1965 Virginia gubernatorial election

For related races, see 1965 United States gubernatorial elections.

1965 Virginia gubernatorial election
← 1961 November 2, 1965 1969 →
 
Nominee Mills Godwin Linwood Holton William J. Story Jr.
Party Democratic Republican Conservative
Popular vote 269,526 212,207 75,307
Percentage 47.9% 37.7% 13.4%
County and independent city results
Godwin:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Holton:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Story:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%
Governor before election

Albertis Harrison
Democratic

Elected Governor

Mills Godwin
Democratic

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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

Results

1965 Virginia gubernatorial election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Mills E. Godwin Jr. 296,526 47.89% −15.96%
Republican A. Linwood Holton Jr. 212,207 37.71% +1.56%
Conservative William J. Story Jr. 75,307 13.38% +13.38%
White Constitutional George Lincoln Rockwell 5,730 1.02%
Write-ins 19 <0.01%
Majority 84,319 14.98% −12.73%
Turnout 562,789
Democratic hold Swing

Results by county

1965 Virginia gubernatorial election by county or independent city[2]
Mills Edwin Godwin jr.
Democratic 		Abner Linwood Holton jr.
Republican 		William J. Story Jr.
Conservative 		George Lincoln Rockwell
Independent 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
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[a] -8.64% 1,562
Amherst County 1,553 52.01% 629 21.06% 759 25.42% 45 1.51% 794[a] 26.59% 2,986
Appomattox County 1,216 59.43% 247 12.07% 559 27.32% 24 1.17% 657[a] 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[a] -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[a] 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[a] 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[a] -10.72% 1,773
Chesterfield County 4,314 29.40% 4,634 31.59% 5,656 38.55% 67 0.46% -1,022[b] -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[a] 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[a] 20.13% 2,419
Essex County 331 43.32% 142 18.59% 290 37.96% 1 0.13% 41[a] 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[a] 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[a] 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[b] 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[a] 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[a] 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[a] 17.70% 1,796
Lunenburg County 993 40.58% 200 8.17% 1,247 50.96% 7 0.29% -254[a] -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[a] -2.98% 3,687
Middlesex County 541 51.67% 193 18.43% 299 28.56% 14 1.34% 242[a] 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[a] 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[a] -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[a] 13.51% 5,109
Powhatan County 546 41.74% 125 9.56% 636 48.62% 1 0.08% -90[a] -6.88% 1,308
Prince Edward County 1,085 42.04% 236 9.14% 1,242 48.12% 18 0.70% -157[a] -6.08% 2,581
Prince George County 1,169 52.26% 490 21.90% 564 25.21% 14 0.63% 605[a] 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[a] 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[b] -0.99% 1,710
Sussex County 931 35.08% 584 22.00% 1,130 42.58% 9 0.34% -199[a] -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[a] 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[a] 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[a] 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[a] 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[a] 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

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae In this county or city where Holton ran third behind Godwin and Story, margin given is Godwin vote minus Story vote and percentage margin Godwin percentage minus Story percentage.
  2. ^ a b c In this county or city where Godwin ran third behind both Holton and Story, margin given is Holton vote minus Story vote and percentage margin Holton percentage minus Story percentage.

References

  1. ^ Hunter, Jack R. "Linwood Holton's long quest for the governorship of Virginia and its impact on the growth of the Republican Party". University of Richmond.
  2. ^ "VA Governor November 02, 1965". Our Campaigns.