1996 United States presidential election in Virginia

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1996 United States presidential election in Virginia

← 1992 November 5, 1996 2000 →
 
Nominee Bob Dole Bill Clinton Ross Perot
Party Republican Democratic Reform
Home state Kansas Arkansas Texas
Running mate Jack Kemp Al Gore Patrick Choate
Electoral vote 13 0 0
Popular vote 1,138,350 1,091,060 159,861
Percentage 47.10% 45.15% 6.62%


President before election

Bill Clinton
Democratic

Elected President

Bill Clinton
Democratic

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. As of the 2020 presidential election, 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,[a] 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. As of 2020, 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 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.[1][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 or Independent City Bob Dole
Republican
Bill Clinton
Democratic
Ross Perot
Reform
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
Accomack County 5,013 43.02% 5,220 44.79% 1,218 10.45% 203 1.74% -207 -1.77% 11,654
Albemarle County 15,243 48.81% 14,089 45.12% 1,533 4.91% 363 1.16% 1,154 3.69% 31,228
Alleghany County 2,015 39.71% 2,398 47.26% 607 11.96% 54 1.06% -383 -7.55% 5,074
Amelia County 2,119 51.13% 1,625 39.21% 323 7.79% 77 1.86% 494 11.92% 4,144
Amherst County 5,094 46.63% 4,864 44.53% 835 7.64% 131 1.20% 230 2.10% 10,924
Appomattox County 2,625 47.93% 2,239 40.88% 510 9.31% 103 1.88% 386 7.05% 5,477
Arlington County 26,106 34.63% 45,573 60.46% 2,782 3.69% 915 1.21% -19,467 -25.83% 75,376
Augusta County 13,458 60.89% 5,965 26.99% 1,916 8.67% 763 3.45% 7,493 33.90% 22,102
Bath County 847 41.30% 922 44.95% 247 12.04% 35 1.71% -75 -3.65% 2,051
Bedford County 11,955 54.07% 7,786 35.22% 1,976 8.94% 392 1.77% 4,169 18.85% 22,109
Bland County 1,167 46.00% 939 37.01% 385 15.18% 46 1.81% 228 8.99% 2,537
Botetourt County 6,404 51.73% 4,576 36.96% 1,138 9.19% 262 2.12% 1,828 14.77% 12,380
Brunswick County 2,059 34.79% 3,442 58.16% 340 5.75% 77 1.30% -1,383 -23.37% 5,918
Buchanan County 2,785 26.96% 6,551 63.40% 858 8.30% 138 1.34% -3,766 -36.44% 10,332
Buckingham County 1,974 40.70% 2,374 48.95% 392 8.08% 110 2.27% -400 -8.25% 4,850
Campbell County 10,273 54.35% 6,788 35.91% 1,505 7.96% 336 1.78% 3,485 18.44% 18,902
Caroline County 2,816 38.65% 3,897 53.49% 521 7.15% 51 0.70% -1,081 -14.84% 7,285
Carroll County 5,088 51.04% 3,611 36.22% 1,158 11.62% 112 1.12% 1,477 14.82% 9,969
Charles City County 729 26.16% 1,842 66.09% 178 6.39% 38 1.36% -1,113 -39.93% 2,787
Charlotte County 2,103 45.58% 2,007 43.50% 431 9.34% 73 1.58% 96 2.08% 4,614
Chesterfield County 56,650 60.71% 30,220 32.39% 6,004 6.43% 431 0.46% 26,430 28.32% 93,305
Clarke County 2,201 48.17% 1,906 41.72% 379 8.30% 83 1.82% 295 6.45% 4,569
Craig County 979 45.35% 895 41.45% 262 12.14% 23 1.07% 84 3.90% 2,159
Culpeper County 5,688 53.90% 3,907 37.02% 787 7.46% 171 1.62% 1,781 16.88% 10,553
Cumberland County 1,544 48.40% 1,303 40.85% 275 8.62% 68 2.13% 241 7.55% 3,190
Dickenson County 2,229 32.45% 3,913 56.97% 660 9.61% 66 0.96% -1,684 -24.52% 6,868
Dinwiddie County 3,503 42.90% 3,871 47.40% 666 8.16% 126 1.54% -368 -4.50% 8,166
Essex County 1,627 46.05% 1,668 47.21% 188 5.32% 50 1.42% -41 -1.16% 3,533
Fairfax County 176,033 48.19% 170,150 46.58% 16,134 4.42% 2,946 0.81% 5,883 1.61% 365,263
Fauquier County 11,063 57.45% 6,759 35.10% 1,287 6.68% 149 0.77% 4,304 22.35% 19,258
Floyd County 2,374 48.07% 1,909 38.65% 545 11.03% 111 2.25% 465 9.42% 4,939
Fluvanna County 3,442 51.66% 2,676 40.16% 457 6.86% 88 1.32% 766 11.50% 6,663
Franklin County 7,382 43.46% 7,300 42.97% 2,015 11.86% 290 1.71% 82 0.49% 16,987
Frederick County 10,608 57.61% 5,976 32.46% 1,599 8.68% 229 1.24% 4,632 25.15% 18,412
Giles County 2,566 38.15% 3,196 47.52% 841 12.50% 123 1.83% -630 -9.37% 6,726
Gloucester County 6,447 51.20% 4,710 37.40% 1,266 10.05% 170 1.35% 1,737 13.80% 12,593
Goochland County 4,119 55.47% 2,784 37.49% 424 5.71% 98 1.32% 1,335 17.98% 7,425
Grayson County 3,004 46.92% 2,661 41.56% 675 10.54% 63 0.98% 343 5.36% 6,403
Greene County 2,351 55.29% 1,440 33.87% 346 8.14% 115 2.70% 911 21.42% 4,252
Greensville County 1,176 30.60% 2,381 61.96% 263 6.84% 23 0.60% -1,205 -31.36% 3,843
Halifax County 6,490 49.07% 5,599 42.33% 876 6.62% 261 1.97% 891 6.74% 13,226
Hanover County 22,086 63.60% 9,880 28.45% 2,447 7.05% 311 0.90% 12,206 35.15% 34,724
Henrico County 54,430 53.37% 41,121 40.32% 5,920 5.80% 521 0.51% 13,309 13.05% 101,992
Henry County 9,110 43.64% 9,061 43.41% 2,370 11.35% 333 1.60% 49 0.23% 20,874
Highland County 631 51.68% 446 36.53% 134 10.97% 10 0.82% 185 15.15% 1,221
Isle of Wight County 5,416 47.64% 4,952 43.56% 893 7.85% 108 0.95% 464 4.08% 11,369
James City County 10,120 54.45% 7,247 38.99% 1,116 6.00% 103 0.55% 2,873 15.46% 18,586
King and Queen County 1,073 38.93% 1,393 50.54% 213 7.73% 77 2.79% -320 -11.61% 2,756
King George County 2,597 53.62% 1,875 38.72% 341 7.04% 30 0.62% 722 14.90% 4,843
King William County 2,346 52.49% 1,765 39.49% 339 7.59% 19 0.43% 581 13.00% 4,469
Lancaster County 2,709 55.36% 1,844 37.69% 324 6.62% 16 0.33% 865 17.67% 4,893
Lee County 3,225 37.48% 4,444 51.65% 822 9.55% 113 1.31% -1,219 -14.17% 8,604
Loudoun County 25,715 52.13% 19,942 40.43% 3,082 6.25% 591 1.20% 5,773 11.70% 49,330
Louisa County 3,768 45.27% 3,761 45.19% 693 8.33% 101 1.21% 7 0.08% 8,323
Lunenburg County 2,063 46.26% 1,995 44.73% 299 6.70% 103 2.31% 68 1.53% 4,460
Madison County 2,296 50.91% 1,734 38.45% 360 7.98% 120 2.66% 562 12.46% 4,510
Mathews County 2,206 51.78% 1,602 37.61% 403 9.46% 49 1.15% 604 14.17% 4,260
Mecklenburg County 4,933 48.00% 4,408 42.89% 789 7.68% 148 1.44% 525 5.11% 10,278
Middlesex County 2,141 49.83% 1,704 39.66% 350 8.15% 102 2.37% 437 10.17% 4,297
Montgomery County 10,517 43.28% 10,867 44.72% 2,594 10.68% 320 1.32% -350 -1.44% 24,298
Nelson County 1,988 37.77% 2,782 52.85% 411 7.81% 83 1.58% -794 -15.08% 5,264
New Kent County 2,852 54.15% 1,859 35.30% 520 9.87% 36 0.68% 993 18.85% 5,267
Northampton County 1,763 35.63% 2,569 51.92% 522 10.55% 94 1.90% -806 -16.29% 4,948
Northumberland County 2,605 51.81% 1,957 38.92% 375 7.46% 91 1.81% 648 12.89% 5,028
Nottoway County 2,416 46.34% 2,327 44.63% 346 6.64% 125 2.40% 89 1.71% 5,214
Orange County 4,435 49.79% 3,590 40.30% 750 8.42% 133 1.49% 845 9.49% 8,908
Page County 3,876 51.83% 2,868 38.35% 640 8.56% 95 1.27% 1,008 13.48% 7,479
Patrick County 3,547 52.39% 2,301 33.98% 719 10.62% 204 3.01% 1,246 18.41% 6,771
Pittsylvania County 12,127 55.85% 7,681 35.37% 1,469 6.77% 437 2.01% 4,446 20.48% 21,714
Powhatan County 4,679 61.22% 2,254 29.49% 626 8.19% 84 1.10% 2,425 31.73% 7,643
Prince Edward County 2,530 44.56% 2,678 47.16% 403 7.10% 67 1.18% -148 -2.60% 5,678
Prince George County 5,216 54.86% 3,498 36.79% 698 7.34% 95 1.00% 1,718 18.07% 9,507
Prince William County 39,292 50.09% 33,462 42.66% 4,881 6.22% 808 1.03% 5,830 7.43% 78,443
Pulaski County 5,387 43.78% 5,333 43.34% 1,399 11.37% 185 1.50% 54 0.44% 12,304
Rappahannock County 1,505 47.31% 1,405 44.17% 213 6.70% 58 1.82% 100 3.14% 3,181
Richmond County 1,424 50.91% 1,101 39.36% 201 7.19% 71 2.54% 323 11.55% 2,797
Roanoke County 20,700 52.51% 15,387 39.03% 2,934 7.44% 400 1.01% 5,313 13.48% 39,421
Rockbridge County 3,274 44.98% 3,116 42.81% 760 10.44% 129 1.77% 158 2.17% 7,279
Rockingham County 14,035 64.66% 5,867 27.03% 1,318 6.07% 487 2.24% 8,168 37.63% 21,707
Russell County 3,706 36.59% 5,437 53.68% 862 8.51% 123 1.21% -1,731 -17.09% 10,128
Scott County 4,086 47.66% 3,449 40.23% 798 9.31% 240 2.80% 637 7.43% 8,573
Shenandoah County 7,440 56.02% 4,224 31.81% 1,353 10.19% 263 1.98% 3,216 24.21% 13,280
Smyth County 4,966 42.74% 4,990 42.95% 1,407 12.11% 256 2.20% -24 -0.21% 11,619
Southampton County 2,275 33.88% 3,454 51.44% 564 8.40% 422 6.28% -1,179 -17.56% 6,715
Spotsylvania County 13,786 52.62% 10,342 39.48% 1,860 7.10% 209 0.80% 3,444 13.14% 26,197
Stafford County 14,098 54.04% 9,902 37.95% 1,856 7.11% 233 0.89% 4,196 16.09% 26,089
Surry County 944 32.13% 1,753 59.67% 181 6.16% 60 2.04% -809 -27.54% 2,938
Sussex County 1,378 36.34% 2,089 55.09% 256 6.75% 69 1.82% -711 -18.75% 3,792
Tazewell County 6,131 39.71% 7,500 48.58% 1,554 10.06% 255 1.65% -1,369 -8.87% 15,440
Warren County 4,657 48.25% 3,814 39.52% 904 9.37% 277 2.87% 843 8.73% 9,652
Washington County 9,098 50.07% 6,939 38.19% 1,654 9.10% 478 2.63% 2,159 11.88% 18,169
Westmoreland County 2,333 40.31% 2,949 50.95% 427 7.38% 79 1.36% -616 -10.64% 5,788
Wise County 4,660 35.59% 6,712 51.27% 1,478 11.29% 242 1.85% -2,052 -15.68% 13,092
Wythe County 4,274 49.99% 3,275 38.31% 955 11.17% 45 0.53% 999 11.68% 8,549
York County 11,396 54.95% 7,731 37.28% 1,469 7.08% 142 0.68% 3,665 17.67% 20,738
Alexandria City 15,554 34.26% 27,968 61.60% 1,472 3.24% 405 0.89% -12,414 -27.34% 45,399
Bedford City 990 42.84% 1,065 46.08% 212 9.17% 44 1.90% -75 -3.24% 2,311
Bristol City 2,983 49.50% 2,586 42.91% 429 7.12% 28 0.46% 397 6.59% 6,026
Buena Vista City 713 34.66% 1,090 52.99% 216 10.50% 38 1.85% -377 -18.33% 2,057
Charlottesville City 4,091 31.99% 7,916 61.90% 565 4.42% 217 1.70% -3,825 -29.91% 12,789
Chesapeake City 29,251 46.66% 28,713 45.80% 4,456 7.11% 266 0.42% 538 0.86% 62,686
Clifton Forge City 486 29.62% 974 59.35% 147 8.96% 34 2.07% -488 -29.73% 1,641
Colonial Heights City 4,632 66.62% 1,782 25.63% 518 7.45% 21 0.30% 2,850 40.99% 6,953
Covington City 763 31.10% 1,394 56.83% 255 10.40% 41 1.67% -631 -25.73% 2,453
Danville City 9,254 49.97% 8,168 44.11% 762 4.11% 335 1.81% 1,086 5.86% 18,519
Emporia City 835 40.65% 1,103 53.70% 98 4.77% 18 0.88% -268 -13.05% 2,054
Fairfax City 4,319 49.39% 3,909 44.70% 422 4.83% 95 1.09% 410 4.69% 8,745
Falls Church City 1,644 38.38% 2,375 55.44% 202 4.72% 63 1.47% -731 -17.06% 4,284
Franklin City 1,200 35.45% 1,962 57.96% 201 5.94% 22 0.65% -762 -22.51% 3,385
Fredericksburg City 2,579 41.84% 3,215 52.16% 300 4.87% 70 1.14% -636 -10.32% 6,164
Galax City 910 41.72% 1,033 47.36% 221 10.13% 17 0.78% -123 -5.64% 2,181
Hampton City 16,596 37.29% 24,493 55.03% 2,783 6.25% 635 1.43% -7,897 -17.74% 44,507
Harrisonburg City 4,945 55.33% 3,346 37.44% 434 4.86% 212 2.37% 1,599 17.89% 8,937
Hopewell City 3,493 49.46% 2,868 40.61% 550 7.79% 151 2.14% 625 8.85% 7,062
Lexington City 850 41.56% 1,059 51.78% 112 5.48% 24 1.17% -209 -10.22% 2,045
Lynchburg City 11,441 49.72% 10,281 44.68% 1,155 5.02% 135 0.59% 1,160 5.04% 23,012
Manassas City 5,799 52.91% 4,378 39.95% 670 6.11% 113 1.03% 1,421 12.96% 10,960
Manassas Park City 916 49.84% 748 40.70% 151 8.22% 23 1.25% 168 9.14% 1,838
Martinsville City 2,446 41.87% 2,941 50.34% 387 6.62% 68 1.16% -495 -8.47% 5,842
Newport News City 23,072 42.50% 27,678 50.98% 3,090 5.69% 448 0.83% -4,606 -8.48% 54,288
Norfolk City 18,693 31.09% 37,655 62.63% 3,435 5.71% 341 0.57% -18,962 -31.54% 60,124
Norton City 416 30.10% 802 58.03% 138 9.99% 26 1.88% -386 -27.93% 1,382
Petersburg City 2,261 20.76% 8,105 74.43% 423 3.88% 101 0.93% -5,844 -53.67% 10,890
Poquoson City 3,422 64.86% 1,409 26.71% 400 7.58% 45 0.85% 2,013 38.15% 5,276
Portsmouth City 10,686 30.18% 22,150 62.55% 2,238 6.32% 335 0.95% -11,464 -32.37% 35,409
Radford City 1,742 40.67% 2,113 49.33% 381 8.90% 47 1.10% -371 -8.66% 4,283
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 City 12,283 38.37% 17,282 53.98% 2,169 6.77% 282 0.88% -4,999 -15.61% 32,016
Salem City 4,936 48.97% 4,282 42.48% 796 7.90% 65 0.64% 654 6.49% 10,079
Staunton City 4,526 53.66% 3,162 37.49% 605 7.17% 142 1.68% 1,364 16.17% 8,435
Suffolk City 8,572 41.30% 10,827 52.17% 1,266 6.10% 89 0.43% -2,255 -10.87% 20,754
Virginia Beach City 63,741 50.61% 52,142 41.40% 9,328 7.41% 732 0.58% 11,599 9.21% 125,943
Waynesboro City 3,466 52.71% 2,398 36.47% 462 7.03% 250 3.80% 1,068 16.24% 6,576
Williamsburg City 1,560 43.43% 1,820 50.67% 162 4.51% 50 1.39% -260 -7.24% 3,592
Winchester City 3,681 50.97% 3,027 41.91% 434 6.01% 80 1.11% 654 9.06% 7,222
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

Counties and Independent Cities that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Notes

  1. ^ Prince Edward County did, at the height of "Massive Resistance" give a majority to "States' Rights" candidate T. Coleman Andrews in 1956.

References

  1. ^ a b Dave Leip. "1996 Presidential General Election Results – Virginia". 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. ^ Menendez, Albert J. (2005). The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004. pp. 327–331. ISBN 0786422173.
  4. ^ "1996 Presidential General Election Data — National". uselectionatlas.org. Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  5. ^ Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 1996" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 70.
  6. ^ "President Elect — 1996". presidentelect.org. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2012.