential electorate to vote.[2] Unlike the Deep South, historical fusion with the “Readjuster” Democrats,[3] defection of substantial proportions of the Northeast-aligned white electorate of the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia over free silver,[4] and an early move towards a “lily white” Jim Crow party[3] meant that in general elections the Republicans retained around one-third of the small statewide electorate,[5] with the majority of GOP support located in the western part of the state. However, in many parts of the state — like in Tennessee during the same period — the parties avoided competition by an agreed division over local offices.[2]

Unlike North Carolina, Tennessee or Oklahoma — the other Southern states with the rudiments of a two-party system like typically contested statewide general elections — Virginia was influenced neither by Appalachian or Ozark isolationism[6] nor the Nineteenth Amendment. Virginia had not given women suffrage at any level before 1920, and in February the State House of Delegates rejected the Nineteenth Amendment by 62 to 22[7] and the state's Senate rejected it by a vote of 24 to 10.[8] There were efforts to have women's suffrage subject to a referendum and an amendment to the state constitution after it was rejected by the legislature,[9] but the idea was never carried out.

Neither Republican nominee, Ohio Senator Warren G. Harding nor Democratic nominee, former Ohio Governor James M. Cox campaigned in the state. Unlike Oklahoma, Tennessee and to a much lesser extent North Carolina,[10] there never was a thought that Virginia would be vulnerable to an expected and observed Republican landslide that saw Harding win the national election with 60.32 percent of the vote. Cox would win Virginia by a margin of 23.47 percentage points — a decrease vis-à-vis Woodrow Wilson's results in the two previous elections, but much less than the Democratic Party experienced nationally.

Results

1920 United States presidential election in Virginia[11]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
DemocraticJames M. Cox141,67061.32%12
RepublicanWarren G. Harding87,45637.85%0
ProhibitionAaron S. Watkins8570.37%0
SocialistEugene V. Debs8070.35%0
Farmer-LaborParley P. Christensen2430.11%0
Totals231,033100.00%12

Results by county

1920 United States presidential election in Virginia by counties and independent cities[12] [13]
County or Independent CityJames Middleton Cox
Democratic
Warren Gamaliel Harding
Republican
Aaron Sherman Watkins
Prohibition
Eugene Victor Debs
Socialist
Parley Parker Christensen
Farmer-Labor
MarginTotal votes cast
%%%%%%
Accomack County2,02681.69%40916.49%441.77%10.04%00.00%1,61765.20%2,480
Albemarle County1,58774.58%54125.42%00.00%00.00%00.00%1,04649.15%2,128
Alleghany County66346.79%73651.94%100.71%60.42%20.14%-73-5.15%1,417
Amelia County38967.77%17931.18%30.52%30.52%00.00%21036.59%574
Amherst County1,09486.14%16813.23%10.08%70.55%00.00%92672.91%1,270
Appomattox County83781.10%19018.41%50.48%00.00%00.00%64762.69%1,032
Arlington County83544.65%99753.32%100.53%170.91%110.59%-162-8.66%1,870
Augusta County2,10654.29%1,70744.01%491.26%140.36%30.08%39910.29%3,879
Bath County34348.31%36250.99%20.28%10.14%20.28%-19-2.68%710
Bedford County1,77474.51%58324.49%150.63%60.25%30.13%1,19150.02%2,381
Bland County40345.74%47854.26%00.00%00.00%00.00%-75-8.51%881
Botetourt County1,33151.71%1,24048.17%30.12%00.00%00.00%913.54%2,574
Brunswick County86687.04%12512.56%00.00%40.40%00.00%74174.47%995
Buchanan County67538.46%1,07861.42%00.00%10.06%10.06%-403-22.96%1,755
Buckingham County74970.53%31129.28%00.00%00.00%20.19%43841.24%1,062
Campbell County1,34177.16%37521.58%120.69%40.23%60.35%96655.58%1,738
Caroline County66567.58%30831.30%90.91%20.20%00.00%35736.28%984
Carroll County1,26533.37%2,52066.47%40.11%20.05%00.00%-1,255-33.10%3,791
Charles City County11958.91%8240.59%10.50%00.00%00.00%3718.32%202
Charlotte County1,26677.48%36422.28%40.24%00.00%00.00%90255.20%1,634
Chesterfield County96475.37%30223.61%30.23%30.23%70.55%66251.76%1,279
Clarke County77479.30%15415.78%252.56%111.13%121.23%62063.52%976
Craig County38154.51%31545.06%20.29%10.14%00.00%669.44%699
Culpeper County97374.50%33025.27%30.23%00.00%00.00%64349.23%1,306
Cumberland County41377.78%11421.47%40.75%00.00%00.00%29956.31%531
Dickenson County90345.38%1,06753.62%30.15%170.85%00.00%-164-8.24%1,990
Dinwiddie County63677.18%18622.57%10.12%00.00%10.12%45054.61%824
Elizabeth City County67558.80%43938.24%100.87%191.66%50.44%23620.56%1,148
Essex County31975.95%10124.05%00.00%00.00%00.00%21851.90%420
Fairfax County1,59861.06%98737.71%170.65%100.38%50.19%61123.35%2,617
Fauquier County1,36570.32%56829.26%70.36%00.00%10.05%79741.06%1,941
Floyd County49726.65%1,35572.65%50.27%70.38%10.05%-858-46.01%1,865
Fluvanna County56278.38%14620.36%20.28%60.84%10.14%41658.02%717
Franklin County1,76556.01%1,38143.83%10.03%20.06%20.06%38412.19%3,151
Frederick County1,33759.79%87539.13%160.72%60.27%20.09%46220.66%2,236
Giles County1,10455.56%87744.14%50.25%00.00%10.05%22711.42%1,987
Gloucester County67769.87%28329.21%80.83%10.10%00.00%39440.66%969
Goochland County38463.79%21235.22%20.33%40.66%00.00%17228.57%602
Grayson County1,78145.27%2,15354.73%00.00%00.00%00.00%-372-9.46%3,934
Greene County30642.27%41457.18%20.28%00.00%20.28%-108-14.92%724
Greensville County42478.81%11120.63%20.37%10.19%00.00%31358.18%538
Halifax County2,10377.98%58621.73%60.22%10.04%10.04%1,51756.25%2,697
Hanover County90379.70%22419.77%30.26%00.00%30.26%67959.93%1,133
Henrico County1,07874.19%33823.26%60.41%231.58%80.55%74050.93%1,453
Henry County87154.95%69844.04%100.63%30.19%30.19%17310.91%1,585
Highland County37944.22%47455.31%30.35%00.00%10.12%-95-11.09%857
Isle of Wight County75975.52%24524.38%10.10%00.00%00.00%51451.14%1,005
James City County20776.38%6122.51%20.74%10.37%00.00%14653.87%271
King and Queen County34765.72%18134.28%00.00%00.00%00.00%16631.44%528
King George County24949.50%25350.30%10.20%00.00%00.00%-4-0.80%503
King William County35365.98%17632.90%50.93%10.19%00.00%17733.08%535
Lancaster County40473.99%13825.27%40.73%00.00%00.00%26648.72%546
Lee County1,59242.33%2,16257.48%10.03%40.11%20.05%-570-15.16%3,761
Loudoun County1,72068.64%75730.21%160.64%70.28%60.24%96338.43%2,506
Louisa County68468.20%31231.11%20.20%40.40%10.10%37237.09%1,003
Lunenburg County81878.96%20820.08%10.10%90.87%00.00%61058.88%1,036
Madison County49953.03%43145.80%101.06%00.00%10.11%687.23%941
Mathews County62472.90%21625.23%141.64%00.00%20.23%40847.66%856
Mecklenburg County1,61985.66%26413.97%60.32%10.05%00.00%1,35571.69%1,890
Middlesex County43871.92%17027.91%00.00%10.16%00.00%26844.01%609
Montgomery County96944.92%1,16053.78%271.25%10.05%00.00%-191-8.85%2,157
Nansemond County69073.95%24326.05%00.00%00.00%00.00%44747.91%933
Nelson County97371.18%39228.68%00.00%10.07%10.07%58142.50%1,367
New Kent County19063.55%10936.45%00.00%00.00%00.00%8127.09%299
Norfolk County1,82468.26%81330.43%90.34%160.60%100.37%1,01137.84%2,672
Northampton County95480.98%21718.42%70.59%00.00%00.00%73762.56%1,178
Northumberland County53670.25%22128.96%40.52%10.13%10.13%31541.28%763
Nottoway County82184.21%15415.79%00.00%00.00%00.00%66768.41%975
Orange County71873.49%25826.41%10.10%00.00%00.00%46047.08%977
Page County84642.68%1,12656.81%40.20%50.25%10.05%-280-14.13%1,982
Patrick County1,15448.35%1,23051.53%30.13%00.00%00.00%-76-3.18%2,387
Pittsylvania County2,71569.69%1,16229.83%100.26%70.18%20.05%1,55339.86%3,896
Powhatan County26364.78%14034.48%00.00%20.49%10.25%12330.30%406
Prince Edward County77480.21%18919.59%10.10%10.10%00.00%58560.62%965
Prince George County37574.11%12725.10%30.59%00.00%10.20%24849.01%506
Prince William County78666.55%39333.28%20.17%00.00%00.00%39333.28%1,181
Princess Anne County61084.96%10514.62%20.28%00.00%10.14%50570.33%718
Pulaski County1,81451.37%1,71048.43%60.17%10.03%00.00%1042.95%3,531
Rappahannock County41866.35%21033.33%00.00%20.32%00.00%20833.02%630
Richmond County32160.91%20639.09%00.00%00.00%00.00%11521.82%527
Roanoke County1,28656.35%95541.85%210.92%140.61%60.26%33114.50%2,282
Rockbridge County1,36556.13%1,05443.34%80.33%30.12%20.08%31112.79%2,432
Rockingham County2,06845.07%2,46453.71%420.92%130.28%10.02%-396-8.63%4,588
Russell County1,70448.95%1,77250.90%20.06%10.03%20.06%-68-1.95%3,481
Scott County1,67140.49%2,44959.34%00.00%50.12%20.05%-778-18.85%4,127
Shenandoah County2,07743.39%2,68356.05%170.36%90.19%10.02%-606-12.66%4,787
Smyth County1,51644.41%1,88355.16%60.18%70.21%20.06%-367-10.75%3,414
Southampton County1,31483.06%25015.80%181.14%00.00%00.00%1,06467.26%1,582
Spotsylvania County44052.76%38045.56%70.84%10.12%60.72%607.19%834
Stafford County45943.30%59956.51%20.19%00.00%00.00%-140-13.21%1,060
Surry County39780.69%9218.70%20.41%10.20%00.00%30561.99%492
Sussex County54876.43%16623.15%20.28%10.14%00.00%38253.28%717
Tazewell County1,77042.27%2,40857.51%20.05%60.14%10.02%-638-15.24%4,187
Warren County72069.63%29328.34%181.74%20.19%10.10%42741.30%1,034
Warwick County15256.93%10940.82%00.00%51.87%10.37%4316.10%267
Washington County2,25145.61%2,67254.14%50.10%60.12%10.02%-421-8.53%4,935
Westmoreland County39674.72%13325.09%10.19%00.00%00.00%26349.62%530
Wise County2,58744.20%3,23655.29%20.03%250.43%30.05%-649-11.09%5,853
Wythe County1,46540.90%2,10458.74%110.31%10.03%10.03%-639-17.84%3,582
York County28174.54%9224.40%30.80%10.27%00.00%18950.13%377
Alexandria City1,41759.56%92138.71%120.50%230.97%60.25%49620.85%2,379
Bristol City78469.14%34430.34%10.09%40.35%10.09%44038.80%1,134
Buena Vista City26262.83%15436.93%00.00%10.24%00.00%10825.90%417
Charlottesville City1,04173.99%35124.95%100.71%40.28%10.07%69049.04%1,407
Clifton Forge City72770.38%27426.52%10.10%313.00%00.00%45343.85%1,033
Danville City1,88876.25%55122.25%150.61%200.81%20.08%1,33754.00%2,476
Fredericksburg City58165.06%29933.48%50.56%40.45%40.45%28231.58%893
Hampton City60178.36%15219.82%121.56%20.26%00.00%44958.54%767
Harrisonburg City59445.45%70453.86%50.38%20.15%20.15%-110-8.42%1,307
Hopewell City9769.78%4129.50%00.00%10.72%00.00%5640.29%139
Lynchburg City2,09676.75%60922.30%60.22%100.37%100.37%1,48754.45%2,731
Newport News City1,70353.17%1,45045.27%100.31%331.03%70.22%2537.90%3,203
Norfolk City5,95370.73%2,38628.35%00.00%710.84%70.08%3,56742.38%8,417
Petersburg City2,07280.75%48518.90%40.16%50.19%00.00%1,58761.85%2,566
Portsmouth City3,22874.24%1,06124.40%100.23%451.03%40.09%2,16749.84%4,348
Radford City40260.91%24537.12%30.45%101.52%00.00%15723.79%660
Richmond City14,87875.93%4,51523.04%350.18%1330.68%340.17%10,36352.89%19,595
Roanoke City4,71566.00%2,32932.60%330.46%540.76%130.18%2,38633.40%7,144
Staunton City93156.60%70542.86%70.43%10.06%10.06%22613.74%1,645
Suffolk City76170.86%30228.12%100.93%10.09%00.00%45942.74%1,074
Williamsburg City16672.81%6227.19%00.00%00.00%00.00%10445.61%228
Winchester City73656.62%54041.54%181.38%40.31%20.15%19615.08%1,300
Totals141,67061.33%87,45637.86%8260.36%8080.35%2400.10%54,21423.47%231,000

Notes and References

  1. Book: Kousser, J. Morgan. The Shaping of Southern Politics: Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910. Yale University Press. 178–181. 0-300-01696-4.
  2. Book: Key, Valdimer Orlando. Southern Politics in State and Nation. 1949. 20–25.
  3. Book: Heersink. Boris. Jenkins. Jeffrey A.. Republican Party Politics and the American South, 1865-1968. 217–221. 1107158435.
  4. Moger. Allen. The Rift in Virginia Democracy in 1896. The Journal of Southern History. 4. 3. 295–317.
  5. [Kevin Phillips (political commentator)|Phillips, Kevin P.]
  6. See Ruotsila. Markku. Conservative American Protestantism in the League of Nations controversy. Church History. 72. 3. 593–616.
  7. News: House Beats Suffrage by 62 to 22 Vote. February 12, 1920. The Portsmouth Star. Portsmouth, Virginia. 1.
  8. News: Lenoir News-Topic. Lenoir, North Carolina. February 12, 1920. 2. The Suffrage Amendment.
  9. News: The Suffrage Amendment. The Bristol Herald-Courier. Bristol, Tennessee. 4. February 12, 1920.
  10. News: The New York Times. New York City. November 3, 1920. Diverse Claims as to Tennessee: Memphis Says Cox Is Carrying State – Knoxville Reports Harding Ahead. 2.
  11. Web site: Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 1920 . Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives . 19.
  12. Robinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote 1896-1932, pp. 354-361
  13. Web site: Géoelections. Popular Vote for Eugene Victor Debs. (1920) (.xlsx file for €15)