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Agubernatorial election was held inVirginia on December 7, 1797.[3] The incumbentgovernor of VirginiaJames Wood defeated theU.S. representative fromVirginia's 12th congressional districtJohn Page.[1]
Wood had earned the displeasure of his fellow Democratic-Republicans for his inaction in the face of theAlien and Sedition Acts. Some Democratic-Republicans preferred to support the formerU.S. minister to FranceJames Monroe, an outspoken critic of the legislation. Monroe, however, declined to challenge Wood, in deference to the custom that incumbent governors eligible for re-election be allowed to run unopposed.[4]
The election was conducted by theVirginia General Assembly in joint session.[2] Wood was elected with a majority on the first ballot.[1]
| Candidate | First ballot | |
|---|---|---|
| Count | Percent | |
| James Wood | 116 | 75.32 |
| John Page | 38 | 24.68 |
Total | 154 | 100.00 |
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