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Agubernatorialspecial election was held inVirginia on January 16, 1811.[3] TheDemocratic-Republican member of theVirginia House of Delegates fromCharlottesvilleJames Monroe defeated theactinggovernor of VirginiaGeorge W. Smith.[4]
The previous governorJohn Tyler Sr. resigned on January 15, 1811, to accept an appointment as judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Virginia. Monroe had previously served as governor from 1799 to 1802 and later asU.S. minister to Great Britain.[5] Upon his return to theUnited States in 1807, he emerged as a leader of theTertium quidspolitical faction and a rival to theU.S. secretary of stateJames Madison for leadership of the Democratic-Republican Party. His return to the legislature in 1810 and subsequent bid for governor was part of a strategy to reingratiate himself with Virginia Democratic-Republicans following his unsuccessful challenge to Madison in the1808 United States presidential election. Leaders of theRichmond Junto were initially skeptical of Monroe's candidacy, preferring to nominate thespeaker of the Virginia House of DelegatesJames Barbour. In a letter toJohn Taylor of Caroline, subsequently circulated to the members of the legislature, Monroe affirmed his loyalty toMadison's administration while reserving the right to dissent with regard to specific policies. While this statement was less than the Junto leaders had sought, it was enough to alleviate most of their concerns.[6]
The election was conducted by theVirginia General Assembly in joint session. Monroe was elected with a majority on the first ballot.[4]
| Party | Candidate | First ballot | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | Percent | |||
| Democratic-Republican | James Monroe | 129 | 65.48 | |
| N/a | George W. Smith | 58 | 29.44 | |
| Others | 10 | 5.08 | ||
Total | 197 | 100.00 | ||
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