1996 United States presidential election in Virginia explained

Election Name:	1996 United States presidential election in Virginia
Country:	Virginia
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1992 United States presidential election in Virginia
Previous Year:	1992
Next Election:	2000 United States presidential election in Virginia
Next Year:	2000
Election Date:	November 5, 1996
Image1:	Ks 1996 dole (cropped).jpg
Nominee1:	Bob Dole
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Home State1:	Kansas
Running Mate1:	Jack Kemp
Electoral Vote1:	13
Popular Vote1:	1,138,350
Percentage1:	47.10%
Nominee2:	Bill Clinton
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:	Arkansas
Running Mate2:	Al Gore
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	1,091,060
Percentage2:	45.15%
Image3:	RossPerotColor.jpg
Nominee3:	Ross Perot
Party3:	Reform Party (United States)
Home State3:	Texas
Running Mate3:	Patrick Choate
Electoral Vote3:	0
Popular Vote3:	159,861
Percentage3:	6.62%
Map Size:	436px
President
Before Election:	Bill Clinton
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:	Bill Clinton
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 1996 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 5, 1996, as part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Virginia was won by Senator Bob Dole (R-KS), 47.10 percent to 45.15 percent over incumbent President Bill Clinton (D-AR) producing a margin of 1.95 percentage points.^[1] Billionaire businessman Ross Perot (Reform-TX) finished in third, with 6.62% of the popular vote.

Virginia was also the only state Bill Clinton lost twice but Hillary Clinton won, as she managed a 5 percentage point victory in the state in 2016., this was also the last time Bath, Allegheny, Giles, Smyth, Tazewell, Lee, Wise, Dinwiddie, Accomack Counties, and the independent cities of Galax and Buena Vista voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.^[2] The election was, however, the first time the Democratic presidential nominee had carried Prince Edward County – famous for its Civil Rights-era school desegregation cases – since Harry S. Truman in 1948, and the first time since 1968 that Essex County had voted Democratic.^[3]

In this election, Virginia voted 10.47 points to the right of the nation at-large.^[4] This election remains the only time in history that a Democratic president has won re-election without carrying Virginia., this also marked the last time a Democrat was elected without winning Virginia, and the last occasion Virginia would vote to the right of Georgia.

Results

1996 United States presidential election in Virginia^[5]
Party		Candidate	Running mate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	Bob Dole	Jack Kemp	1,138,350	47.10%	13
	Democratic	Bill Clinton (inc.)	Al Gore (incumbent)	1,091,060	45.15%	0
	Reform	Ross Perot	Patrick Choate	159,861	6.62%	0
	U.S. Taxpayers' Party	Howard Phillips	Albion W. Knight Jr.^[6]	13,687	0.57%	0
	Libertarian	Harry Browne	Jo Jorgensen	9,174	0.38%	0
	Natural Law	Dr. John Hagelin	Dr. V. Tompkins	4,510	0.19%	0
Totals				2,416,642	100.00%	13

Results by county or independent city

County/City	Bob Dole Republican		Bill Clinton Democratic		Ross Perot Reform		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%
	Accomack		5,013		43.02%		5,220		44.79%		1,218		10.45%		203		1.74%		-207		-1.77%		11,654
	Albemarle		15,243		48.81%		14,089		45.12%		1,533		4.91%		363		1.16%		1,154		3.69%		31,228
	Alexandria		15,554		34.26%		27,968		61.60%		1,472		3.24%		405		0.89%		-12,414		-27.34%		45,399
	Alleghany		2,015		39.71%		2,398		47.26%		607		11.96%		54		1.06%		-383		-7.55%		5,074
	Amelia		2,119		51.13%		1,625		39.21%		323		7.79%		77		1.86%		494		11.92%		4,144
	Amherst		5,094		46.63%		4,864		44.53%		835		7.64%		131		1.20%		230		2.10%		10,924
	Appomattox		2,625		47.93%		2,239		40.88%		510		9.31%		103		1.88%		386		7.05%		5,477
	Arlington		26,106		34.63%		45,573		60.46%		2,782		3.69%		915		1.21%		-19,467		-25.83%		75,376
	Augusta		13,458		60.89%		5,965		26.99%		1,916		8.67%		763		3.45%		7,493		33.90%		22,102
	Bath		847		41.30%		922		44.95%		247		12.04%		35		1.71%		-75		-3.65%		2,051
	Bedford		11,955		54.07%		7,786		35.22%		1,976		8.94%		392		1.77%		4,169		18.85%		22,109
	Bedford City		990		42.84%		1,065		46.08%		212		9.17%		44		1.90%		-75		-3.24%		2,311
	Bland		1,167		46.00%		939		37.01%		385		15.18%		46		1.81%		228		8.99%		2,537
	Botetourt		6,404		51.73%		4,576		36.96%		1,138		9.19%		262		2.12%		1,828		14.77%		12,380
	Bristol		2,983		49.50%		2,586		42.91%		429		7.12%		28		0.46%		397		6.59%		6,026
	Brunswick		2,059		34.79%		3,442		58.16%		340		5.75%		77		1.30%		-1,383		-23.37%		5,918
	Buchanan		2,785		26.96%		6,551		63.40%		858		8.30%		138		1.34%		-3,766		-36.44%		10,332
	Buckingham		1,974		40.70%		2,374		48.95%		392		8.08%		110		2.27%		-400		-8.25%		4,850
	Buena Vista		713		34.66%		1,090		52.99%		216		10.50%		38		1.85%		-377		-18.33%		2,057
	Campbell		10,273		54.35%		6,788		35.91%		1,505		7.96%		336		1.78%		3,485		18.44%		18,902
	Caroline		2,816		38.65%		3,897		53.49%		521		7.15%		51		0.70%		-1,081		-14.84%		7,285
	Carroll		5,088		51.04%		3,611		36.22%		1,158		11.62%		112		1.12%		1,477		14.82%		9,969
	Charles City		729		26.16%		1,842		66.09%		178		6.39%		38		1.36%		-1,113		-39.93%		2,787
	Charlotte		2,103		45.58%		2,007		43.50%		431		9.34%		73		1.58%		96		2.08%		4,614
	Charlottesville		4,091		31.99%		7,916		61.90%		565		4.42%		217		1.70%		-3,825		-29.91%		12,789
	Chesapeake		29,251		46.66%		28,713		45.80%		4,456		7.11%		266		0.42%		538		0.86%		62,686
	Chesterfield		56,650		60.71%		30,220		32.39%		6,004		6.43%		431		0.46%		26,430		28.32%		93,305
	Clarke		2,201		48.17%		1,906		41.72%		379		8.30%		83		1.82%		295		6.45%		4,569
	Clifton Forge		486		29.62%		974		59.35%		147		8.96%		34		2.07%		-488		-29.73%		1,641
	Colonial Heights		4,632		66.62%		1,782		25.63%		518		7.45%		21		0.30%		2,850		40.99%		6,953
	Covington		763		31.10%		1,394		56.83%		255		10.40%		41		1.67%		-631		-25.73%		2,453
	Craig		979		45.35%		895		41.45%		262		12.14%		23		1.07%		84		3.90%		2,159
	Culpeper		5,688		53.90%		3,907		37.02%		787		7.46%		171		1.62%		1,781		16.88%		10,553
	Cumberland		1,544		48.40%		1,303		40.85%		275		8.62%		68		2.13%		241		7.55%		3,190
	Danville		9,254		49.97%		8,168		44.11%		762		4.11%		335		1.81%		1,086		5.86%		18,519
	Dickenson		2,229		32.45%		3,913		56.97%		660		9.61%		66		0.96%		-1,684		-24.52%		6,868
	Dinwiddie		3,503		42.90%		3,871		47.40%		666		8.16%		126		1.54%		-368		-4.50%		8,166
	Emporia		835		40.65%		1,103		53.70%		98		4.77%		18		0.88%		-268		-13.05%		2,054
	Essex		1,627		46.05%		1,668		47.21%		188		5.32%		50		1.42%		-41		-1.16%		3,533
	Fairfax		176,033		48.19%		170,150		46.58%		16,134		4.42%		2,946		0.81%		5,883		1.61%		365,263
	Fairfax City		4,319		49.39%		3,909		44.70%		422		4.83%		95		1.09%		410		4.69%		8,745
	Falls Church		1,644		38.38%		2,375		55.44%		202		4.72%		63		1.47%		-731		-17.06%		4,284
	Fauquier		11,063		57.45%		6,759		35.10%		1,287		6.68%		149		0.77%		4,304		22.35%		19,258
	Floyd		2,374		48.07%		1,909		38.65%		545		11.03%		111		2.25%		465		9.42%		4,939
	Fluvanna		3,442		51.66%		2,676		40.16%		457		6.86%		88		1.32%		766		11.50%		6,663
	Franklin		7,382		43.46%		7,300		42.97%		2,015		11.86%		290		1.71%		82		0.49%		16,987
	Franklin City		1,200		35.45%		1,962		57.96%		201		5.94%		22		0.65%		-762		-22.51%		3,385
	Frederick		10,608		57.61%		5,976		32.46%		1,599		8.68%		229		1.24%		4,632		25.15%		18,412
	Fredericksburg		2,579		41.84%		3,215		52.16%		300		4.87%		70		1.14%		-636		-10.32%		6,164
	Galax		910		41.72%		1,033		47.36%		221		10.13%		17		0.78%		-123		-5.64%		2,181
	Giles		2,566		38.15%		3,196		47.52%		841		12.50%		123		1.83%		-630		-9.37%		6,726
	Gloucester		6,447		51.20%		4,710		37.40%		1,266		10.05%		170		1.35%		1,737		13.80%		12,593
	Goochland		4,119		55.47%		2,784		37.49%		424		5.71%		98		1.32%		1,335		17.98%		7,425
	Grayson		3,004		46.92%		2,661		41.56%		675		10.54%		63		0.98%		343		5.36%		6,403
	Greene		2,351		55.29%		1,440		33.87%		346		8.14%		115		2.70%		911		21.42%		4,252
	Greensville		1,176		30.60%		2,381		61.96%		263		6.84%		23		0.60%		-1,205		-31.36%		3,843
	Halifax		6,490		49.07%		5,599		42.33%		876		6.62%		261		1.97%		891		6.74%		13,226
	Hampton		16,596		37.29%		24,493		55.03%		2,783		6.25%		635		1.43%		-7,897		-17.74%		44,507
	Hanover		22,086		63.60%		9,880		28.45%		2,447		7.05%		311		0.90%		12,206		35.15%		34,724
	Harrisonburg		4,945		55.33%		3,346		37.44%		434		4.86%		212		2.37%		1,599		17.89%		8,937
	Henrico		54,430		53.37%		41,121		40.32%		5,920		5.80%		521		0.51%		13,309		13.05%		101,992
	Henry		9,110		43.64%		9,061		43.41%		2,370		11.35%		333		1.60%		49		0.23%		20,874
	Highland		631		51.68%		446		36.53%		134		10.97%		10		0.82%		185		15.15%		1,221
	Hopewell		3,493		49.46%		2,868		40.61%		550		7.79%		151		2.14%		625		8.85%		7,062
	Isle of Wight		5,416		47.64%		4,952		43.56%		893		7.85%		108		0.95%		464		4.08%		11,369
	James City		10,120		54.45%		7,247		38.99%		1,116		6.00%		103		0.55%		2,873		15.46%		18,586
	King and Queen		1,073		38.93%		1,393		50.54%		213		7.73%		77		2.79%		-320		-11.61%		2,756
	King George		2,597		53.62%		1,875		38.72%		341		7.04%		30		0.62%		722		14.90%		4,843
	King William		2,346		52.49%		1,765		39.49%		339		7.59%		19		0.43%		581		13.00%		4,469
	Lancaster		2,709		55.36%		1,844		37.69%		324		6.62%		16		0.33%		865		17.67%		4,893
	Lee		3,225		37.48%		4,444		51.65%		822		9.55%		113		1.31%		-1,219		-14.17%		8,604
	Lexington		850		41.56%		1,059		51.78%		112		5.48%		24		1.17%		-209		-10.22%		2,045
	Loudoun		25,715		52.13%		19,942		40.43%		3,082		6.25%		591		1.20%		5,773		11.70%		49,330
	Louisa		3,768		45.27%		3,761		45.19%		693		8.33%		101		1.21%		7		0.08%		8,323
	Lunenburg		2,063		46.26%		1,995		44.73%		299		6.70%		103		2.31%		68		1.53%		4,460
	Lynchburg		11,441		49.72%		10,281		44.68%		1,155		5.02%		135		0.59%		1,160		5.04%		23,012
	Madison		2,296		50.91%		1,734		38.45%		360		7.98%		120		2.66%		562		12.46%		4,510
	Manassas		5,799		52.91%		4,378		39.95%		670		6.11%		113		1.03%		1,421		12.96%		10,960
	Manassas Park		916		49.84%		748		40.70%		151		8.22%		23		1.25%		168		9.14%		1,838
	Martinsville		2,446		41.87%		2,941		50.34%		387		6.62%		68		1.16%		-495		-8.47%		5,842
	Mathews		2,206		51.78%		1,602		37.61%		403		9.46%		49		1.15%		604		14.17%		4,260
	Mecklenburg		4,933		48.00%		4,408		42.89%		789		7.68%		148		1.44%		525		5.11%		10,278
	Middlesex		2,141		49.83%		1,704		39.66%		350		8.15%		102		2.37%		437		10.17%		4,297
	Montgomery		10,517		43.28%		10,867		44.72%		2,594		10.68%		320		1.32%		-350		-1.44%		24,298
	Nelson		1,988		37.77%		2,782		52.85%		411		7.81%		83		1.58%		-794		-15.08%		5,264
	New Kent		2,852		54.15%		1,859		35.30%		520		9.87%		36		0.68%		993		18.85%		5,267
	Newport News		23,072		42.50%		27,678		50.98%		3,090		5.69%		448		0.83%		-4,606		-8.48%		54,288
	Norfolk		18,693		31.09%		37,655		62.63%		3,435		5.71%		341		0.57%		-18,962		-31.54%		60,124
	Northampton		1,763		35.63%		2,569		51.92%		522		10.55%		94		1.90%		-806		-16.29%		4,948
	Northumberland		2,605		51.81%		1,957		38.92%		375		7.46%		91		1.81%		648		12.89%		5,028
	Norton		416		30.10%		802		58.03%		138		9.99%		26		1.88%		-386		-27.93%		1,382
	Nottoway		2,416		46.34%		2,327		44.63%		346		6.64%		125		2.40%		89		1.71%		5,214
	Orange		4,435		49.79%		3,590		40.30%		750		8.42%		133		1.49%		845		9.49%		8,908
	Page		3,876		51.83%		2,868		38.35%		640		8.56%		95		1.27%		1,008		13.48%		7,479
	Patrick		3,547		52.39%		2,301		33.98%		719		10.62%		204		3.01%		1,246		18.41%		6,771
	Petersburg		2,261		20.76%		8,105		74.43%		423		3.88%		101		0.93%		-5,844		-53.67%		10,890
	Pittsylvania		12,127		55.85%		7,681		35.37%		1,469		6.77%		437		2.01%		4,446		20.48%		21,714
	Poquoson		3,422		64.86%		1,409		26.71%		400		7.58%		45		0.85%		2,013		38.15%		5,276
	Portsmouth		10,686		30.18%		22,150		62.55%		2,238		6.32%		335		0.95%		-11,464		-32.37%		35,409
	Powhatan		4,679		61.22%		2,254		29.49%		626		8.19%		84		1.10%		2,425		31.73%		7,643
	Prince Edward		2,530		44.56%		2,678		47.16%		403		7.10%		67		1.18%		-148		-2.60%		5,678
	Prince George		5,216		54.86%		3,498		36.79%		698		7.34%		95		1.00%		1,718		18.07%		9,507
	Prince William		39,292		50.09%		33,462		42.66%		4,881		6.22%		808		1.03%		5,830		7.43%		78,443
	Pulaski		5,387		43.78%		5,333		43.34%		1,399		11.37%		185		1.50%		54		0.44%		12,304
	Radford		1,742		40.67%		2,113		49.33%		381		8.90%		47		1.10%		-371		-8.66%		4,283
	Rappahannock		1,505		47.31%		1,405		44.17%		213		6.70%		58		1.82%		100		3.14%		3,181
	Richmond		1,424		50.91%		1,101		39.36%		201		7.19%		71		2.54%		323		11.55%		2,797
	Richmond City		20,993		31.30%		42,273		63.02%		2,762		4.12%		1,050		1.57%		-21,280		-31.72%		67,078
	Roanoke		20,700		52.51%		15,387		39.03%		2,934		7.44%		400		1.01%		5,313		13.48%		39,421
	Roanoke City		12,283		38.37%		17,282		53.98%		2,169		6.77%		282		0.88%		-4,999		-15.61%		32,016
	Rockbridge		3,274		44.98%		3,116		42.81%		760		10.44%		129		1.77%		158		2.17%		7,279
	Rockingham		14,035		64.66%		5,867		27.03%		1,318		6.07%		487		2.24%		8,168		37.63%		21,707
	Russell		3,706		36.59%		5,437		53.68%		862		8.51%		123		1.21%		-1,731		-17.09%		10,128
	Salem		4,936		48.97%		4,282		42.48%		796		7.90%		65		0.64%		654		6.49%		10,079
	Scott		4,086		47.66%		3,449		40.23%		798		9.31%		240		2.80%		637		7.43%		8,573
	Shenandoah		7,440		56.02%		4,224		31.81%		1,353		10.19%		263		1.98%		3,216		24.21%		13,280
	Smyth		4,966		42.74%		4,990		42.95%		1,407		12.11%		256		2.20%		-24		-0.21%		11,619
	Southampton		2,275		33.88%		3,454		51.44%		564		8.40%		422		6.28%		-1,179		-17.56%		6,715
	Spotsylvania		13,786		52.62%		10,342		39.48%		1,860		7.10%		209		0.80%		3,444		13.14%		26,197
	Stafford		14,098		54.04%		9,902		37.95%		1,856		7.11%		233		0.89%		4,196		16.09%		26,089
	Staunton		4,526		53.66%		3,162		37.49%		605		7.17%		142		1.68%		1,364		16.17%		8,435
	Suffolk		8,572		41.30%		10,827		52.17%		1,266		6.10%		89		0.43%		-2,255		-10.87%		20,754
	Surry		944		32.13%		1,753		59.67%		181		6.16%		60		2.04%		-809		-27.54%		2,938
	Sussex		1,378		36.34%		2,089		55.09%		256		6.75%		69		1.82%		-711		-18.75%		3,792
	Tazewell		6,131		39.71%		7,500		48.58%		1,554		10.06%		255		1.65%		-1,369		-8.87%		15,440
	Virginia Beach		63,741		50.61%		52,142		41.40%		9,328		7.41%		732		0.58%		11,599		9.21%		125,943
	Warren		4,657		48.25%		3,814		39.52%		904		9.37%		277		2.87%		843		8.73%		9,652
	Washington		9,098		50.07%		6,939		38.19%		1,654		9.10%		478		2.63%		2,159		11.88%		18,169
	Waynesboro		3,466		52.71%		2,398		36.47%		462		7.03%		250		3.80%		1,068		16.24%		6,576
	Westmoreland		2,333		40.31%		2,949		50.95%		427		7.38%		79		1.36%		-616		-10.64%		5,788
	Williamsburg		1,560		43.43%		1,820		50.67%		162		4.51%		50		1.39%		-260		-7.24%		3,592
	Winchester		3,681		50.97%		3,027		41.91%		434		6.01%		80		1.11%		654		9.06%		7,222
	Wise		4,660		35.59%		6,712		51.27%		1,478		11.29%		242		1.85%		-2,052		-15.68%		13,092
	Wythe		4,274		49.99%		3,275		38.31%		955		11.17%		45		0.53%		999		11.68%		8,549
	York		11,396		54.95%		7,731		37.28%		1,469		7.08%		142		0.68%		3,665		17.67%		20,738
Totals	1,138,350	47.10%	1,091,060	45.15%	159,861	6.62%	27,371	1.13%	47,290	1.95%	2,416,642

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Henry

Counties and Independent Cities that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Accomack
• Bath
• Bedford City
• Buckingham
• Dinwiddie
• Emporia
• Essex
• Galax
• Newport News
• Prince Edward
• Smyth

Notes and References

1. Web site: 1996 Presidential General Election Results – Virginia. Dave Leip. Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas.
2. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
3. Book: Menendez, Albert J.. The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004. 327–331. 2005. 0786422173.
4. Web site: Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . 1996 Presidential General Election Data — National. 2023-05-25. uselectionatlas.org.
5. Web site: Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives . Clerk of the United States House of Representatives . Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 1996 . . 70.
6. Web site: President Elect — 1996. presidentelect.org. 2012-01-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20120114094655/http://www.presidentelect.org/e1996.html. 2012-01-14. dead.