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 County and independent city results
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The1924 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 4, 1924. Voters chose 12 representatives, or electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.
The 1900s had seen Virginia, like all former Confederate States, almost completelydisenfranchise its black and poor white populations through the use ofa cumulative poll tax and literacy tests.[1] So severe was the disenfranchising effect of the new 1902 Constitution that the electorate for the 1904 presidential election was halved compared to that of previous elections, and it has been calculated that a third of those who voted were state employees and officeholders.[1]
This limited electorate meant Virginian politics was controlled bypolitical machines based inSouthside Virginia — firstly one led byThomas Staples Martin and after he died theByrd Organization. Progressive “antiorganization” factions were rendered impotent by the inability of almost all their potential electorate to vote.[2] Unlike the Deep South, historicalfusion withthe “Readjuster” Democrats,[3] defection of substantial proportions of theNortheast-aligned white electorate of theShenandoah Valley andSouthwest Virginia overfree silver,[4] and an early move towards a“lily white”Jim Crow party[3] meant that in general elections the Republicans retained around one-third of the small statewide electorate,[5] with the majority of GOP support located in the western part of the state. However, in many areas — like in Tennessee during the same era — the parties avoided competition by an agreed division over local offices.[2]
Virginia was less affected than Oklahoma, Tennessee or North Carolina by the upheavals ofWorld War I andthe Nineteenth Amendment, although there was an unsuccessful challenge to lily-white control of the state's Republican Party in 1921.[3]
During the prolongednational convention, Virginia delegates supportedfavorite sonSenatorCarter Glass, who had virtually no support elsewhere.[6] Ultimately the nomination went to a compromise candidate in Wall Street lawyer and formerUnited States Ambassador to the United KingdomJohn W. Davis of West Virginia. Although West Virginia was a border state whose limited African-American population had not been disenfranchised,[7] Davis did share the extremesocial conservatism of Southern Democrats of his era; he supported poll taxes and opposed women's suffrage.[8] In addition, Davis, like Coolidge, favored strictly limited government.[8][9] At the same time a progressive third-party run was predicted as early as winter 1923–24, and ultimatelyWisconsin SenatorRobert M. La Follette would be nominated by the “Committee for Progressive Political Action”.[10]
Neither Davis, La Follette, norRepublican nominee, incumbentPresidentCalvin Coolidge campaigned in the state, which was always viewed as certain to go for Davis after having voted Democratic at every election since 1876. ADigest poll at the end of October, which included votes for some candidatesnot on the ballot, had Davis winning by 22.5 percentage points,[11] a figure which understated his final margin of 29.69 points or a 6.22-point improvement fromJames M. Cox in1920.Progressive Party candidate La Follette would relegate Davis to third in twelve states and carry his home state of Wisconsin, but had very little appeal amongst Virginia's restricted electorate, reaching double digits in only four counties and six independent cities. Overall Virginia was La Follette's sixth-weakest state[a] after South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee and Rhode Island.
Until2016, this was the last presidential election where a Democrat carried Virginia without winning the presidency. This was the last time that a Democrat who lost the popular vote has carried the state until2024, a hundred years later.
| 1924 United States presidential election in Virginia[12] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | John W. Davis | 139,797 | 62.49% | 12 | |
| Republican | Calvin Coolidge (inc.) | 73,359 | 32.79% | 0 | |
| Progressive | Robert M. La Follette | 10,379 | 4.64% | 0 | |
| Socialist Labor | Frank T. Johns | 191 | 0.09% | 0 | |
| Totals | 223,726 | 100.00% | 12 | ||
| 1924 United States presidential election in Virginia by counties and independent cities[13][14] | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County or Independent City | John William Davis Democratic | John Calvin Coolidge Republican | Robert M. La Follette Sr. Progressive | Frank Tetes Johns Socialist Labor | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Accomack County | 2,087 | 85.92% | 307 | 12.64% | 32 | 1.32% | 3 | 0.12% | 1,780 | 73.28% | 2,429 |
| Albemarle County | 1,383 | 76.75% | 366 | 20.31% | 52 | 2.89% | 1 | 0.06% | 1,017 | 56.44% | 1,802 |
| Alleghany County | 589 | 36.11% | 856 | 52.48% | 183 | 11.22% | 3 | 0.18% | -267 | -16.37% | 1,631 |
| Amelia County | 372 | 68.89% | 153 | 28.33% | 15 | 2.78% | 0 | 0.00% | 219 | 40.56% | 540 |
| Amherst County | 1,092 | 82.29% | 129 | 9.72% | 105 | 7.91% | 1 | 0.08% | 963 | 72.57% | 1,327 |
| Appomattox County | 952 | 88.72% | 101 | 9.41% | 18 | 1.68% | 2 | 0.19% | 851 | 79.31% | 1,073 |
| Arlington County | 1,209 | 41.39% | 1,307 | 44.74% | 405 | 13.87% | 0 | 0.00% | -98 | -3.36% | 2,921 |
| Augusta County | 1,920 | 58.81% | 1,265 | 38.74% | 78 | 2.39% | 2 | 0.06% | 655 | 20.06% | 3,265 |
| Bath County | 404 | 48.38% | 407 | 48.74% | 24 | 2.87% | 0 | 0.00% | -3 | -0.36% | 835 |
| Bedford County | 1,811 | 79.64% | 432 | 19.00% | 31 | 1.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,379 | 60.64% | 2,274 |
| Bland County | 604 | 49.55% | 609 | 49.96% | 4 | 0.33% | 2 | 0.16% | -5 | -0.41% | 1,219 |
| Botetourt County | 1,427 | 51.82% | 1,264 | 45.90% | 61 | 2.21% | 2 | 0.07% | 163 | 5.92% | 2,754 |
| Brunswick County | 887 | 90.33% | 65 | 6.62% | 30 | 3.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 822 | 83.71% | 982 |
| Buchanan County | 870 | 44.25% | 1,080 | 54.93% | 14 | 0.71% | 2 | 0.10% | -210 | -10.68% | 1,966 |
| Buckingham County | 623 | 73.21% | 213 | 25.03% | 15 | 1.76% | 0 | 0.00% | 410 | 48.18% | 851 |
| Campbell County | 1,468 | 74.03% | 372 | 18.76% | 142 | 7.16% | 1 | 0.05% | 1,096 | 55.27% | 1,983 |
| Caroline County | 840 | 77.56% | 223 | 20.59% | 20 | 1.85% | 0 | 0.00% | 617 | 56.97% | 1,083 |
| Carroll County | 1,257 | 41.68% | 1,743 | 57.79% | 14 | 0.46% | 2 | 0.07% | -486 | -16.11% | 3,016 |
| Charles City County | 141 | 60.78% | 82 | 35.34% | 8 | 3.45% | 1 | 0.43% | 59 | 25.43% | 232 |
| Charlotte County | 1,006 | 80.87% | 154 | 12.38% | 84 | 6.75% | 0 | 0.00% | 852 | 68.49% | 1,244 |
| Chesterfield County | 967 | 73.04% | 282 | 21.30% | 75 | 5.66% | 0 | 0.00% | 685 | 51.74% | 1,324 |
| Clarke County | 687 | 88.19% | 76 | 9.76% | 15 | 1.93% | 1 | 0.13% | 611 | 78.43% | 779 |
| Craig County | 512 | 61.46% | 300 | 36.01% | 19 | 2.28% | 2 | 0.24% | 212 | 25.45% | 833 |
| Culpeper County | 876 | 79.06% | 190 | 17.15% | 42 | 3.79% | 0 | 0.00% | 686 | 61.91% | 1,108 |
| Cumberland County | 398 | 81.72% | 61 | 12.53% | 28 | 5.75% | 0 | 0.00% | 337 | 69.20% | 487 |
| Dickenson County | 1,618 | 53.10% | 1,294 | 42.47% | 119 | 3.91% | 16 | 0.53% | 324 | 10.63% | 3,047 |
| Dinwiddie County | 685 | 82.53% | 122 | 14.70% | 23 | 2.77% | 0 | 0.00% | 563 | 67.83% | 830 |
| Elizabeth City County | 698 | 63.22% | 312 | 28.26% | 88 | 7.97% | 6 | 0.54% | 386 | 34.96% | 1,104 |
| Essex County | 315 | 82.03% | 60 | 15.63% | 9 | 2.34% | 0 | 0.00% | 255 | 66.41% | 384 |
| Fairfax County | 1,586 | 62.20% | 765 | 30.00% | 195 | 7.65% | 4 | 0.16% | 821 | 32.20% | 2,550 |
| Fauquier County | 1,277 | 74.55% | 345 | 20.14% | 89 | 5.20% | 2 | 0.12% | 932 | 54.41% | 1,713 |
| Floyd County | 515 | 34.04% | 984 | 65.04% | 13 | 0.86% | 1 | 0.07% | -469 | -31.00% | 1,513 |
| Fluvanna County | 452 | 73.26% | 136 | 22.04% | 27 | 4.38% | 2 | 0.32% | 316 | 51.22% | 617 |
| Franklin County | 1,902 | 63.55% | 1,077 | 35.98% | 13 | 0.43% | 1 | 0.03% | 825 | 27.56% | 2,993 |
| Frederick County | 1,314 | 71.92% | 484 | 26.49% | 29 | 1.59% | 0 | 0.00% | 830 | 45.43% | 1,827 |
| Giles County | 1,319 | 59.15% | 852 | 38.21% | 58 | 2.60% | 1 | 0.04% | 467 | 20.94% | 2,230 |
| Gloucester County | 616 | 84.38% | 109 | 14.93% | 5 | 0.68% | 0 | 0.00% | 507 | 69.45% | 730 |
| Goochland County | 394 | 65.89% | 164 | 27.42% | 40 | 6.69% | 0 | 0.00% | 230 | 38.46% | 598 |
| Grayson County | 1,611 | 52.37% | 1,442 | 46.88% | 20 | 0.65% | 3 | 0.10% | 169 | 5.49% | 3,076 |
| Greene County | 285 | 53.27% | 240 | 44.86% | 8 | 1.50% | 2 | 0.37% | 45 | 8.41% | 535 |
| Greensville County | 417 | 72.77% | 132 | 23.04% | 23 | 4.01% | 1 | 0.17% | 285 | 49.74% | 573 |
| Halifax County | 2,245 | 84.24% | 374 | 14.03% | 45 | 1.69% | 1 | 0.04% | 1,871 | 70.21% | 2,665 |
| Hanover County | 732 | 80.88% | 135 | 14.92% | 38 | 4.20% | 0 | 0.00% | 597 | 65.97% | 905 |
| Henrico County | 1,052 | 65.55% | 416 | 25.92% | 132 | 8.22% | 5 | 0.31% | 636 | 39.63% | 1,605 |
| Henry County | 1,097 | 64.64% | 565 | 33.29% | 35 | 2.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 532 | 31.35% | 1,697 |
| Highland County | 508 | 52.26% | 454 | 46.71% | 10 | 1.03% | 0 | 0.00% | 54 | 5.56% | 972 |
| Isle of Wight County | 631 | 76.30% | 190 | 22.97% | 6 | 0.73% | 0 | 0.00% | 441 | 53.33% | 827 |
| James City County | 173 | 72.08% | 54 | 22.50% | 13 | 5.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 119 | 49.58% | 240 |
| King and Queen County | 314 | 69.47% | 134 | 29.65% | 4 | 0.88% | 0 | 0.00% | 180 | 39.82% | 452 |
| King George County | 280 | 55.67% | 206 | 40.95% | 16 | 3.18% | 1 | 0.20% | 74 | 14.71% | 503 |
| King William County | 372 | 69.79% | 148 | 27.77% | 13 | 2.44% | 0 | 0.00% | 224 | 42.03% | 533 |
| Lancaster County | 564 | 84.43% | 90 | 13.47% | 14 | 2.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 474 | 70.96% | 668 |
| Lee County | 2,376 | 48.04% | 2,456 | 49.66% | 112 | 2.26% | 2 | 0.04% | -80 | -1.62% | 4,946 |
| Loudoun County | 1,794 | 88.33% | 152 | 7.48% | 82 | 4.04% | 3 | 0.15% | 1,642 | 80.85% | 2,031 |
| Louisa County | 707 | 67.59% | 282 | 26.96% | 57 | 5.45% | 0 | 0.00% | 425 | 40.63% | 1,046 |
| Lunenburg County | 686 | 66.22% | 130 | 12.55% | 219 | 21.14% | 1 | 0.10% | 467[b] | 45.08% | 1,036 |
| Madison County | 589 | 60.66% | 347 | 35.74% | 35 | 3.60% | 0 | 0.00% | 242 | 24.92% | 971 |
| Mathews County | 678 | 76.78% | 195 | 22.08% | 10 | 1.13% | 0 | 0.00% | 483 | 54.70% | 883 |
| Mecklenburg County | 1,649 | 84.30% | 286 | 14.62% | 20 | 1.02% | 1 | 0.05% | 1,363 | 69.68% | 1,956 |
| Middlesex County | 438 | 83.75% | 78 | 14.91% | 7 | 1.34% | 0 | 0.00% | 360 | 68.83% | 523 |
| Montgomery County | 1,142 | 52.65% | 964 | 44.44% | 63 | 2.90% | 0 | 0.00% | 178 | 8.21% | 2,169 |
| Nansemond County | 539 | 82.67% | 99 | 15.18% | 13 | 1.99% | 1 | 0.15% | 440 | 67.48% | 652 |
| Nelson County | 1,042 | 72.82% | 350 | 24.46% | 36 | 2.52% | 3 | 0.21% | 692 | 48.36% | 1,431 |
| New Kent County | 178 | 63.80% | 86 | 30.82% | 15 | 5.38% | 0 | 0.00% | 92 | 32.97% | 279 |
| Norfolk County | 1,000 | 73.05% | 289 | 21.11% | 77 | 5.62% | 3 | 0.22% | 711 | 51.94% | 1,369 |
| Northampton County | 941 | 81.19% | 180 | 15.53% | 38 | 3.28% | 0 | 0.00% | 761 | 65.66% | 1,159 |
| Northumberland County | 589 | 80.80% | 130 | 17.83% | 10 | 1.37% | 0 | 0.00% | 459 | 62.96% | 729 |
| Nottoway County | 840 | 72.35% | 181 | 15.59% | 140 | 12.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 659 | 56.76% | 1,161 |
| Orange County | 834 | 78.09% | 181 | 16.95% | 53 | 4.96% | 0 | 0.00% | 653 | 61.14% | 1,068 |
| Page County | 1,015 | 49.34% | 885 | 43.02% | 155 | 7.54% | 2 | 0.10% | 130 | 6.32% | 2,057 |
| Patrick County | 1,138 | 58.90% | 783 | 40.53% | 11 | 0.57% | 0 | 0.00% | 355 | 18.37% | 1,932 |
| Pittsylvania County | 2,563 | 72.08% | 880 | 24.75% | 113 | 3.18% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,683 | 47.33% | 3,556 |
| Powhatan County | 247 | 67.12% | 110 | 29.89% | 11 | 2.99% | 0 | 0.00% | 137 | 37.23% | 368 |
| Prince Edward County | 714 | 82.73% | 140 | 16.22% | 9 | 1.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 574 | 66.51% | 863 |
| Prince George County | 279 | 73.23% | 90 | 23.62% | 12 | 3.15% | 0 | 0.00% | 189 | 49.61% | 381 |
| Prince William County | 847 | 72.39% | 269 | 22.99% | 52 | 4.44% | 2 | 0.17% | 578 | 49.40% | 1,170 |
| Princess Anne County | 690 | 80.42% | 137 | 15.97% | 31 | 3.61% | 0 | 0.00% | 553 | 64.45% | 858 |
| Pulaski County | 1,767 | 53.84% | 1,422 | 43.33% | 90 | 2.74% | 3 | 0.09% | 345 | 10.51% | 3,282 |
| Rappahannock County | 395 | 78.22% | 89 | 17.62% | 21 | 4.16% | 0 | 0.00% | 306 | 60.59% | 505 |
| Richmond County | 340 | 72.19% | 125 | 26.54% | 6 | 1.27% | 0 | 0.00% | 215 | 45.65% | 471 |
| Roanoke County | 1,078 | 57.04% | 695 | 36.77% | 115 | 6.08% | 2 | 0.11% | 383 | 20.26% | 1,890 |
| Rockbridge County | 1,394 | 65.38% | 680 | 31.89% | 58 | 2.72% | 0 | 0.00% | 714 | 33.49% | 2,132 |
| Rockingham County | 2,041 | 49.38% | 1,982 | 47.96% | 100 | 2.42% | 10 | 0.24% | 59 | 1.43% | 4,133 |
| Russell County | 2,554 | 57.03% | 1,848 | 41.27% | 73 | 1.63% | 3 | 0.07% | 706 | 15.77% | 4,478 |
| Scott County | 2,177 | 44.32% | 2,666 | 54.28% | 67 | 1.36% | 2 | 0.04% | -489 | -9.96% | 4,912 |
| Shenandoah County | 2,186 | 48.18% | 2,214 | 48.80% | 134 | 2.95% | 3 | 0.07% | -28 | -0.62% | 4,537 |
| Smyth County | 1,907 | 45.71% | 2,232 | 53.50% | 31 | 0.74% | 2 | 0.05% | -325 | -7.79% | 4,172 |
| Southampton County | 1,119 | 79.70% | 203 | 14.46% | 82 | 5.84% | 0 | 0.00% | 916 | 65.24% | 1,404 |
| Spotsylvania County | 448 | 60.87% | 255 | 34.65% | 32 | 4.35% | 1 | 0.14% | 193 | 26.22% | 736 |
| Stafford County | 450 | 48.44% | 433 | 46.61% | 43 | 4.63% | 3 | 0.32% | 17 | 1.83% | 929 |
| Surry County | 388 | 77.29% | 72 | 14.34% | 42 | 8.37% | 0 | 0.00% | 316 | 62.95% | 502 |
| Sussex County | 607 | 81.26% | 132 | 17.67% | 8 | 1.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 475 | 63.59% | 747 |
| Tazewell County | 2,568 | 46.89% | 2,631 | 48.04% | 272 | 4.97% | 6 | 0.11% | -63 | -1.15% | 5,477 |
| Warren County | 699 | 78.72% | 150 | 16.89% | 38 | 4.28% | 1 | 0.11% | 549 | 61.82% | 888 |
| Warwick County | 248 | 76.78% | 58 | 17.96% | 16 | 4.95% | 1 | 0.31% | 190 | 58.82% | 323 |
| Washington County | 3,083 | 51.20% | 2,848 | 47.30% | 83 | 1.38% | 7 | 0.12% | 235 | 3.90% | 6,021 |
| Westmoreland County | 484 | 73.89% | 157 | 23.97% | 14 | 2.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 327 | 49.92% | 655 |
| Wise County | 4,157 | 50.55% | 3,322 | 40.39% | 736 | 8.95% | 9 | 0.11% | 835 | 10.15% | 8,224 |
| Wythe County | 1,899 | 48.12% | 1,996 | 50.58% | 49 | 1.24% | 2 | 0.05% | -97 | -2.46% | 3,946 |
| York County | 305 | 77.22% | 75 | 18.99% | 15 | 3.80% | 0 | 0.00% | 230 | 58.23% | 395 |
| Alexandria City | 1,136 | 57.96% | 556 | 28.37% | 266 | 13.57% | 2 | 0.10% | 580 | 29.59% | 1,960 |
| Bristol City | 1,036 | 68.79% | 440 | 29.22% | 29 | 1.93% | 1 | 0.07% | 596 | 39.58% | 1,506 |
| Buena Vista City | 235 | 59.95% | 149 | 38.01% | 8 | 2.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 86 | 21.94% | 392 |
| Charlottesville City | 831 | 71.64% | 218 | 18.79% | 108 | 9.31% | 3 | 0.26% | 613 | 52.84% | 1,160 |
| Clifton Forge City | 447 | 46.90% | 225 | 23.61% | 281 | 29.49% | 0 | 0.00% | 166[b] | 17.42% | 953 |
| Danville City | 1,577 | 70.37% | 473 | 21.11% | 187 | 8.34% | 4 | 0.18% | 1,104 | 49.26% | 2,241 |
| Fredericksburg City | 558 | 68.97% | 223 | 27.56% | 27 | 3.34% | 1 | 0.12% | 335 | 41.41% | 809 |
| Hampton City | 471 | 76.59% | 129 | 20.98% | 15 | 2.44% | 0 | 0.00% | 342 | 55.61% | 615 |
| Harrisonburg City | 624 | 49.13% | 631 | 49.69% | 15 | 1.18% | 0 | 0.00% | -7 | -0.55% | 1,270 |
| Hopewell City | 277 | 56.42% | 206 | 41.96% | 8 | 1.63% | 0 | 0.00% | 71 | 14.46% | 491 |
| Lynchburg City | 2,086 | 74.08% | 602 | 21.38% | 128 | 4.55% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,484 | 52.70% | 2,816 |
| Newport News City | 1,574 | 56.56% | 917 | 32.95% | 289 | 10.38% | 3 | 0.11% | 657 | 23.61% | 2,783 |
| Norfolk City | 5,061 | 63.87% | 2,447 | 30.88% | 411 | 5.19% | 5 | 0.06% | 2,614 | 32.99% | 7,924 |
| Petersburg City | 1,331 | 83.45% | 228 | 14.29% | 32 | 2.01% | 4 | 0.25% | 1,103 | 69.15% | 1,595 |
| Portsmouth City | 2,206 | 64.26% | 624 | 18.18% | 595 | 17.33% | 8 | 0.23% | 1,582 | 46.08% | 3,433 |
| Radford City | 394 | 48.82% | 314 | 38.91% | 99 | 12.27% | 0 | 0.00% | 80 | 9.91% | 807 |
| Richmond City | 9,904 | 73.79% | 2,600 | 19.37% | 907 | 6.76% | 10 | 0.07% | 7,304 | 54.42% | 13,421 |
| Roanoke City | 3,930 | 61.07% | 1,747 | 27.15% | 755 | 11.73% | 3 | 0.05% | 2,183 | 33.92% | 6,435 |
| South Norfolk City | 281 | 64.01% | 134 | 30.52% | 24 | 5.47% | 0 | 0.00% | 147 | 33.49% | 439 |
| Staunton City | 1,022 | 63.52% | 549 | 34.12% | 38 | 2.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 473 | 29.40% | 1,609 |
| Suffolk City | 557 | 73.29% | 179 | 23.55% | 24 | 3.16% | 0 | 0.00% | 378 | 49.74% | 760 |
| Williamsburg City | 196 | 85.96% | 31 | 13.60% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.44% | 165 | 72.37% | 228 |
| Winchester City | 820 | 65.18% | 420 | 33.39% | 18 | 1.43% | 0 | 0.00% | 400 | 31.80% | 1,258 |
| Totals | 139,717 | 62.48% | 73,328 | 32.79% | 10,369 | 4.64% | 189 | 0.08% | 66,389 | 29.69% | 223,603 |
State and district results of the1924 United States presidential election | ||
|---|---|---|
|  | |
