1924 United States presidential election in Virginia explained

See main article: 1924 United States presidential election.

Election Name:	1924 United States presidential election in Virginia
Country:	Virginia
Flag Year:	1861
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1920 United States presidential election in Virginia
Previous Year:	1920
Next Election:	1928 United States presidential election in Virginia
Next Year:	1928
Election Date:	November 4, 1924
Image1:	John William Davis.jpg
Nominee1:	John W. Davis
Party1:	Democratic Party (United States)
Home State1:	West Virginia
Running Mate1:	Charles W. Bryan
Electoral Vote1:	12
Popular Vote1:	139,797
Percentage1:	62.49%
Nominee2:	Calvin Coolidge
Party2:	Republican Party (United States)
Home State2:	Massachusetts
Running Mate2:	Charles G. Dawes
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	73,359
Percentage2:	32.79%
Map Size:	435px
President
Before Election:	Calvin Coolidge
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Calvin Coolidge
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)

The 1924 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 4, 1924. Voters chose 12 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

The 1900s 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 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 areas — like in Tennessee during the same era — the parties avoided competition by an agreed division over local offices.^[2]

Virginia was less affected than Oklahoma, Tennessee or North Carolina by the upheavals of World War I and the Nineteenth Amendment, although there was an unsuccessful challenge to lily-white control of the state's Republican Party in 1921.^[3]

During the prolonged national convention, Virginia delegates supported favorite son Senator Carter Glass, who had virtually no support elsewhere.^[6] Ultimately the nomination went to a compromise candidate in Wall Street lawyer and former United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom John W. Davis of West Virginia. Although West Virginia was a border state whose limited African-American population had not been disenfranchised,^[7] Davis did share the extreme social conservatism of Southern Democrats of his era; he supported poll taxes and opposed women's suffrage.^[8] In addition, Davis, like Coolidge, favored strictly limited government.^[9] At the same time a progressive third-party run was predicted as early as winter 1923–24, and ultimately Wisconsin Senator Robert M. La Follette Sr. would be nominated by the “Committee for Progressive Political Action”.^[10]

Neither Davis, La Follette, nor Republican nominee, incumbent President Calvin Coolidge campaigned in the state, which was always viewed as certain to go for Davis after having voted Democratic at every election since 1876. A Digest poll at the end of October, which included votes for some candidates not on the ballot, had Davis winning by 22.5 percentage points,^[11] a figure which understated his final margin of 29.69 points or a 6.22-point improvement from James M. Cox in 1920. Progressive Party candidate La Follette would relegate Davis to third in twelve states and carry his home state of Wisconsin, but had very little appeal amongst Virginia's restricted electorate, reaching double digits in only four counties and six independent cities. Overall Virginia was La Follette's sixth-weakest state after South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee and Rhode Island.

Until 2016, this was the last presidential election where a Democrat carried Virginia without winning the presidency, and remains the last time that a Democrat who lost the popular vote has carried the state.

Results

1924 United States presidential election in Virginia^[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Democratic	John W. Davis	139,797	62.49%	12
	Republican	Calvin Coolidge (inc.)	73,359	32.79%	0
	Progressive	Robert M. La Follette	10,379	4.64%	0
	Socialist Labor	Frank T. Johns	191	0.09%	0
Totals			223,726	100.00%	12

Results by county

1924 United States presidential election in Virginia by counties and independent cities^[13] ^[14]
County or Independent City	John William Davis Democratic		John Calvin Coolidge Republican		Robert M. La Follette, Sr. Progressive		Frank Tetes Johns Socialist Labor		Margin		Total votes cast
		%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%			%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%
	Accomack County		2,087		85.92%		307		12.64%		32		1.32%		3		0.12%		1,780		73.28%		2,429
	Albemarle County		1,383		76.75%		366		20.31%		52		2.89%		1		0.06%		1,017		56.44%		1,802
	Alleghany County		589		36.11%		856		52.48%		183		11.22%		3		0.18%		-267		-16.37%		1,631
	Amelia County		372		68.89%		153		28.33%		15		2.78%		0		0.00%		219		40.56%		540
	Amherst County		1,092		82.29%		129		9.72%		105		7.91%		1		0.08%		963		72.57%		1,327
	Appomattox County		952		88.72%		101		9.41%		18		1.68%		2		0.19%		851		79.31%		1,073
	Arlington County		1,209		41.39%		1,307		44.74%		405		13.87%		0		0.00%		-98		-3.36%		2,921
	Augusta County		1,920		58.81%		1,265		38.74%		78		2.39%		2		0.06%		655		20.06%		3,265
	Bath County		404		48.38%		407		48.74%		24		2.87%		0		0.00%		-3		-0.36%		835
	Bedford County		1,811		79.64%		432		19.00%		31		1.36%		0		0.00%		1,379		60.64%		2,274
	Bland County		604		49.55%		609		49.96%		4		0.33%		2		0.16%		-5		-0.41%		1,219
	Botetourt County		1,427		51.82%		1,264		45.90%		61		2.21%		2		0.07%		163		5.92%		2,754
	Brunswick County		887		90.33%		65		6.62%		30		3.05%		0		0.00%		822		83.71%		982
	Buchanan County		870		44.25%		1,080		54.93%		14		0.71%		2		0.10%		-210		-10.68%		1,966
	Buckingham County		623		73.21%		213		25.03%		15		1.76%		0		0.00%		410		48.18%		851
	Campbell County		1,468		74.03%		372		18.76%		142		7.16%		1		0.05%		1,096		55.27%		1,983
	Caroline County		840		77.56%		223		20.59%		20		1.85%		0		0.00%		617		56.97%		1,083
	Carroll County		1,257		41.68%		1,743		57.79%		14		0.46%		2		0.07%		-486		-16.11%		3,016
	Charles City County		141		60.78%		82		35.34%		8		3.45%		1		0.43%		59		25.43%		232
	Charlotte County		1,006		80.87%		154		12.38%		84		6.75%		0		0.00%		852		68.49%		1,244
	Chesterfield County		967		73.04%		282		21.30%		75		5.66%		0		0.00%		685		51.74%		1,324
	Clarke County		687		88.19%		76		9.76%		15		1.93%		1		0.13%		611		78.43%		779
	Craig County		512		61.46%		300		36.01%		19		2.28%		2		0.24%		212		25.45%		833
	Culpeper County		876		79.06%		190		17.15%		42		3.79%		0		0.00%		686		61.91%		1,108
	Cumberland County		398		81.72%		61		12.53%		28		5.75%		0		0.00%		337		69.20%		487
	Dickenson County		1,618		53.10%		1,294		42.47%		119		3.91%		16		0.53%		324		10.63%		3,047
	Dinwiddie County		685		82.53%		122		14.70%		23		2.77%		0		0.00%		563		67.83%		830
	Elizabeth City County		698		63.22%		312		28.26%		88		7.97%		6		0.54%		386		34.96%		1,104
	Essex County		315		82.03%		60		15.63%		9		2.34%		0		0.00%		255		66.41%		384
	Fairfax County		1,586		62.20%		765		30.00%		195		7.65%		4		0.16%		821		32.20%		2,550
	Fauquier County		1,277		74.55%		345		20.14%		89		5.20%		2		0.12%		932		54.41%		1,713
	Floyd County		515		34.04%		984		65.04%		13		0.86%		1		0.07%		-469		-31.00%		1,513
	Fluvanna County		452		73.26%		136		22.04%		27		4.38%		2		0.32%		316		51.22%		617
	Franklin County		1,902		63.55%		1,077		35.98%		13		0.43%		1		0.03%		825		27.56%		2,993
	Frederick County		1,314		71.92%		484		26.49%		29		1.59%		0		0.00%		830		45.43%		1,827
	Giles County		1,319		59.15%		852		38.21%		58		2.60%		1		0.04%		467		20.94%		2,230
	Gloucester County		616		84.38%		109		14.93%		5		0.68%		0		0.00%		507		69.45%		730
	Goochland County		394		65.89%		164		27.42%		40		6.69%		0		0.00%		230		38.46%		598
	Grayson County		1,611		52.37%		1,442		46.88%		20		0.65%		3		0.10%		169		5.49%		3,076
	Greene County		285		53.27%		240		44.86%		8		1.50%		2		0.37%		45		8.41%		535
	Greensville County		417		72.77%		132		23.04%		23		4.01%		1		0.17%		285		49.74%		573
	Halifax County		2,245		84.24%		374		14.03%		45		1.69%		1		0.04%		1,871		70.21%		2,665
	Hanover County		732		80.88%		135		14.92%		38		4.20%		0		0.00%		597		65.97%		905
	Henrico County		1,052		65.55%		416		25.92%		132		8.22%		5		0.31%		636		39.63%		1,605
	Henry County		1,097		64.64%		565		33.29%		35		2.06%		0		0.00%		532		31.35%		1,697
	Highland County		508		52.26%		454		46.71%		10		1.03%		0		0.00%		54		5.56%		972
	Isle of Wight County		631		76.30%		190		22.97%		6		0.73%		0		0.00%		441		53.33%		827
	James City County		173		72.08%		54		22.50%		13		5.42%		0		0.00%		119		49.58%		240
	King and Queen County		314		69.47%		134		29.65%		4		0.88%		0		0.00%		180		39.82%		452
	King George County		280		55.67%		206		40.95%		16		3.18%		1		0.20%		74		14.71%		503
	King William County		372		69.79%		148		27.77%		13		2.44%		0		0.00%		224		42.03%		533
	Lancaster County		564		84.43%		90		13.47%		14		2.10%		0		0.00%		474		70.96%		668
	Lee County		2,376		48.04%		2,456		49.66%		112		2.26%		2		0.04%		-80		-1.62%		4,946
	Loudoun County		1,794		88.33%		152		7.48%		82		4.04%		3		0.15%		1,642		80.85%		2,031
	Louisa County		707		67.59%		282		26.96%		57		5.45%		0		0.00%		425		40.63%		1,046
	Lunenburg County		686		66.22%		130		12.55%		219		21.14%		1		0.10%		467		45.08%		1,036
	Madison County		589		60.66%		347		35.74%		35		3.60%		0		0.00%		242		24.92%		971
	Mathews County		678		76.78%		195		22.08%		10		1.13%		0		0.00%		483		54.70%		883
	Mecklenburg County		1,649		84.30%		286		14.62%		20		1.02%		1		0.05%		1,363		69.68%		1,956
	Middlesex County		438		83.75%		78		14.91%		7		1.34%		0		0.00%		360		68.83%		523
	Montgomery County		1,142		52.65%		964		44.44%		63		2.90%		0		0.00%		178		8.21%		2,169
	Nansemond County		539		82.67%		99		15.18%		13		1.99%		1		0.15%		440		67.48%		652
	Nelson County		1,042		72.82%		350		24.46%		36		2.52%		3		0.21%		692		48.36%		1,431
	New Kent County		178		63.80%		86		30.82%		15		5.38%		0		0.00%		92		32.97%		279
	Norfolk County		1,000		73.05%		289		21.11%		77		5.62%		3		0.22%		711		51.94%		1,369
	Northampton County		941		81.19%		180		15.53%		38		3.28%		0		0.00%		761		65.66%		1,159
	Northumberland County		589		80.80%		130		17.83%		10		1.37%		0		0.00%		459		62.96%		729
	Nottoway County		840		72.35%		181		15.59%		140		12.06%		0		0.00%		659		56.76%		1,161
	Orange County		834		78.09%		181		16.95%		53		4.96%		0		0.00%		653		61.14%		1,068
	Page County		1,015		49.34%		885		43.02%		155		7.54%		2		0.10%		130		6.32%		2,057
	Patrick County		1,138		58.90%		783		40.53%		11		0.57%		0		0.00%		355		18.37%		1,932
	Pittsylvania County		2,563		72.08%		880		24.75%		113		3.18%		0		0.00%		1,683		47.33%		3,556
	Powhatan County		247		67.12%		110		29.89%		11		2.99%		0		0.00%		137		37.23%		368
	Prince Edward County		714		82.73%		140		16.22%		9		1.04%		0		0.00%		574		66.51%		863
	Prince George County		279		73.23%		90		23.62%		12		3.15%		0		0.00%		189		49.61%		381
	Prince William County		847		72.39%		269		22.99%		52		4.44%		2		0.17%		578		49.40%		1,170
	Princess Anne County		690		80.42%		137		15.97%		31		3.61%		0		0.00%		553		64.45%		858
	Pulaski County		1,767		53.84%		1,422		43.33%		90		2.74%		3		0.09%		345		10.51%		3,282
	Rappahannock County		395		78.22%		89		17.62%		21		4.16%		0		0.00%		306		60.59%		505
	Richmond County		340		72.19%		125		26.54%		6		1.27%		0		0.00%		215		45.65%		471
	Roanoke County		1,078		57.04%		695		36.77%		115		6.08%		2		0.11%		383		20.26%		1,890
	Rockbridge County		1,394		65.38%		680		31.89%		58		2.72%		0		0.00%		714		33.49%		2,132
	Rockingham County		2,041		49.38%		1,982		47.96%		100		2.42%		10		0.24%		59		1.43%		4,133
	Russell County		2,554		57.03%		1,848		41.27%		73		1.63%		3		0.07%		706		15.77%		4,478
	Scott County		2,177		44.32%		2,666		54.28%		67		1.36%		2		0.04%		-489		-9.96%		4,912
	Shenandoah County		2,186		48.18%		2,214		48.80%		134		2.95%		3		0.07%		-28		-0.62%		4,537
	Smyth County		1,907		45.71%		2,232		53.50%		31		0.74%		2		0.05%		-325		-7.79%		4,172
	Southampton County		1,119		79.70%		203		14.46%		82		5.84%		0		0.00%		916		65.24%		1,404
	Spotsylvania County		448		60.87%		255		34.65%		32		4.35%		1		0.14%		193		26.22%		736
	Stafford County		450		48.44%		433		46.61%		43		4.63%		3		0.32%		17		1.83%		929
	Surry County		388		77.29%		72		14.34%		42		8.37%		0		0.00%		316		62.95%		502
	Sussex County		607		81.26%		132		17.67%		8		1.07%		0		0.00%		475		63.59%		747
	Tazewell County		2,568		46.89%		2,631		48.04%		272		4.97%		6		0.11%		-63		-1.15%		5,477
	Warren County		699		78.72%		150		16.89%		38		4.28%		1		0.11%		549		61.82%		888
	Warwick County		248		76.78%		58		17.96%		16		4.95%		1		0.31%		190		58.82%		323
	Washington County		3,083		51.20%		2,848		47.30%		83		1.38%		7		0.12%		235		3.90%		6,021
	Westmoreland County		484		73.89%		157		23.97%		14		2.14%		0		0.00%		327		49.92%		655
	Wise County		4,157		50.55%		3,322		40.39%		736		8.95%		9		0.11%		835		10.15%		8,224
	Wythe County		1,899		48.12%		1,996		50.58%		49		1.24%		2		0.05%		-97		-2.46%		3,946
	York County		305		77.22%		75		18.99%		15		3.80%		0		0.00%		230		58.23%		395
	Alexandria City		1,136		57.96%		556		28.37%		266		13.57%		2		0.10%		580		29.59%		1,960
	Bristol City		1,036		68.79%		440		29.22%		29		1.93%		1		0.07%		596		39.58%		1,506
	Buena Vista City		235		59.95%		149		38.01%		8		2.04%		0		0.00%		86		21.94%		392
	Charlottesville City		831		71.64%		218		18.79%		108		9.31%		3		0.26%		613		52.84%		1,160
	Clifton Forge City		447		46.90%		225		23.61%		281		29.49%		0		0.00%		166		17.42%		953
	Danville City		1,577		70.37%		473		21.11%		187		8.34%		4		0.18%		1,104		49.26%		2,241
	Fredericksburg City		558		68.97%		223		27.56%		27		3.34%		1		0.12%		335		41.41%		809
	Hampton City		471		76.59%		129		20.98%		15		2.44%		0		0.00%		342		55.61%		615
	Harrisonburg City		624		49.13%		631		49.69%		15		1.18%		0		0.00%		-7		-0.55%		1,270
	Hopewell City		277		56.42%		206		41.96%		8		1.63%		0		0.00%		71		14.46%		491
	Lynchburg City		2,086		74.08%		602		21.38%		128		4.55%		0		0.00%		1,484		52.70%		2,816
	Newport News City		1,574		56.56%		917		32.95%		289		10.38%		3		0.11%		657		23.61%		2,783
	Norfolk City		5,061		63.87%		2,447		30.88%		411		5.19%		5		0.06%		2,614		32.99%		7,924
	Petersburg City		1,331		83.45%		228		14.29%		32		2.01%		4		0.25%		1,103		69.15%		1,595
	Portsmouth City		2,206		64.26%		624		18.18%		595		17.33%		8		0.23%		1,582		46.08%		3,433
	Radford City		394		48.82%		314		38.91%		99		12.27%		0		0.00%		80		9.91%		807
	Richmond City		9,904		73.79%		2,600		19.37%		907		6.76%		10		0.07%		7,304		54.42%		13,421
	Roanoke City		3,930		61.07%		1,747		27.15%		755		11.73%		3		0.05%		2,183		33.92%		6,435
	South Norfolk City		281		64.01%		134		30.52%		24		5.47%		0		0.00%		147		33.49%		439
	Staunton City		1,022		63.52%		549		34.12%		38		2.36%		0		0.00%		473		29.40%		1,609
	Suffolk City		557		73.29%		179		23.55%		24		3.16%		0		0.00%		378		49.74%		760
	Williamsburg City		196		85.96%		31		13.60%		0		0.00%		1		0.44%		165		72.37%		228
	Winchester City		820		65.18%		420		33.39%		18		1.43%		0		0.00%		400		31.80%		1,258
Totals	139,717	62.48%	73,328	32.79%	10,369	4.64%	189	0.08%	66,389	29.69%	223,603

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. News: How the States Voted in Convention. York Daily Record. July 7, 1924. 10. York, Pennsylvania.
7. Book: Ranney, Joseph A.. In the Wake of Slavery: Civil War, Civil Rights, and the Reconstruction of Southern Law. 141. 0275989720.
8. Book: Newman, Roger K.. The Yale Biographical Dictionary of American Law. 153. 0300113005.
9. Web site: The humility of 1924 presidential nominees offers path to more optimistic future. 2022-02-01. Carolina Journal. en-US.
10. Book: Richardson, Danny G.. Others: "Fighting Bob" La Follette and the Progressive Movement: Third-Party Politics in the 1920s. 180–183. 0595481264.
11. News: Total on Digest Poll Gives Coolidge Victory: Concession of All States Where Straw Vote Was Close Still Leaves Him 327 Electors. Boston Daily Globe. Boston. October 31, 1924. 13.
12. Web site: Statistics of the Congressional and Presidential Election of November 4, 1924 . Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives . 21.
13. Robinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote 1896-1932, pp. 354-361
14. Web site: Géoelections. Popular Vote for Robert LaFollette. (.xlsx file for €15)