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 County and independent city results
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The1956 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 6, 1956. Voters chose twelve representatives, or electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president. For the previous five decades Virginia had almost completelydisenfranchised its black and poor white populations through the use ofa cumulative poll tax and literacy tests.[2] So restricted was suffrage in this period that it has been calculated that a third of Virginia's electorate during the first half of the twentieth century comprised state employees and officeholders.[2]
This limited electorate allowed Virginian politics to be controlled for four decades by theByrd Organization, as progressive "antiorganization" factions were rendered impotent by the inability of almost all their potential electorate to vote.[3] Historicalfusion withthe "Readjuster" Democrats,[4] defection of substantial proportions of theNortheast-aligned white electorate of theShenandoah Valley andSouthwest Virginia overfree silver,[5] and an early move towards a"lily white"Jim Crow party[4] meant Republicans retained a small but permanent number of legislative seats and local offices in the western part of the state.[6]
In 1928, the GOP did carry the state's presidential electoral votes due to anti-Catholicism againstAl Smith, but it was 1952 before any real changes occurred. In-migration from the traditionally Republican Northeast[7] turned growing Washington, D.C., and Richmond suburbs Republican not just in presidential elections but in congressional ones as well,[8] although the Republicans made no gains in the state legislature where all their few seats remained in the rural west.
1954 saw Virginia's politics severely jolted byBrown v. Board of Education—one of whose component casesDavis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, originated from a student protest in the state. Despite calls by GovernorThomas B. Stanley for a "calm" and "dispassionate" response, the Byrd machine recognised that segregation could unite most of Virginia's electorate behind it and avert criticism of its other policies.[9] State representativeHoward W. Smith played a major role drafting the "Southern Manifesto",[10] which was signed by Virginia's entire congressional delegation, including its two GOP representatives. Although Eisenhower refused to publicly endorseBrown, the fact that he had appointedBrown authorEarl Warren meant that there was substantial anger inthe Southside, and as in 1948 a "states' rights" ticket,[11] this time headed by Virginian formerCommissioner of Internal RevenueT. Coleman Andrews, was filled and placed on the Virginia ballot in mid-September,[12] when a poll said that 28 percent of likely voters would back a states' rights candidate if on the ballot.[13]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond Times-Dispatch[13] | Tossup | September 16, 1956 |
| The World-News[14] | Likely R | October 12, 1956 |
| The Raleigh Register[15] | Likely R | October 12, 1956 |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer[16] | Likely R | October 26, 1956 |
| The Sunday Star[17] | Tilt D(flip) | October 28, 1956 |
| Fort Worth Star-Telegram[18] | Tilt D(flip) | November 2, 1956 |
| Corpus Christi Times[19] | Tossup | November 3, 1956 |
| 1956 United States presidential election in Virginia[20] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | Dwight Eisenhower(inc.) | 386,459 | 55.37% | 12 | |
| Democratic | Adlai Stevenson | 267,760 | 38.36% | 0 | |
| States' Rights | T. Coleman Andrews | 42,964 | 6.16% | 0 | |
| Social Democratic | Darlington Hoopes | 444 | 0.06% | 0 | |
| Socialist Labor | Eric Hass | 351 | 0.05% | 0 | |
| Totals | 697,978 | 100.00% | 12 | ||
| County/City[21] | Dwight D. Eisenhower Republican | Adlai Stevenson Democratic | T. Coleman Andrews States' Rights | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Accomack | 2,823 | 54.25% | 2,213 | 42.52% | 162 | 3.11% | 6 | 0.12% | 610 | 11.73% | 5,204 |
| Albemarle | 2,508 | 57.18% | 1,412 | 32.19% | 466 | 10.62% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,096 | 24.99% | 4,386 |
| Alexandria | 8,633 | 52.48% | 7,451 | 45.30% | 357 | 2.17% | 8 | 0.05% | 1,182 | 7.18% | 16,449 |
| Alleghany | 1,135 | 55.26% | 822 | 40.02% | 97 | 4.72% | 0 | 0.00% | 313 | 15.24% | 2,054 |
| Amelia | 745 | 43.11% | 403 | 23.32% | 571 | 33.04% | 9 | 0.52% | 174[b] | 10.07% | 1,728 |
| Amherst | 1,529 | 42.59% | 1,933 | 53.84% | 124 | 3.45% | 4 | 0.11% | -404 | -11.25% | 3,590 |
| Appomattox | 853 | 40.89% | 1,079 | 51.73% | 153 | 7.33% | 1 | 0.05% | -226 | -10.84% | 2,086 |
| Arlington | 21,868 | 55.05% | 16,674 | 41.97% | 1,151 | 2.90% | 32 | 0.08% | 5,194 | 13.08% | 39,725 |
| Augusta | 3,466 | 68.07% | 1,484 | 29.14% | 139 | 2.73% | 3 | 0.06% | 1,982 | 38.93% | 5,092 |
| Bath | 739 | 58.47% | 479 | 37.90% | 45 | 3.56% | 1 | 0.08% | 260 | 20.57% | 1,264 |
| Bedford | 3,148 | 52.07% | 2,649 | 43.81% | 241 | 3.99% | 8 | 0.13% | 499 | 8.26% | 6,046 |
| Bland | 1,113 | 57.16% | 813 | 41.76% | 20 | 1.03% | 1 | 0.05% | 300 | 15.40% | 1,947 |
| Botetourt | 2,280 | 60.67% | 1,377 | 36.64% | 101 | 2.69% | 0 | 0.00% | 903 | 24.03% | 3,758 |
| Bristol | 1,794 | 51.89% | 1,645 | 47.58% | 17 | 0.49% | 1 | 0.03% | 149 | 4.31% | 3,457 |
| Brunswick | 799 | 25.28% | 1,357 | 42.94% | 996 | 31.52% | 8 | 0.25% | 361[c] | 11.42% | 3,160 |
| Buchanan | 3,191 | 46.71% | 3,616 | 52.94% | 21 | 0.31% | 3 | 0.04% | -425 | -6.23% | 6,831 |
| Buckingham | 751 | 43.64% | 648 | 37.65% | 312 | 18.13% | 10 | 0.58% | 103 | 5.99% | 1,721 |
| Buena Vista | 545 | 60.76% | 326 | 36.34% | 24 | 2.68% | 2 | 0.22% | 219 | 24.42% | 897 |
| Campbell | 2,827 | 47.79% | 2,674 | 45.20% | 401 | 6.78% | 14 | 0.24% | 153 | 2.59% | 5,916 |
| Caroline | 907 | 46.06% | 853 | 43.32% | 202 | 10.26% | 7 | 0.36% | 54 | 2.74% | 1,969 |
| Carroll | 4,060 | 69.66% | 1,739 | 29.84% | 24 | 0.41% | 5 | 0.09% | 2,321 | 39.82% | 5,828 |
| Charles City | 661 | 72.08% | 174 | 18.97% | 79 | 8.62% | 3 | 0.33% | 487 | 53.11% | 917 |
| Charlotte | 791 | 27.86% | 1,431 | 50.41% | 605 | 21.31% | 12 | 0.42% | -640 | -22.55% | 2,839 |
| Charlottesville | 3,746 | 62.19% | 1,783 | 29.60% | 490 | 8.14% | 4 | 0.07% | 1,963 | 32.59% | 6,023 |
| Chesterfield | 5,787 | 53.12% | 3,306 | 30.35% | 1,791 | 16.44% | 10 | 0.09% | 2,481 | 22.77% | 10,894 |
| Clarke | 785 | 48.91% | 725 | 45.17% | 95 | 5.92% | 0 | 0.00% | 60 | 3.74% | 1,605 |
| Clifton Forge | 1,125 | 61.48% | 633 | 34.59% | 71 | 3.88% | 1 | 0.05% | 492 | 26.89% | 1,830 |
| Colonial Heights | 1,037 | 47.74% | 956 | 44.01% | 177 | 8.15% | 2 | 0.09% | 81 | 3.73% | 2,172 |
| Covington | 1,639 | 56.34% | 1,189 | 40.87% | 79 | 2.72% | 2 | 0.07% | 450 | 15.47% | 2,909 |
| Craig | 485 | 48.84% | 501 | 50.45% | 7 | 0.70% | 0 | 0.00% | -16 | -1.61% | 993 |
| Culpeper | 1,502 | 56.44% | 966 | 36.30% | 188 | 7.07% | 5 | 0.19% | 536 | 20.14% | 2,661 |
| Cumberland | 566 | 42.91% | 331 | 25.09% | 416 | 31.54% | 6 | 0.45% | 150[b] | 11.37% | 1,319 |
| Danville | 4,561 | 59.03% | 2,409 | 31.18% | 740 | 9.58% | 16 | 0.21% | 2,152 | 27.85% | 7,726 |
| Dickenson | 3,444 | 48.15% | 3,695 | 51.66% | 8 | 0.11% | 6 | 0.08% | -251 | -3.51% | 7,153 |
| Dinwiddie | 807 | 30.71% | 1,282 | 48.78% | 524 | 19.94% | 15 | 0.57% | -475 | -18.07% | 2,628 |
| Essex | 597 | 55.48% | 328 | 30.48% | 149 | 13.85% | 2 | 0.19% | 269 | 25.00% | 1,076 |
| Fairfax | 20,761 | 55.71% | 15,633 | 41.95% | 862 | 2.31% | 11 | 0.03% | 5,128 | 13.76% | 37,267 |
| Falls Church | 1,462 | 53.13% | 1,233 | 44.80% | 55 | 2.00% | 2 | 0.07% | 229 | 8.33% | 2,752 |
| Fauquier | 2,112 | 55.55% | 1,567 | 41.22% | 122 | 3.21% | 1 | 0.03% | 545 | 14.33% | 3,802 |
| Floyd | 1,970 | 70.46% | 799 | 28.58% | 25 | 0.89% | 2 | 0.07% | 1,171 | 41.88% | 2,796 |
| Fluvanna | 734 | 53.85% | 417 | 30.59% | 208 | 15.26% | 4 | 0.29% | 317 | 23.26% | 1,363 |
| Franklin | 2,125 | 48.81% | 2,142 | 49.20% | 84 | 1.93% | 3 | 0.07% | -17 | -0.39% | 4,354 |
| Frederick | 1,882 | 56.01% | 1,405 | 41.82% | 71 | 2.11% | 2 | 0.06% | 477 | 14.19% | 3,360 |
| Fredericksburg | 1,672 | 60.25% | 934 | 33.66% | 168 | 6.05% | 1 | 0.04% | 738 | 26.59% | 2,775 |
| Galax | 761 | 68.31% | 346 | 31.06% | 7 | 0.63% | 0 | 0.00% | 415 | 37.25% | 1,114 |
| Giles | 2,270 | 51.84% | 2,016 | 46.04% | 81 | 1.85% | 12 | 0.27% | 254 | 5.80% | 4,379 |
| Gloucester | 1,319 | 57.95% | 723 | 31.77% | 223 | 9.80% | 11 | 0.48% | 596 | 26.18% | 2,276 |
| Goochland | 748 | 50.10% | 508 | 34.03% | 233 | 15.61% | 4 | 0.27% | 240 | 16.07% | 1,493 |
| Grayson | 4,039 | 62.18% | 2,426 | 37.35% | 26 | 0.40% | 5 | 0.08% | 1,613 | 24.83% | 6,496 |
| Greene | 539 | 63.49% | 246 | 28.98% | 63 | 7.42% | 1 | 0.12% | 293 | 34.51% | 849 |
| Greensville | 724 | 29.08% | 994 | 39.92% | 760 | 30.52% | 12 | 0.48% | 234[c] | 9.40% | 2,490 |
| Halifax | 1,782 | 30.73% | 2,470 | 42.59% | 1,513 | 26.09% | 34 | 0.59% | -688 | -11.86% | 5,799 |
| Hampton | 7,432 | 57.24% | 5,108 | 39.34% | 421 | 3.24% | 22 | 0.17% | 2,324 | 17.90% | 12,983 |
| Hanover | 2,272 | 54.07% | 1,109 | 26.39% | 813 | 19.35% | 8 | 0.19% | 1,163 | 27.68% | 4,202 |
| Harrisonburg | 2,265 | 78.29% | 571 | 19.74% | 56 | 1.94% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,694 | 58.55% | 2,893 |
| Henrico | 12,702 | 60.20% | 5,032 | 23.85% | 3,354 | 15.89% | 13 | 0.06% | 7,670 | 36.35% | 21,101 |
| Henry | 2,436 | 47.75% | 2,582 | 50.61% | 75 | 1.47% | 9 | 0.18% | -146 | -2.86% | 5,102 |
| Highland | 633 | 58.02% | 432 | 39.60% | 23 | 2.11% | 3 | 0.27% | 201 | 18.42% | 1,091 |
| Hopewell | 1,908 | 53.91% | 1,388 | 39.22% | 235 | 6.64% | 8 | 0.23% | 520 | 14.69% | 3,539 |
| Isle of Wight | 1,298 | 47.08% | 1,324 | 48.02% | 131 | 4.75% | 4 | 0.15% | -26 | -0.94% | 2,757 |
| James City | 728 | 62.54% | 312 | 26.80% | 122 | 10.48% | 2 | 0.17% | 416 | 35.74% | 1,164 |
| King and Queen | 495 | 54.64% | 289 | 31.90% | 116 | 12.80% | 6 | 0.66% | 206 | 22.74% | 906 |
| King George | 655 | 51.70% | 563 | 44.44% | 47 | 3.71% | 2 | 0.16% | 92 | 7.26% | 1,267 |
| King William | 887 | 62.16% | 357 | 25.02% | 180 | 12.61% | 3 | 0.21% | 530 | 37.14% | 1,427 |
| Lancaster | 1,380 | 70.66% | 373 | 19.10% | 192 | 9.83% | 8 | 0.41% | 1,007 | 51.56% | 1,953 |
| Lee | 4,548 | 54.77% | 3,714 | 44.73% | 30 | 0.36% | 12 | 0.14% | 834 | 10.04% | 8,304 |
| Loudoun | 2,489 | 53.41% | 1,960 | 42.06% | 205 | 4.40% | 6 | 0.13% | 529 | 11.35% | 4,660 |
| Louisa | 1,152 | 47.43% | 795 | 32.73% | 472 | 19.43% | 10 | 0.41% | 357 | 14.70% | 2,429 |
| Lunenburg | 580 | 24.80% | 1,111 | 47.50% | 641 | 27.40% | 7 | 0.30% | 470[c] | 20.10% | 2,339 |
| Lynchburg | 6,806 | 64.81% | 3,362 | 32.01% | 329 | 3.13% | 5 | 0.05% | 3,444 | 32.80% | 10,502 |
| Madison | 850 | 56.86% | 533 | 35.65% | 111 | 7.42% | 1 | 0.07% | 317 | 21.21% | 1,495 |
| Martinsville | 2,125 | 59.67% | 1,368 | 38.42% | 65 | 1.83% | 3 | 0.08% | 757 | 21.25% | 3,561 |
| Mathews | 1,018 | 65.42% | 406 | 26.09% | 132 | 8.48% | 0 | 0.00% | 612 | 39.33% | 1,556 |
| Mecklenburg | 1,498 | 33.78% | 2,004 | 45.20% | 920 | 20.75% | 12 | 0.27% | -506 | -11.42% | 4,434 |
| Middlesex | 721 | 58.00% | 338 | 27.19% | 180 | 14.48% | 4 | 0.32% | 383 | 30.81% | 1,243 |
| Montgomery | 4,598 | 70.10% | 1,848 | 28.18% | 106 | 1.62% | 7 | 0.11% | 2,750 | 41.92% | 6,559 |
| Nansemond | 1,753 | 40.21% | 2,492 | 57.16% | 98 | 2.25% | 17 | 0.39% | -739 | -16.95% | 4,360 |
| Nelson | 764 | 37.20% | 1,215 | 59.15% | 73 | 3.55% | 2 | 0.10% | -451 | -21.95% | 2,054 |
| New Kent | 510 | 57.95% | 178 | 20.23% | 189 | 21.48% | 3 | 0.34% | 321[b] | 36.47% | 880 |
| Newport News | 3,779 | 53.26% | 3,069 | 43.26% | 237 | 3.34% | 10 | 0.14% | 710 | 10.00% | 7,095 |
| Norfolk | 4,558 | 41.74% | 6,026 | 55.18% | 332 | 3.04% | 4 | 0.04% | -1,468 | -13.44% | 10,920 |
| Norfolk City | 18,650 | 54.02% | 14,571 | 42.20% | 1,285 | 3.72% | 19 | 0.06% | 4,079 | 11.82% | 34,525 |
| Northampton | 1,264 | 51.03% | 1,132 | 45.70% | 78 | 3.15% | 3 | 0.12% | 132 | 5.33% | 2,477 |
| Northumberland | 1,191 | 62.68% | 428 | 22.53% | 277 | 14.58% | 4 | 0.21% | 763 | 40.15% | 1,900 |
| Norton | 684 | 55.12% | 552 | 44.48% | 4 | 0.32% | 1 | 0.08% | 132 | 10.64% | 1,241 |
| Nottoway | 1,124 | 33.76% | 1,242 | 37.31% | 961 | 28.87% | 2 | 0.06% | -118 | -3.55% | 3,329 |
| Orange | 1,344 | 53.55% | 794 | 31.63% | 363 | 14.46% | 9 | 0.36% | 550 | 21.92% | 2,510 |
| Page | 2,372 | 62.73% | 1,358 | 35.92% | 49 | 1.30% | 2 | 0.05% | 1,014 | 26.81% | 3,781 |
| Patrick | 1,345 | 43.93% | 1,677 | 54.77% | 38 | 1.24% | 2 | 0.07% | -332 | -10.84% | 3,062 |
| Petersburg | 3,166 | 58.10% | 1,882 | 34.54% | 395 | 7.25% | 6 | 0.11% | 1,284 | 23.56% | 5,449 |
| Pittsylvania | 2,870 | 36.82% | 4,136 | 53.07% | 767 | 9.84% | 21 | 0.27% | -1,266 | -16.25% | 7,794 |
| Portsmouth | 5,390 | 47.13% | 5,683 | 49.69% | 348 | 3.04% | 15 | 0.13% | -293 | -2.56% | 11,436 |
| Powhatan | 729 | 54.08% | 297 | 22.03% | 314 | 23.29% | 8 | 0.59% | 415[b] | 30.79% | 1,348 |
| Prince Edward | 932 | 31.43% | 437 | 14.74% | 1,588 | 53.56% | 8 | 0.27% | -656[b] | -22.13% | 2,965 |
| Prince George | 689 | 46.24% | 642 | 43.09% | 149 | 10.00% | 10 | 0.67% | 47 | 3.15% | 1,490 |
| Princess Anne | 4,675 | 50.52% | 4,342 | 46.93% | 227 | 2.45% | 9 | 0.10% | 333 | 3.59% | 9,253 |
| Prince William | 2,023 | 50.96% | 1,851 | 46.62% | 95 | 2.39% | 1 | 0.03% | 172 | 4.34% | 3,970 |
| Pulaski | 3,517 | 63.05% | 1,994 | 35.75% | 65 | 1.17% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,523 | 27.30% | 5,578 |
| Radford | 1,910 | 62.46% | 1,118 | 36.56% | 28 | 0.92% | 2 | 0.07% | 792 | 25.90% | 3,058 |
| Rappahannock | 514 | 47.81% | 523 | 48.65% | 35 | 3.26% | 3 | 0.28% | -9 | -0.84% | 1,075 |
| Richmond | 761 | 67.89% | 274 | 24.44% | 85 | 7.58% | 1 | 0.09% | 487 | 43.45% | 1,121 |
| Richmond City | 27,367 | 61.79% | 10,758 | 24.29% | 6,136 | 13.85% | 30 | 0.07% | 16,609 | 37.50% | 44,291 |
| Roanoke | 7,509 | 69.83% | 2,899 | 26.96% | 342 | 3.18% | 3 | 0.03% | 4,610 | 42.87% | 10,753 |
| Roanoke City | 16,708 | 69.38% | 6,751 | 28.03% | 611 | 2.54% | 12 | 0.05% | 9,957 | 41.35% | 24,082 |
| Rockbridge | 2,273 | 66.50% | 1,039 | 30.40% | 106 | 3.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,234 | 36.10% | 3,418 |
| Rockingham | 4,324 | 71.74% | 1,605 | 26.63% | 93 | 1.54% | 5 | 0.08% | 2,719 | 45.11% | 6,027 |
| Russell | 3,550 | 49.14% | 3,641 | 50.40% | 25 | 0.35% | 8 | 0.11% | -91 | -1.26% | 7,224 |
| Scott | 5,116 | 58.44% | 3,595 | 41.07% | 36 | 0.41% | 7 | 0.08% | 1,521 | 17.37% | 8,754 |
| Shenandoah | 4,164 | 69.18% | 1,769 | 29.39% | 84 | 1.40% | 2 | 0.03% | 2,395 | 39.79% | 6,019 |
| Smyth | 4,771 | 66.23% | 2,374 | 32.95% | 56 | 0.78% | 3 | 0.04% | 2,397 | 33.28% | 7,204 |
| South Norfolk | 1,521 | 42.14% | 1,871 | 51.84% | 212 | 5.87% | 5 | 0.14% | -350 | -9.70% | 3,609 |
| Southampton | 1,290 | 35.29% | 2,039 | 55.79% | 317 | 8.67% | 9 | 0.25% | -749 | -20.50% | 3,655 |
| Spotsylvania | 1,244 | 51.94% | 993 | 41.46% | 154 | 6.43% | 4 | 0.17% | 251 | 10.48% | 2,395 |
| Stafford | 1,563 | 58.94% | 978 | 36.88% | 109 | 4.11% | 2 | 0.08% | 585 | 22.06% | 2,652 |
| Staunton | 2,908 | 74.93% | 843 | 21.72% | 129 | 3.32% | 1 | 0.03% | 2,065 | 53.21% | 3,881 |
| Suffolk | 1,617 | 57.50% | 1,103 | 39.22% | 88 | 3.13% | 4 | 0.14% | 514 | 18.28% | 2,812 |
| Surry | 425 | 32.52% | 616 | 47.13% | 259 | 19.82% | 7 | 0.54% | -191 | -14.61% | 1,307 |
| Sussex | 785 | 39.31% | 851 | 42.61% | 357 | 17.88% | 4 | 0.20% | -66 | -3.30% | 1,997 |
| Tazewell | 3,960 | 52.55% | 3,495 | 46.38% | 75 | 1.00% | 5 | 0.07% | 465 | 6.17% | 7,535 |
| Virginia Beach | 1,355 | 53.28% | 1,111 | 43.69% | 63 | 2.48% | 14 | 0.55% | 244 | 9.59% | 2,543 |
| Warren | 2,003 | 58.83% | 1,322 | 38.83% | 77 | 2.26% | 3 | 0.09% | 681 | 20.00% | 3,405 |
| Warwick | 4,872 | 56.39% | 3,406 | 39.42% | 352 | 4.07% | 10 | 0.12% | 1,466 | 16.97% | 8,640 |
| Washington | 4,651 | 56.38% | 3,547 | 42.99% | 45 | 0.55% | 7 | 0.08% | 1,104 | 13.39% | 8,250 |
| Waynesboro | 2,049 | 71.00% | 748 | 25.92% | 89 | 3.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,301 | 45.08% | 2,886 |
| Westmoreland | 1,033 | 54.45% | 695 | 36.64% | 167 | 8.80% | 2 | 0.11% | 338 | 17.81% | 1,897 |
| Williamsburg | 775 | 62.60% | 362 | 29.24% | 99 | 8.00% | 2 | 0.16% | 413 | 33.36% | 1,238 |
| Winchester | 2,375 | 69.46% | 945 | 27.64% | 96 | 2.81% | 3 | 0.09% | 1,430 | 41.82% | 3,419 |
| Wise | 4,871 | 46.41% | 5,567 | 53.04% | 51 | 0.49% | 6 | 0.06% | -696 | -6.63% | 10,495 |
| Wythe | 3,484 | 65.65% | 1,766 | 33.28% | 56 | 1.06% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,718 | 32.37% | 5,307 |
| York | 1,759 | 60.10% | 1,064 | 36.35% | 100 | 3.42% | 4 | 0.14% | 695 | 23.75% | 2,927 |
| Totals | 386,459 | 55.37% | 267,760 | 38.36% | 42,964 | 6.16% | 795 | 0.11% | 118,699 | 17.01% | 697,978 |
Despite the doubts of theSunday Star andFort Worth Star-Telegram, Virginia voted for theRepublican nominee, incumbentPresidentDwight Eisenhower, over theDemocratic nominee, formerIllinois GovernorAdlai Stevenson andStates' Rights Party nominee Andrews. Eisenhower ultimately won the national election with 57.37 percent of the vote.
Although Andrews cut into support for both candidates, Eisenhower improved upon his 1952 margin over Stevenson, although the state was marginally less Republican relative to the nation than in 1952. Andrews' support was centered in the Southside, and he won an absolute majority inPrince Edward County, the epicenter of "Massive Resistance" to school integration and the home of his state chairman Robert B. Crawford.[22] Andrews was nonetheless a weak candidate and poor campaigner, limiting severely his ability to attract segregationists dissatisfied with both major parties.[11]
The major change from 1952 was a rapid trend of the modest but growing black electorate towards Eisenhower: whereas in 1952 he had won less than a quarter of black voters in Richmond and Norfolk, it is believed he won over three-quarters in 1956.[11] As ofthe 2024 presidential election[update], this is the last election whenCharles City County voted for a Republican presidential candidate.[23]
Eisenhower's home state for the 1956 Election was Pennsylvania
State and district results of the1956 United States presidential election | ||
|---|---|---|
|  | |
