1965 Virginia gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:	1965 Virginia gubernatorial election
Country:	Virginia
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1961 Virginia gubernatorial election
Previous Year:	1961
Next Election:	1969 Virginia gubernatorial election
Next Year:	1969
Election Date:	November 2, 1965
Nominee1:	Mills Godwin
Party1:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	269,526
Percentage1:	47.9%
Nominee2:	Linwood Holton
Party2:	Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	212,207
Percentage2:	37.7%
Nominee3:	William J. Story Jr.
Party3:	Conservative
Colour3:	BF5700
Popular Vote3:	75,307
Percentage3:	13.4%
Map Size:	300px
Governor
Before Election:	Albertis Harrison
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:	Mills Godwin
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

In the 1965 Virginia gubernatorial election, incumbent Governor Albertis Harrison, a Democrat, was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. Linwood Holton, an attorney from Roanoke, was nominated by the Republican Party to run against Democratic Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Mills Godwin.

George Lincoln Rockwell, an avowed white supremacist and founder/leader of the American Nazi Party, ran as an independent candidate.

Godwin won the election with a plurality over Holton and Story. Story's strength mainly came at the expense of the Democrats as counties in Eastern Virginia that had been won by Democrats with sixty to seventy percent shrank to forty or fifty percent. Story ran best in the Piedmont region of the state, while Holton ran best in the traditionally Republican Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia.

General election

Candidates

• Mills E. Godwin, Jr., Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (Democratic)
• A. Linwood Holton, Jr., Roanoke attorney (Republican)
• George Lincoln Rockwell, founder of the American Nazi Party (Independent)
• William J. Story, Jr., assistant superintendent of Chesapeake City Public Schools (Conservative)

Results

Results by county

1965 Virginia gubernatorial election by county or independent city^[1]
	Mills Edwin Godwin jr. Democratic		Abner Linwood Holton jr. Republican		William J. Story Jr. Conservative		George Lincoln Rockwell Independent		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"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%
	Accomack County		2,284		65.67%		892		25.65%		255		7.33%		47		1.35%		1,392		40.02%		3,478
	Albemarle County		2,108		51.31%		1,495		36.39%		438		10.66%		66		1.61%		613		14.92%		4,107
	Alleghany County		903		55.67%		583		35.94%		110		6.78%		26		1.60%		320		19.73%		1,622
	Amelia County		627		40.14%		156		9.99%		762		48.78%		17		1.09%		-135		-8.64%		1,562
	Amherst County		1,553		52.01%		629		21.06%		759		25.42%		45		1.51%		794		26.59%		2,986
	Appomattox County		1,216		59.43%		247		12.07%		559		27.32%		24		1.17%		657		32.11%		2,046
	Arlington County		11,193		43.72%		13,079		51.09%		1,026		4.01%		303		1.18%		-1,886		-7.37%		25,601
	Augusta County		2,503		43.95%		2,914		51.17%		211		3.71%		67		1.18%		-411		-7.22%		5,695
	Bath County		411		57.32%		248		34.59%		51		7.11%		7		0.98%		163		22.73%		717
	Bedford County		2,053		45.21%		1,513		33.32%		847		18.65%		128		2.82%		540		11.89%		4,541
	Bland County		542		53.82%		410		40.71%		39		3.87%		16		1.59%		132		13.11%		1,007
	Botetourt County		1,143		42.38%		1,367		50.69%		169		6.27%		18		0.67%		-224		-8.31%		2,697
	Brunswick County		672		25.30%		518		19.50%		1,447		54.48%		19		0.72%		-775		-29.18%		2,656
	Buchanan County		2,776		61.46%		1,557		34.47%		56		1.24%		128		2.83%		1,219		26.99%		4,517
	Buckingham County		1,013		68.68%		205		13.90%		248		16.81%		9		0.61%		765		51.86%		1,475
	Campbell County		1,662		39.43%		1,267		30.06%		1,194		28.33%		92		2.18%		395		9.37%		4,215
	Caroline County		835		53.63%		225		14.45%		493		31.66%		4		0.26%		342		21.97%		1,557
	Carroll County		1,439		32.18%		2,895		64.74%		92		2.06%		46		1.03%		-1,456		-32.56%		4,472
	Charles City County		598		77.97%		88		11.47%		77		10.04%		4		0.52%		510		66.49%		767
	Charlotte County		661		37.28%		238		13.42%		851		48.00%		23		1.30%		-190		-10.72%		1,773
	Chesterfield County		4,314		29.40%		4,634		31.59%		5,656		38.55%		67		0.46%		-1,022		-6.97%		14,671
	Clarke County		608		67.56%		255		28.33%		20		2.22%		17		1.89%		353		39.22%		900
	Craig County		482		58.71%		319		38.86%		19		2.31%		1		0.12%		163		19.85%		821
	Culpeper County		1,454		68.36%		552		25.95%		80		3.76%		41		1.93%		902		42.41%		2,127
	Cumberland County		591		49.96%		110		9.30%		477		40.32%		5		0.42%		114		9.64%		1,183
	Dickenson County		1,369		53.08%		1,153		44.71%		21		0.81%		36		1.40%		216		8.38%		2,579
	Dinwiddie County		1,313		54.28%		267		11.04%		826		34.15%		13		0.54%		487		20.13%		2,419
	Essex County		331		43.32%		142		18.59%		290		37.96%		1		0.13%		41		5.37%		764
	Fairfax County		16,974		43.20%		20,917		53.23%		1,055		2.68%		346		0.88%		-3,943		-10.03%		39,292
	Fauquier County		1,850		67.64%		809		29.58%		55		2.01%		21		0.77%		1,041		38.06%		2,735
	Floyd County		623		32.05%		1,261		64.87%		48		2.47%		12		0.62%		-638		-32.82%		1,944
	Fluvanna County		441		46.52%		195		20.57%		300		31.65%		12		1.27%		141		14.87%		948
	Franklin County		2,298		53.13%		1,654		38.24%		283		6.54%		90		2.08%		644		14.89%		4,325
	Frederick County		1,168		56.32%		827		39.87%		57		2.75%		22		1.06%		341		16.44%		2,074
	Giles County		1,606		51.74%		1,348		43.43%		134		4.32%		16		0.52%		258		8.31%		3,104
	Gloucester County		936		53.95%		485		27.95%		299		17.23%		15		0.86%		451		25.99%		1,735
	Goochland County		859		51.19%		251		14.96%		557		33.19%		11		0.66%		302		18.00%		1,678
	Grayson County		2,209		48.49%		2,240		49.17%		81		1.78%		26		0.57%		-31		-0.68%		4,556
	Greene County		305		39.66%		370		48.11%		57		7.41%		37		4.81%		-65		-8.45%		769
	Greensville County		1,068		28.34%		1,441		38.23%		1,182		31.36%		78		2.07%		259		6.87%		3,769
	Halifax County		1,578		45.51%		954		27.52%		852		24.57%		83		2.39%		624		18.00%		3,467
	Hanover County		1,636		40.78%		1,235		30.78%		1,099		27.39%		42		1.05%		401		10.00%		4,012
	Henrico County		8,311		35.91%		8,814		38.08%		5,875		25.38%		137		0.59%		-503		-2.17%		23,137
	Henry County		1,879		53.30%		1,229		34.87%		359		10.18%		58		1.65%		650		18.44%		3,525
	Highland County		329		44.34%		381		51.35%		22		2.96%		10		1.35%		-52		-7.01%		742
	Isle of Wight County		1,592		63.76%		511		20.46%		382		15.30%		12		0.48%		1,081		43.29%		2,497
	James City County		607		49.84%		439		36.04%		151		12.40%		21		1.72%		168		13.79%		1,218
	King and Queen County		328		52.40%		91		14.54%		187		29.87%		20		3.19%		141		22.52%		626
	King George County		595		64.19%		278		29.99%		37		3.99%		17		1.83%		317		34.20%		927
	King William County		630		54.83%		202		17.58%		308		26.81%		9		0.78%		322		28.02%		1,149
	Lancaster County		688		48.66%		450		31.82%		261		18.46%		15		1.06%		238		16.83%		1,414
	Lee County		2,583		67.62%		1,118		29.27%		33		0.86%		86		2.25%		1,465		38.35%		3,820
	Loudoun County		1,847		58.41%		1,171		37.03%		87		2.75%		53		1.68%		676		21.38%		3,158
	Louisa County		890		49.53%		307		17.08%		572		31.83%		27		1.50%		318		17.70%		1,796
	Lunenburg County		993		40.58%		200		8.17%		1,247		50.96%		7		0.29%		-254		-10.38%		2,447
	Madison County		500		50.15%		376		37.71%		97		9.73%		24		2.41%		124		12.44%		997
	Mathews County		780		54.47%		482		33.66%		159		11.10%		11		0.77%		298		20.81%		1,432
	Mecklenburg County		1,439		39.03%		663		17.98%		1,549		42.01%		36		0.98%		-110		-2.98%		3,687
	Middlesex County		541		51.67%		193		18.43%		299		28.56%		14		1.34%		242		23.11%		1,047
	Montgomery County		2,196		38.06%		3,263		56.55%		269		4.66%		42		0.73%		-1,067		-18.49%		5,770
	Nansemond County		3,441		71.90%		697		14.56%		628		13.12%		20		0.42%		2,744		57.33%		4,786
	Nelson County		793		67.43%		227		19.30%		121		10.29%		34		2.89%		566		48.13%		1,175
	New Kent County		314		41.48%		188		24.83%		250		33.03%		5		0.66%		64		8.45%		757
	Northampton County		958		56.62%		492		29.08%		237		14.01%		5		0.30%		466		27.54%		1,692
	Northumberland County		549		47.86%		394		34.35%		197		17.18%		7		0.61%		155		13.51%		1,147
	Nottoway County		1,054		39.91%		178		6.74%		1,391		52.67%		18		0.68%		-337		-12.76%		2,641
	Orange County		892		54.59%		490		29.99%		228		13.95%		24		1.47%		402		24.60%		1,634
	Page County		1,992		45.46%		2,250		51.35%		75		1.71%		65		1.48%		-258		-5.89%		4,382
	Patrick County		935		60.17%		550		35.39%		57		3.67%		12		0.77%		385		24.77%		1,554
	Pittsylvania County		2,334		45.68%		1,033		20.22%		1,644		32.18%		98		1.92%		690		13.51%		5,109
	Powhatan County		546		41.74%		125		9.56%		636		48.62%		1		0.08%		-90		-6.88%		1,308
	Prince Edward County		1,085		42.04%		236		9.14%		1,242		48.12%		18		0.70%		-157		-6.08%		2,581
	Prince George County		1,169		52.26%		490		21.90%		564		25.21%		14		0.63%		605		27.05%		2,237
	Prince William County		2,392		61.43%		1,364		35.03%		81		2.08%		57		1.46%		1,028		26.40%		3,894
	Pulaski County		1,865		49.29%		1,669		44.11%		224		5.92%		26		0.69%		196		5.18%		3,784
	Rappahannock County		355		65.26%		173		31.80%		8		1.47%		8		1.47%		182		33.46%		544
	Richmond County		328		49.25%		197		29.58%		132		19.82%		9		1.35%		131		19.67%		666
	Roanoke County		3,470		31.36%		7,032		63.56%		492		4.45%		70		0.63%		-3,562		-32.19%		11,064
	Rockbridge County		1,206		43.76%		1,309		47.50%		223		8.09%		18		0.65%		-103		-3.74%		2,756
	Rockingham County		2,302		40.79%		3,089		54.73%		189		3.35%		64		1.13%		-787		-13.94%		5,644
	Russell County		1,797		45.15%		2,064		51.86%		75		1.88%		44		1.11%		-267		-6.71%		3,980
	Scott County		1,909		37.39%		3,032		59.39%		76		1.49%		88		1.72%		-1,123		-22.00%		5,105
	Shenandoah County		1,900		38.23%		2,896		58.27%		122		2.45%		52		1.05%		-996		-20.04%		4,970
	Smyth County		1,843		41.68%		2,467		55.79%		72		1.63%		40		0.90%		-624		-14.11%		4,422
	Southampton County		1,284		45.12%		289		10.15%		1,262		44.34%		11		0.39%		22		0.77%		2,846
	Spotsylvania County		1,326		60.69%		586		26.82%		169		7.73%		104		4.76%		740		33.87%		2,185
	Stafford County		1,719		55.98%		1,117		36.37%		97		3.16%		138		4.49%		602		19.60%		3,071
	Surry County		472		27.60%		606		35.44%		623		36.43%		9		0.53%		-17		-0.99%		1,710
	Sussex County		931		35.08%		584		22.00%		1,130		42.58%		9		0.34%		-199		-7.50%		2,654
	Tazewell County		2,736		54.10%		2,153		42.57%		111		2.19%		57		1.13%		583		11.53%		5,057
	Warren County		1,490		58.78%		903		35.62%		109		4.30%		33		1.30%		587		23.16%		2,535
	Washington County		2,642		48.02%		2,772		50.38%		40		0.73%		48		0.87%		-130		-2.36%		5,502
	Westmoreland County		509		53.69%		314		33.12%		108		11.39%		17		1.79%		195		20.57%		948
	Wise County		3,175		58.81%		2,186		40.49%		15		0.28%		23		0.43%		989		18.32%		5,399
	Wythe County		1,932		48.24%		1,844		46.04%		186		4.64%		43		1.07%		88		2.20%		4,005
	York County		1,435		46.88%		1,289		42.11%		287		9.38%		50		1.63%		146		4.77%		3,061
	Alexandria City		5,077		47.22%		5,269		49.00%		283		2.63%		122		1.13%		-192		-1.79%		10,751
	Bristol City		1,156		61.46%		710		37.75%		12		0.64%		3		0.16%		446		23.71%		1,881
	Buena Vista City		501		57.39%		310		35.51%		57		6.53%		5		0.57%		191		21.88%		873
	Charlottesville City		2,705		50.36%		1,997		37.18%		613		11.41%		56		1.04%		708		13.18%		5,371
	Chesapeake City		5,124		47.82%		2,124		19.82%		3,353		31.29%		114		1.06%		1,771		16.53%		10,715
	Clifton Forge City		761		56.25%		483		35.70%		95		7.02%		14		1.03%		278		20.55%		1,353
	Colonial Heights City		1,088		42.75%		604		23.73%		833		32.73%		20		0.79%		255		10.02%		2,545
	Covington City		1,273		61.44%		669		32.29%		101		4.87%		29		1.40%		604		29.15%		2,072
	Danville City		2,420		45.08%		1,247		23.23%		1,651		30.76%		50		0.93%		769		14.33%		5,368
	Fairfax City		1,006		49.07%		962		46.93%		67		3.27%		15		0.73%		44		2.15%		2,050
	Falls Church City		980		45.73%		1,090		50.86%		54		2.52%		19		0.89%		-110		-5.13%		2,143
	Franklin City		838		59.43%		246		17.45%		317		22.48%		9		0.64%		521		36.95%		1,410
	Fredericksburg City		1,584		58.86%		962		35.75%		104		3.86%		41		1.52%		622		23.11%		2,691
	Galax City		634		49.65%		592		46.36%		47		3.68%		4		0.31%		42		3.29%		1,277
	Hampton City		5,205		51.81%		4,025		40.07%		724		7.21%		92		0.92%		1,180		11.75%		10,046
	Harrisonburg City		1,122		46.13%		1,245		51.19%		50		2.06%		15		0.62%		-123		-5.06%		2,432
	Hopewell City		2,262		56.96%		1,109		27.93%		551		13.88%		49		1.23%		1,153		29.04%		3,971
	Lynchburg City		3,864		43.80%		3,422		38.79%		1,422		16.12%		112		1.27%		442		5.01%		8,820
	Martinsville City		1,581		52.11%		1,168		38.50%		257		8.47%		28		0.92%		413		13.61%		3,034
	Newport News City		7,264		56.30%		4,405		34.14%		1,059		8.21%		174		1.35%		2,859		22.16%		12,902
	Norfolk City		12,419		52.74%		7,315		31.07%		3,663		15.56%		150		0.64%		5,104		21.68%		23,547
	Norton City		343		48.79%		355		50.50%		1		0.14%		4		0.57%		-12		-1.71%		703
	Petersburg City		2,790		58.72%		897		18.88%		1,047		22.04%		17		0.36%		1,743		36.69%		4,751
	Portsmouth City		7,206		60.28%		2,639		22.08%		1,997		16.71%		112		0.94%		4,567		38.20%		11,954
	Radford City		1,307		47.42%		1,335		48.44%		97		3.52%		17		0.62%		-28		-1.02%		2,756
	Richmond City		18,032		55.27%		8,798		26.97%		5,613		17.21%		180		0.55%		9,234		28.31%		32,623
	Roanoke City		5,888		35.12%		9,947		59.33%		816		4.87%		114		0.68%		-4,059		-24.21%		16,765
	South Boston City		490		46.85%		323		30.88%		224		21.41%		9		0.86%		167		15.97%		1,046
	Staunton City		2,062		50.51%		1,804		44.19%		173		4.24%		43		1.05%		258		6.32%		4,082
	Suffolk City		1,453		71.05%		382		18.68%		204		9.98%		5		0.24%		1,071		52.37%		2,044
	Virginia Beach City		6,224		54.43%		3,718		32.51%		1,445		12.64%		48		0.42%		2,506		21.92%		11,435
	Waynesboro City		1,275		43.80%		1,499		51.49%		116		3.98%		21		0.72%		-224		-7.69%		2,911
	Williamsburg City		479		45.40%		483		45.78%		85		8.06%		8		0.76%		-4		-0.38%		1,055
	Winchester City		1,100		59.91%		675		36.76%		49		2.67%		12		0.65%		425		23.15%		1,836
Totals	269,526	47.89%	212,207	37.71%	75,307	13.38%	5,730	1.02%	57,319	10.18%	562,770

Notes and References

1. Web site: VA Governor November 02, 1965. Our Campaigns.