Politics in Virginia

The Virginia Senate in session, presided over by then-Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling. Roll mouse over this image to see the Virginia House of Delegates, just before then-Speaker William Howell called the session to order. Photo taken during a Central Virginia Community College field trip, Feb. 25, 2009.
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Introduction

The political system in the Commonwealth of Virginia is unique in various ways. It is the only one of the fifty states in which cities are legally independent of the counties in which they are situated. Consequently, court districts and election returns are all "segregated" between the urban centers and the adjacent suburban/rural areas. It is is one of only four states (including Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania) that are formally called "commonwealths," but the distinction in terminology has no real significance. Virginia is one of only three states that hold elections for state-wide offices and legislatures in odd-numbered years; Mississippi and New Jersey are the other two. (Kentucky and Louisiana also elect their governors in odd-numbered years, but elect their legislatures in even-numbered years.) Having state elections separate from federal elections tends to reduce voter turnout in the former, and it tends to separate state issues from national issues. Likewise, the staggered election cycle also blurs the ideological distinction between parties. Like most southern states, Virginia was solidly Democratic for most of its history, and then gradually shifted toward the Republican side from the 1950s until the early 2000s, when it began shifting back toward the Democratic side. Finally, Virginia has a remarkable independent streak and pride in its cultural heritage, often going against the grain of national trends, and this often yields odd results in the political scene. This page provides a geographical and historical background to help understand politics in Virginia.

NOTE: The above table will be updated in January 2024, when the new legislative branch officials are sworn in. ;

History of politics in Virginia, in brief

The first Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia was promulgated in , during the American Revolution. The first governor was Patrick Henry (1776-1779), followed by Thomas Jefferson (1779-1781). Until 1851, the governor of Virginia was elected by the state legislature, and from 1843 until 1851, governors served three-year terms. After that, the term was four years. Throughout Virginia history, governors have been prohibited from running for immediate reelection; the required time to wait has varied. During Reconstruction (1865-1873), the governor was essentially appointed by the Federal government. Since 1874, governors have been elected by the voters, and have served in an unbroken sequence of four-year terms.

The "Byrd Organization"

The election of Winchester publisher Harry F. Byrd in 1925 marked the onset of a new era in Virginia politics, one marked by pronounced conservatism in fiscal policy as well as social policy. Regarding the budget, Byrd was a fierce advocate for "pay as you go," meaning that borrowing for highways, educational infrastructure, etc. became very difficult. During the New Deal, Byrd (and his Virginia Democrats) became increasingly alienated from the national Democratic Party, but soft-pedaled the differences with President Roosevelt. But after World War II the tensions boiled over, and Byrd declined to endorse Truman for president in 1948. (Many Virginians voted for "Dixiecrat" Strom Thurmond.) In the 1950s, Byrd tacitly endorsed the Republican ticket led by Dwight Eisenhower, and later led the "Massive Resistance" movement seeking to block school desegregation imposed by the U.S. Supreme Court. This effort ultimately failed, and by the time Byrd died in 1965, his political agenda had already become obsolete.

Governors of Virginia since Harry F. Byrd

• Harry F. Byrd (D) 1926-1930
• John Pollard (D) 1930-1934
• George Peery (D) 1934-1938
• James Price (D) 1938-1942
• Colgate Darden (D) 1942-1946
• Wiliam Tuck (D) 1946-1950
• John Battle (D) 1950-1954
• Thomas Stanley (D) 1954-1958
• James Almond (D) 1958-1962
• Albertis Harrison (D) 1962-1966
• Mills Godwin (D) 1966-1970
• Linwood Holton (R) 1970-1974
• Mills Godwin (R) 1974-1978
• John Dalton (R) 1978-1982
• Charles Robb (D) 1982-1986
• Gerald Baliles (D) 1986-1990
• Douglas Wilder (D) 1990-1994
• George Allen (R) 1994-1998
• James Gilmore (R) 1998-2002
• Mark Warner (D) 2002-2006
• Tim Kaine (D) 2006-2010
• Bob McDonnell (R) 2010-2014
• Terry McAuliffe (D) 2014-2018
• Ralph Northam (D) 2018-2022
• Glenn Youngkin (R) 2022-2026

Modern-era election trends

The adjacent set of bar graphs illustrates the transformation from Virginia from a one-party state, especially in terms of state-level political offices, into a competitive two-party state. The shift was very gradual, and was manifested at the Federal level (presidential and congressional races) before it reached the state and local level. From 1876 through 1948, the Democratic candidate won in every presidential election in Virginia except for 1928, when Herbert Hoover beat Smith. From 1952 through 2004, in contrast, the Republican candidate won in every such election except for 1964, when Lyndon Johnson beat Barry Goldwater. With the exception of the 2010 midterm elections, the 2008 victory of Barack Obama was a clear sign that Virginia underwent a long-term shift back toward the Democratic side -- but with a distinct liberal emphasis in contrast to the historical pattern. In the 2018 elections, the Democrats achieved a net gain of three the seats in the House of Representatives, and their seven-to-four edge over the Republicans was the biggest since 1994. This balance remained the same in the 2020 elections.

NOTE: Because Virginia has a staggered election cycle, the years in the adjacent graphs refer to overlapping terms. State office terms begin in even-numbered years, so "1992" means the 1992-1993 term, resulting from the 1991 election. Federal office terms begin in odd-numbered years, so "1991" means the 1991-1992 term, resulting from the 1990 election.