1953 Virginia gubernatorial election

none related races 1953 United States gubernatorial elections January 2025 September 2023 1953 Virginia gubernatorial election Virginia presidential no 1949 Virginia gubernatorial election 1949 1957 Virginia gubernatorial election 1957 November 3, 1953 File:Thomas Bahnson Stanley (3x4a).jpg 150x150px Thomas B. Stanley Democratic Party (United States) 226,998 54.8% File:Ted Dalton 1956.jpg Ted Dalton Republican Party (United States) 183,328 44.3% 1953 Virginia gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 300px County and independent city resultsStanley: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% Dalton: #ffb2b2 40–50% #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% #d72f30 70–80% Governor John S. Battle Democratic Party (United States) Thomas B. Stanley Democratic Party (United States) In the 1953 Virginia gubernatorial election, incumbent Governor John S. Battle, a Democrat, was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. Background For the previous five decades Virginia had almost completely disenfranchised its black and poor white populations through the use of a cumulative poll tax and literacy tests.Kousser J. Morgan The Shaping of Southern Politics: Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910 1974 Yale University Press 178–181 0-300-01696-4 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. This limited electorate allowed Virginian politics to be controlled for four decades by the Byrd Organization, as progressive "antiorganization" factions were rendered impotent by the inability of almost all their potential electorate to vote.Key Valdimer Orlando Southern Politics in State and Nation 1949 20–25 Historical fusion with the “Readjuster” Democrats,Heersink Boris Jenkins Jeffrey A. Republican Party Politics and the American South, 1865-1968 March 19, 2020 217–221 Cambridge University Press 978-1107158436 defection of substantial proportions of the Northeast-aligned white electorate of the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia over free silver,Moger Allen The Rift in Virginia Democracy in 1896 The Journal of Southern History 1938 4 3 295–317 10.2307/2191291 2191291 and an early move towards a "lily white" Jim Crow party meant Republicans retained a small but permanent number of legislative seats and local offices in the western part of the state.Kevin Phillips (political commentator) Phillips Kevin P. The Emerging Republican Majority 193, 219 1969 Arlington House 0870000586 From the 1940s the state's politics would be transformed by in-migration from the Northeast to Washington suburbs, which the preceding fall allowed the Republicans to win the state with a margin slightly exceeding their national one, and to elect three Congressmen. All this gave expectations of further GOP growth,Atkinson Frank B. The Dynamic Dominion: Realignment and the rise of Two-Party Competition in Virginia, 1945-1980 2006 Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Lanham, Maryland 9780742552081 78–79 especially considering the troubles the Organization had in the previous gubernatorial primary.Key Valdimer Orlando Valdimer Orlando Key Southern Politics in State and Nation A.A. Knopf 1949 1st New York City 34-35Atkinson The Dynamic Dominion 2006 35-36 The victory in a special election of loyal Byrd machine leader William M. Tuck produced debate whether that election was merely a repeat of 1928, as argued by The Daily Press in JuneJune 19, 1953 Transitory Heresy Only Daily Press Newport News, Virginia 4 or whether there was a major danger for the Democratic Party as suggested in April by The Evening Sun.April 15, 1953 Virginia's Election The Evening Sun Baltimore, Maryland 38 Virginia's Republicans, however, were always hopeful that the election would not repeat that of 1929.Heinemann Ronald L. The Governors of Virginia, 1860–1978 University Press of Virginia 1982 0813909201 Younger Edward Charlottesville 337–338 Thomas B. Stanley: Reluctant Resister Moore James Tice After initially declining to run – with Nile Straughan of Fredericksburg the expected nomineeMay 8, 1953 Nile Straughan Blasts Party Covington Virginian Covington, Virginia 10 – State Senator Theodore Roosevelt Dalton was unanimously nominated by the GOP on June 21.June 22, 1953 Dalton Meets G.O.P. Leaders at Richmond – Party Finances Seen Principle Topic in Mapping Drive Evening Star Baltimore B1 Associated Press Campaign Dalton campaigned hard throughout the fall, arguing for such reforms as updated election laws, popular election of school boards, more funds for mental health and greater emphasis upon manufacturing.The Transformation of Southern Politics: Social Change and Political Consequence Since 1945 Jack Bass Walter De Vries 9780820317281 345 1995 University of Georgia Press Dalton was widely questioned by his Byrd opponent on the poll tax issue,Dalton Raps Foe's Stand on Poll Tax: 'Talked So Much, Said So Little' Richmond Times-Dispatch 2 September 5, 1953 but a poll late in September showed that his reforms were widely supported by legislative candidates according to the Virginia League of Women Voters.Friddell Guy Tax Credit Change Supported: 37 Candidates Give Views in Poll The Richmond News Leader September 28, 1953 1 The campaign would intensify in the final week of September, as Stanley became increasingly critical of Dalton's proposals.Latimer James Stanley Hits 'Asinine' Plans of GOP: Dalton Proposes 'Open Door' on State Affairs Richmond Times-Dispatch October 4, 1953 1-B Later in October Senator Byrd would claim Dalton was running on a combination of failed bond plans from the neighbouring states of North Carolina and Maryland.Byrd Group Spurs Race; Dalton Raps Government Suffolk News-Herald October 30, 1953 Suffolk, Virginia 1 Democratic primary Candidates Charles R. Fenwick, State Senator from Arlington Thomas B. Stanley, former U.S. Representative from Stanleytown Results 1953 Virginia Democratic gubernatorial primaryhttps://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=351595 Our Campaigns VA Governor D Primary – Jul 14, 1953 Democratic Party (United States) Thomas B. Stanley 150,499 65.95% Democratic Party (United States) Charles R. Fenwick 77,715 34.05% 413,999 Democratic Party (United States) General election Candidates Thomas B. Stanley, former U.S. Representative from Stanleytown (Democratic) Theodore Roosevelt Dalton, State Senator from Radford (Republican) Howard Hearnes Carwile, trial lawyer from Richmond City (Independent) Results 1953 Virginia gubernatorial electionhttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=239641 Our Campaigns VA Governor Race – Nov 03, 1953 Democratic Party (United States) Thomas B. Stanley 226,998 54.83% -15.60% Republican Party (United States) Theodore Roosevelt Dalton 183,328 44.28% +16.84% Independent politician Howard Carwile 3,673 0.89% 43,670 10.55% -32.44% 413,999 +57.84% Democratic Party (United States) Results by county or independent city +1953 Virginia gubernatorial election by county or independent city Thomas Bahnson Stanley Democratic Theodore Roosevelt DaltonRepublican Howard Hearnes CarwileIndependent Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % Accomack County 1,866 66.29% 922 32.75% 27 0.96% 944 33.53% 2,815 Albemarle County 1,521 60.50% 983 39.10% 10 0.40% 538 21.40% 2,514 Alleghany County 551 47.50% 607 52.33% 2 0.17% -56 -4.83% 1,160 Amelia County 715 66.08% 365 33.73% 2 0.18% 350 32.35% 1,082 Amherst County 1,527 70.17% 643 29.55% 6 0.28% 884 40.63% 2,176 Appomattox County 1,377 84.12% 259 15.82% 1 0.06% 1,118 68.30% 1,637 Arlington County 8,405 42.23% 10,903 54.78% 595 2.99% -2,498 -12.55% 19,903 Augusta County 1,828 56.86% 1,376 42.80% 11 0.34% 452 14.06% 3,215 Bath County 498 50.15% 486 48.94% 9 0.91% 12 1.21% 993 Bedford County 2,427 64.04% 1,347 35.54% 16 0.42% 1,080 28.50% 3,790 Bland County 751 46.30% 858 52.90% 13 0.80% -107 -6.60% 1,622 Botetourt County 1,261 47.60% 1,380 52.10% 8 0.30% -119 -4.49% 2,649 Brunswick County 1,595 83.33% 317 16.56% 2 0.10% 1,278 66.77% 1,914 Buchanan County 2,707 55.26% 2,126 43.40% 66 1.35% 581 11.86% 4,899 Buckingham County 864 73.10% 310 26.23% 8 0.68% 554 46.87% 1,182 Campbell County 1,950 66.15% 985 33.41% 13 0.44% 965 32.73% 2,948 Caroline County 926 75.59% 289 23.59% 10 0.82% 637 52.00% 1,225 Carroll County 1,597 34.71% 2,992 65.03% 12 0.26% -1,395 -30.32% 4,601 Charles City County 538 80.90% 114 17.14% 13 1.95% 424 63.76% 665 Charlotte County 1,496 82.56% 310 17.11% 6 0.33% 1,186 65.45% 1,812 Chesterfield County 2,412 54.99% 1,943 44.30% 31 0.71% 469 10.69% 4,386 Clarke County 689 78.03% 191 21.63% 3 0.34% 498 56.40% 883 Craig County 428 62.76% 251 36.80% 3 0.44% 177 25.95% 682 Culpeper County 1,107 68.84% 494 30.72% 7 0.44% 613 38.12% 1,608 Cumberland County 580 69.88% 243 29.28% 7 0.84% 337 40.60% 830 Dickenson County 2,773 50.27% 2,684 48.66% 59 1.07% 89 1.61% 5,516 Dinwiddie County 1,302 83.57% 253 16.24% 3 0.19% 1,049 67.33% 1,558 Essex County 542 72.65% 196 26.27% 8 1.07% 346 46.38% 746 Fairfax County 5,425 44.37% 6,658 54.45% 144 1.18% -1,233 -10.08% 12,227 Fauquier County 1,686 75.34% 547 24.44% 5 0.22% 1,139 50.89% 2,238 Floyd County 570 31.05% 1,261 68.68% 5 0.27% -691 -37.64% 1,836 Fluvanna County 654 68.55% 297 31.13% 3 0.31% 357 37.42% 954 Franklin County 1,921 55.09% 1,560 44.74% 6 0.17% 361 10.35% 3,487 Frederick County 1,457 78.29% 385 20.69% 19 1.02% 1,072 57.60% 1,861 Giles County 1,599 48.43% 1,692 51.24% 11 0.33% -93 -2.82% 3,302 Gloucester County 893 70.09% 370 29.04% 11 0.86% 523 41.05% 1,274 Goochland County 738 68.33% 338 31.30% 4 0.37% 400 37.04% 1,080 Grayson County 3,336 45.83% 3,893 53.48% 50 0.69% -557 -7.65% 7,279 Greene County 230 51.00% 219 48.56% 2 0.44% 11 2.44% 451 Greensville County 1,083 75.42% 336 23.40% 17 1.18% 747 52.02% 1,436 Halifax County 2,979 82.70% 608 16.88% 15 0.42% 2,371 65.82% 3,602 Hanover County 1,373 56.16% 1,052 43.03% 20 0.82% 321 13.13% 2,445 Henrico County 4,301 45.44% 5,110 53.98% 55 0.58% -809 -8.55% 9,466 Henry County 2,131 54.91% 1,724 44.42% 26 0.67% 407 10.49% 3,881 Highland County 473 59.42% 321 40.33% 2 0.25% 152 19.10% 796 Isle of Wight County 1,066 65.40% 546 33.50% 18 1.10% 520 31.90% 1,630 James City County 263 48.70% 269 49.81% 8 1.48% -6 -1.11% 540 King and Queen County 326 72.93% 107 23.94% 14 3.13% 219 48.99% 447 King George County 509 65.34% 257 32.99% 13 1.67% 252 32.35% 779 King William County 557 69.97% 225 28.27% 14 1.76% 332 41.71% 796 Lancaster County 580 52.02% 508 45.56% 27 2.42% 72 6.46% 1,115 Lee County 3,167 45.69% 3,587 51.75% 177 2.55% -420 -6.06% 6,931 Loudoun County 1,986 72.85% 699 25.64% 41 1.50% 1,287 47.21% 2,726 Louisa County 1,046 66.97% 495 31.69% 21 1.34% 551 35.28% 1,562 Lunenburg County 1,175 77.40% 336 22.13% 7 0.46% 839 55.27% 1,518 Madison County 578 61.82% 350 37.43% 7 0.75% 228 24.39% 935 Mathews County 517 55.18% 414 44.18% 6 0.64% 103 10.99% 937 Mecklenburg County 2,199 77.95% 608 21.55% 14 0.50% 1,591 56.40% 2,821 Middlesex County 542 66.75% 267 32.88% 3 0.37% 275 33.87% 812 Montgomery County 1,708 35.64% 3,074 64.14% 11 0.23% -1,366 -28.50% 4,793 Nansemond County 1,374 73.79% 480 25.78% 8 0.43% 894 48.01% 1,862 Nelson County 799 71.98% 305 27.48% 6 0.54% 494 44.50% 1,110 New Kent County 343 64.35% 174 32.65% 16 3.00% 169 31.71% 533 Norfolk County 4,442 57.74% 3,207 41.69% 44 0.57% 1,235 16.05% 7,693 Northampton County 1,295 79.35% 329 20.16% 8 0.49% 966 59.19% 1,632 Northumberland County 477 51.02% 444 47.49% 14 1.50% 33 3.53% 935 Nottoway County 1,438 73.59% 503 25.74% 13 0.67% 935 47.85% 1,954 Orange County 1,039 65.43% 537 33.82% 12 0.76% 502 31.61% 1,588 Page County 1,593 61.96% 955 37.15% 23 0.89% 638 24.82% 2,571 Patrick County 1,720 72.30% 653 27.45% 6 0.25% 1,067 44.85% 2,379 Pittsylvania County 3,784 73.86% 1,317 25.71% 22 0.43% 2,467 48.16% 5,123 Powhatan County 572 69.42% 247 29.98% 5 0.61% 325 39.44% 824 Prince Edward County 1,120 71.43% 441 28.13% 7 0.45% 679 43.30% 1,568 Prince George County 571 72.74% 209 26.62% 5 0.64% 362 46.11% 785 Prince William County 1,382 72.51% 517 27.12% 7 0.37% 865 45.38% 1,906 Princess Anne County 2,200 56.77% 1,663 42.92% 12 0.31% 537 13.86% 3,875 Pulaski County 1,620 41.08% 2,316 58.72% 8 0.20% -696 -17.65% 3,944 Rappahannock County 616 80.10% 153 19.90% 0 0.00% 463 60.21% 769 Richmond County 363 57.80% 260 41.40% 5 0.80% 103 16.40% 628 Roanoke County 2,184 34.71% 4,092 65.03% 16 0.25% -1,908 -30.32% 6,292 Rockbridge County 1,162 50.02% 1,154 49.68% 7 0.30% 8 0.34% 2,323 Rockingham County 2,561 63.87% 1,393 34.74% 56 1.40% 1,168 29.13% 4,010 Russell County 2,845 53.92% 2,406 45.60% 25 0.47% 439 8.32% 5,276 Scott County 1,896 33.70% 3,640 64.70% 90 1.60% -1,744 -31.00% 5,626 Shenandoah County 2,079 48.79% 2,160 50.69% 22 0.52% -81 -1.90% 4,261 Smyth County 2,147 43.50% 2,749 55.69% 40 0.81% -602 -12.20% 4,936 Southampton County 1,431 71.98% 545 27.41% 12 0.60% 886 44.57% 1,988 Spotsylvania County 878 61.40% 540 37.76% 12 0.84% 338 23.64% 1,430 Stafford County 609 48.10% 650 51.34% 7 0.55% -41 -3.24% 1,266 Surry County 596 81.20% 135 18.39% 3 0.41% 461 62.81% 734 Sussex County 1,256 84.24% 222 14.89% 13 0.87% 1,034 69.35% 1,491 Tazewell County 2,072 51.76% 1,908 47.66% 23 0.57% 164 4.10% 4,003 Warren County 1,163 65.04% 614 34.34% 11 0.62% 549 30.70% 1,788 Warwick County 1,631 48.15% 1,723 50.87% 33 0.97% -92 -2.72% 3,387 Washington County 2,237 50.98% 2,118 48.27% 33 0.75% 119 2.71% 4,388 Westmoreland County 650 61.15% 410 38.57% 3 0.28% 240 22.58% 1,063 Wise County 4,876 62.05% 2,928 37.26% 54 0.69% 1,948 24.79% 7,858 Wythe County 2,586 43.38% 3,350 56.20% 25 0.42% -764 -12.82% 5,961 York County 749 51.91% 667 46.22% 27 1.87% 82 5.68% 1,443 Alexandria City 4,716 54.19% 3,899 44.81% 87 1.00% 817 9.39% 8,702 Bristol City 1,129 64.26% 626 35.63% 2 0.11% 503 28.63% 1,757 Buena Vista City 406 57.18% 295 41.55% 9 1.27% 111 15.63% 710 Charlottesville City 1,971 53.11% 1,731 46.65% 9 0.24% 240 6.47% 3,711 Clifton Forge City 761 51.25% 719 48.42% 5 0.34% 42 2.83% 1,485 Colonial Heights City 714 68.13% 325 31.01% 9 0.86% 389 37.12% 1,048 Covington City 884 47.15% 985 52.53% 6 0.32% -101 -5.39% 1,875 Danville City 3,570 69.97% 1,484 29.09% 48 0.94% 2,086 40.89% 5,102 Falls Church City 597 41.49% 809 56.22% 33 2.29% -212 -14.73% 1,439 Fredericksburg City 1,016 60.87% 646 38.71% 7 0.42% 370 22.17% 1,669 Hampton City 2,905 50.42% 2,808 48.73% 49 0.85% 97 1.68% 5,762 Harrisonburg City 1,380 60.71% 869 38.23% 24 1.06% 511 22.48% 2,273 Hopewell City 1,130 56.27% 866 43.13% 12 0.60% 264 13.15% 2,008 Lynchburg City 3,381 61.07% 2,138 38.62% 17 0.31% 1,243 22.45% 5,536 Martinsville City 1,568 52.08% 1,424 47.29% 19 0.63% 144 4.78% 3,011 Newport News City 2,264 56.29% 1,721 42.79% 37 0.92% 543 13.50% 4,022 Norfolk City 7,181 46.80% 8,075 52.62% 89 0.58% -894 -5.83% 15,345 Petersburg City 2,225 70.46% 903 28.59% 30 0.95% 1,322 41.86% 3,158 Portsmouth City 4,397 61.57% 2,672 37.41% 73 1.02% 1,725 24.15% 7,142 Radford City 736 27.44% 1,939 72.30% 7 0.26% -1,203 -44.85% 2,682 Richmond City 16,409 54.33% 13,278 43.96% 517 1.71% 3,131 10.37% 30,204 Roanoke City 6,469 40.32% 9,538 59.44% 39 0.24% -3,069 -19.13% 16,046 South Norfolk City 1,315 57.65% 923 40.46% 43 1.89% 392 17.19% 2,281 Staunton City 1,405 48.50% 1,482 51.16% 10 0.35% -77 -2.66% 2,897 Suffolk City 1,018 59.53% 681 39.82% 11 0.64% 337 19.71% 1,710 Virginia Beach City 847 58.74% 593 41.12% 2 0.14% 254 17.61% 1,442 Warwick City 1,631 48.15% 1,723 50.87% 33 0.97% -92 -2.72% 3,387 Waynesboro City 916 48.01% 980 51.36% 12 0.63% -64 -3.35% 1,908 Winchester City 1,758 80.02% 434 19.75% 5 0.23% 1,324 60.26% 2,197Totals226,99854.83%183,32844.28%3,6800.89%43,67010.55%414,006 Counties and independent cities that flipped from Republican to Democratic Buchanan Counties and independent cities that flipped from Democratic to Republican Alleghany Botetourt Arlington Bland Fairfax Giles Henrico James City Lee Montgomery Pulaski Roanoke Smyth Shenadoah Stafford Warwick Wythe Covington (independent city) Falls Church (independent city) Fredericksburg (independent city) Norfolk (independent city) Radford (independent city) Roanoke (independent city) Staunton (independent city) Warwick (independent city) Waynesboro (independent city) Analysis No polls were taken despite the expectations of Republican gains related to the previous year's presidential election. However, in a record gubernatorial voteLatimer James Total Vote Sets Record for Contest; Stephens, Almond Also Are Victors Richmond Times-Dispatch November 4, 1953 1 — though still less than two-thirds that polled at the previous year's presidential election – Stanley won comfortably by just over ten percentage points. This was nonetheless the best Republican gubernatorial performance in Virginia since 1885 when most blacks and poor whites remained enfranchised. As of 2021, this is the last time that the city of Norfolk voted Republican for Governor. References collapsed Gubernatorial 1953 Virginia Category:November 1953 in the United States