The 1940 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 5, 1940. Voters chose 11 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
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 County results
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Virginia voted for the Democratic nominee, incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt, over the Republican nominee, businessman Wendell Willkie. Roosevelt ultimately won the national election with 54.74% of the vote. The election would be the last time Fairfax County, Virginia's most populous county would vote Democratic until 2004 apart from 1964. As of the 2020 presidential election[update], this is the last time the Democratic nominee has won the counties of Greene,[1] Madison[2] and Wythe.[3] It also proved the last time the Democrats would win Montgomery County until Bill Clinton did so in 1992.[4]
Results
edit| 1940 United States presidential election in Virginia[5] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Franklin D. Roosevelt (inc.) | 235,961 | 68.08% | 11 | |
| Republican | Wendell Willkie | 109,363 | 31.55% | 0 | |
| Prohibition | Roger Babson | 882 | 0.25% | 0 | |
| Socialist | Norman Thomas | 282 | 0.08% | 0 | |
| Communist | Earl Browder | 71 | 0.02% | 0 | |
| Socialist Labor | John W. Aiken | 48 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| Totals | 346,607 | 100.00% | 11 | ||
| Voter turnout (Voting age) | 22.0%[6] | ||||
Results by county
edit| County or Independent City[7] | Franklin Delano Roosevelt Democratic |
Wendell Lewis Willkie Republican |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes cast[8] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Accomack County | 1,476 | 62.38% | 882 | 37.28% | 8 | 0.34% | 594 | 25.11% | 2,366 |
| Albemarle County | 1,648 | 67.05% | 804 | 32.71% | 6 | 0.24% | 844 | 34.34% | 2,458 |
| Alleghany County | 2,153 | 64.67% | 1,164 | 34.97% | 12 | 0.36% | 989 | 29.71% | 3,329 |
| Amelia County | 562 | 67.63% | 267 | 32.13% | 2 | 0.24% | 295 | 35.50% | 831 |
| Amherst County | 2,048 | 87.26% | 292 | 12.44% | 7 | 0.30% | 1,756 | 74.82% | 2,347 |
| Appomattox County | 1,144 | 83.93% | 215 | 15.77% | 4 | 0.29% | 929 | 68.16% | 1,363 |
| Arlington County | 5,440 | 55.16% | 4,365 | 44.26% | 57 | 0.58% | 1,075 | 10.90% | 9,862 |
| Augusta County | 2,774 | 60.78% | 1,768 | 38.74% | 22 | 0.48% | 1,006 | 22.04% | 4,564 |
| Bath County | 630 | 54.17% | 527 | 45.31% | 6 | 0.52% | 103 | 8.86% | 1,163 |
| Bedford County | 2,535 | 75.90% | 791 | 23.68% | 14 | 0.42% | 1,744 | 52.22% | 3,340 |
| Bland County | 753 | 51.97% | 693 | 47.83% | 3 | 0.21% | 60 | 4.14% | 1,449 |
| Botetourt County | 1,329 | 54.87% | 1,085 | 44.80% | 8 | 0.33% | 244 | 10.07% | 2,422 |
| Brunswick County | 1,288 | 88.46% | 164 | 11.26% | 4 | 0.27% | 1,124 | 77.20% | 1,456 |
| Buchanan County | 2,554 | 66.37% | 1,291 | 33.55% | 3 | 0.08% | 1,263 | 32.82% | 3,848 |
| Buckingham County | 829 | 73.82% | 289 | 25.73% | 5 | 0.45% | 540 | 48.09% | 1,123 |
| Campbell County | 2,358 | 83.65% | 456 | 16.18% | 5 | 0.18% | 1,902 | 67.47% | 2,819 |
| Caroline County | 1,136 | 78.51% | 305 | 21.08% | 6 | 0.41% | 831 | 57.43% | 1,447 |
| Carroll County | 1,546 | 45.66% | 1,835 | 54.19% | 5 | 0.15% | -289 | -8.54% | 3,386 |
| Charles City County | 238 | 72.12% | 92 | 27.88% | 0 | 0.00% | 146 | 44.24% | 330 |
| Charlotte County | 1,467 | 85.24% | 251 | 14.58% | 3 | 0.17% | 1,216 | 70.66% | 1,721 |
| Chesterfield County | 3,354 | 78.71% | 879 | 20.63% | 28 | 0.66% | 2,475 | 58.08% | 4,261 |
| Clarke County | 1,043 | 75.58% | 333 | 24.13% | 4 | 0.29% | 710 | 51.45% | 1,380 |
| Craig County | 656 | 68.55% | 299 | 31.24% | 2 | 0.21% | 357 | 37.30% | 957 |
| Culpeper County | 1,208 | 67.34% | 579 | 32.27% | 7 | 0.39% | 629 | 35.06% | 1,794 |
| Cumberland County | 396 | 70.84% | 157 | 28.09% | 6 | 1.07% | 239 | 42.75% | 559 |
| Dickenson County | 2,551 | 58.74% | 1,785 | 41.10% | 7 | 0.16% | 766 | 17.64% | 4,343 |
| Dinwiddie County | 1,129 | 80.64% | 264 | 18.86% | 7 | 0.50% | 865 | 61.79% | 1,400 |
| Elizabeth City County | 2,337 | 77.90% | 652 | 21.73% | 11 | 0.37% | 1,685 | 56.17% | 3,000 |
| Essex County | 547 | 78.93% | 145 | 20.92% | 1 | 0.14% | 402 | 58.01% | 693 |
| Fairfax County | 3,263 | 57.65% | 2,371 | 41.89% | 26 | 0.46% | 892 | 15.76% | 5,660 |
| Fauquier County | 1,874 | 71.07% | 756 | 28.67% | 7 | 0.27% | 1,118 | 42.40% | 2,637 |
| Floyd County | 729 | 32.93% | 1,482 | 66.94% | 3 | 0.14% | -753 | -34.01% | 2,214 |
| Fluvanna County | 579 | 70.52% | 241 | 29.35% | 1 | 0.12% | 338 | 41.17% | 821 |
| Franklin County | 2,037 | 68.63% | 925 | 31.17% | 6 | 0.20% | 1,112 | 37.47% | 2,968 |
| Frederick County | 1,631 | 67.79% | 773 | 32.13% | 2 | 0.08% | 858 | 35.66% | 2,406 |
| Giles County | 1,716 | 62.54% | 1,024 | 37.32% | 4 | 0.15% | 692 | 25.22% | 2,744 |
| Gloucester County | 937 | 79.41% | 241 | 20.42% | 2 | 0.17% | 696 | 58.98% | 1,180 |
| Goochland County | 820 | 81.67% | 180 | 17.93% | 4 | 0.40% | 640 | 63.75% | 1,004 |
| Grayson County | 2,703 | 48.91% | 2,806 | 50.78% | 17 | 0.31% | -103 | -1.86% | 5,526 |
| Greene County | 363 | 56.28% | 282 | 43.72% | 0 | 0.00% | 81 | 12.56% | 645 |
| Greensville County | 843 | 84.38% | 152 | 15.22% | 4 | 0.40% | 691 | 69.17% | 999 |
| Halifax County | 3,441 | 89.94% | 373 | 9.75% | 12 | 0.31% | 3,068 | 80.19% | 3,826 |
| Hanover County | 1,347 | 78.36% | 364 | 21.18% | 8 | 0.47% | 983 | 57.18% | 1,719 |
| Henrico County | 3,993 | 66.25% | 2,005 | 33.27% | 29 | 0.48% | 1,988 | 32.98% | 6,027 |
| Henry County | 1,795 | 78.73% | 474 | 20.79% | 11 | 0.48% | 1,321 | 57.94% | 2,280 |
| Highland County | 549 | 46.45% | 628 | 53.13% | 5 | 0.42% | -79 | -6.68% | 1,182 |
| Isle of Wight County | 1,138 | 84.55% | 208 | 15.45% | 0 | 0.00% | 930 | 69.09% | 1,346 |
| James City County | 306 | 67.40% | 146 | 32.16% | 2 | 0.44% | 160 | 35.24% | 454 |
| King and Queen County | 365 | 74.49% | 124 | 25.31% | 1 | 0.20% | 241 | 49.18% | 490 |
| King George County | 515 | 75.40% | 167 | 24.45% | 1 | 0.15% | 348 | 50.95% | 683 |
| King William County | 697 | 74.79% | 235 | 25.21% | 0 | 0.00% | 462 | 49.57% | 932 |
| Lancaster County | 711 | 68.63% | 317 | 30.60% | 8 | 0.77% | 394 | 38.03% | 1,036 |
| Lee County | 4,180 | 61.39% | 2,623 | 38.52% | 6 | 0.09% | 1,557 | 22.87% | 6,809 |
| Loudoun County | 2,156 | 66.73% | 1,061 | 32.84% | 14 | 0.43% | 1,095 | 33.89% | 3,231 |
| Louisa County | 896 | 60.46% | 573 | 38.66% | 13 | 0.88% | 323 | 21.79% | 1,482 |
| Lunenburg County | 1,213 | 89.26% | 144 | 10.60% | 2 | 0.15% | 1,069 | 78.66% | 1,359 |
| Madison County | 692 | 51.56% | 646 | 48.14% | 4 | 0.30% | 46 | 3.43% | 1,342 |
| Mathews County | 592 | 62.51% | 349 | 36.85% | 6 | 0.63% | 243 | 25.66% | 947 |
| Mecklenburg County | 2,402 | 88.54% | 308 | 11.35% | 3 | 0.11% | 2,094 | 77.18% | 2,713 |
| Middlesex County | 586 | 82.19% | 125 | 17.53% | 2 | 0.28% | 461 | 64.66% | 713 |
| Montgomery County | 2,168 | 53.20% | 1,890 | 46.38% | 17 | 0.42% | 278 | 6.82% | 4,075 |
| Nansemond County | 1,408 | 91.55% | 129 | 8.39% | 1 | 0.07% | 1,279 | 83.16% | 1,538 |
| Nelson County | 1,291 | 79.40% | 330 | 20.30% | 5 | 0.31% | 961 | 59.10% | 1,626 |
| New Kent County | 286 | 68.26% | 133 | 31.74% | 0 | 0.00% | 153 | 36.52% | 419 |
| Norfolk County | 3,821 | 85.39% | 639 | 14.28% | 15 | 0.34% | 3,182 | 71.11% | 4,475 |
| Northampton County | 866 | 70.52% | 359 | 29.23% | 3 | 0.24% | 507 | 41.29% | 1,228 |
| Northumberland County | 712 | 64.61% | 386 | 35.03% | 4 | 0.36% | 326 | 29.58% | 1,102 |
| Nottoway County | 1,290 | 77.06% | 373 | 22.28% | 11 | 0.66% | 917 | 54.78% | 1,674 |
| Orange County | 1,283 | 72.94% | 464 | 26.38% | 12 | 0.68% | 819 | 46.56% | 1,759 |
| Page County | 1,596 | 49.30% | 1,630 | 50.36% | 11 | 0.34% | -34 | -1.05% | 3,237 |
| Patrick County | 1,479 | 73.99% | 514 | 25.71% | 6 | 0.30% | 965 | 48.27% | 1,999 |
| Pittsylvania County | 3,710 | 83.28% | 728 | 16.34% | 17 | 0.38% | 2,982 | 66.94% | 4,455 |
| Powhatan County | 510 | 76.23% | 157 | 23.47% | 2 | 0.30% | 353 | 52.77% | 669 |
| Prince Edward County | 1,110 | 77.35% | 313 | 21.81% | 12 | 0.84% | 797 | 55.54% | 1,435 |
| Prince George County | 766 | 82.81% | 156 | 16.86% | 3 | 0.32% | 610 | 65.95% | 925 |
| Prince William County | 1,435 | 73.97% | 500 | 25.77% | 5 | 0.26% | 935 | 48.20% | 1,940 |
| Princess Anne County | 1,689 | 79.04% | 445 | 20.82% | 3 | 0.14% | 1,244 | 58.21% | 2,137 |
| Pulaski County | 2,226 | 68.39% | 1,023 | 31.43% | 6 | 0.18% | 1,203 | 36.96% | 3,255 |
| Rappahannock County | 588 | 72.06% | 225 | 27.57% | 3 | 0.37% | 363 | 44.49% | 816 |
| Richmond County | 475 | 64.10% | 257 | 34.68% | 9 | 1.21% | 218 | 29.42% | 741 |
| Roanoke County | 3,539 | 60.11% | 2,302 | 39.10% | 47 | 0.80% | 1,237 | 21.01% | 5,888 |
| Rockbridge County | 1,618 | 63.83% | 902 | 35.58% | 15 | 0.59% | 716 | 28.24% | 2,535 |
| Rockingham County | 2,569 | 46.34% | 2,922 | 52.71% | 53 | 0.96% | -353 | -6.37% | 5,544 |
| Russell County | 3,109 | 59.79% | 2,080 | 40.00% | 11 | 0.21% | 1,029 | 19.79% | 5,200 |
| Scott County | 2,474 | 45.28% | 2,982 | 54.58% | 8 | 0.15% | -508 | -9.30% | 5,464 |
| Shenandoah County | 2,450 | 40.89% | 3,527 | 58.87% | 14 | 0.23% | -1,077 | -17.98% | 5,991 |
| Smyth County | 2,420 | 52.95% | 2,134 | 46.70% | 16 | 0.35% | 286 | 6.26% | 4,570 |
| Southampton County | 1,508 | 87.02% | 213 | 12.29% | 12 | 0.69% | 1,295 | 74.73% | 1,733 |
| Spotsylvania County | 785 | 68.02% | 365 | 31.63% | 4 | 0.35% | 420 | 36.40% | 1,154 |
| Stafford County | 803 | 63.28% | 463 | 36.49% | 3 | 0.24% | 340 | 26.79% | 1,269 |
| Surry County | 658 | 84.58% | 120 | 15.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 538 | 69.15% | 778 |
| Sussex County | 737 | 81.62% | 164 | 18.16% | 2 | 0.22% | 573 | 63.46% | 903 |
| Tazewell County | 3,108 | 56.80% | 2,356 | 43.06% | 8 | 0.15% | 752 | 13.74% | 5,472 |
| Warren County | 1,338 | 73.00% | 491 | 26.79% | 4 | 0.22% | 847 | 46.21% | 1,833 |
| Warwick County | 1,065 | 77.57% | 305 | 22.21% | 3 | 0.22% | 760 | 55.35% | 1,373 |
| Washington County | 3,245 | 54.30% | 2,697 | 45.13% | 34 | 0.57% | 548 | 9.17% | 5,976 |
| Westmoreland County | 845 | 70.24% | 357 | 29.68% | 1 | 0.08% | 488 | 40.57% | 1,203 |
| Wise County | 4,538 | 75.66% | 1,448 | 24.14% | 12 | 0.20% | 3,090 | 51.52% | 5,998 |
| Wythe County | 1,695 | 52.72% | 1,507 | 46.87% | 13 | 0.40% | 188 | 5.85% | 3,215 |
| York County | 787 | 80.31% | 177 | 18.06% | 16 | 1.63% | 610 | 62.24% | 980 |
| Alexandria City | 4,004 | 68.67% | 1,802 | 30.90% | 25 | 0.43% | 2,202 | 37.76% | 5,831 |
| Bristol City | 1,465 | 76.94% | 423 | 22.22% | 16 | 0.84% | 1,042 | 54.73% | 1,904 |
| Buena Vista City | 280 | 70.89% | 113 | 28.61% | 2 | 0.51% | 167 | 42.28% | 395 |
| Charlottesville City | 1,759 | 69.94% | 743 | 29.54% | 13 | 0.52% | 1,016 | 40.40% | 2,515 |
| Clifton Forge City | 1,179 | 76.41% | 353 | 22.88% | 11 | 0.71% | 826 | 53.53% | 1,543 |
| Danville City | 3,324 | 80.27% | 787 | 19.01% | 30 | 0.72% | 2,537 | 61.27% | 4,141 |
| Fredericksburg City | 1,037 | 66.26% | 522 | 33.35% | 6 | 0.38% | 515 | 32.91% | 1,565 |
| Hampton City | 975 | 81.66% | 215 | 18.01% | 4 | 0.34% | 760 | 63.65% | 1,194 |
| Harrisonburg City | 1,462 | 58.93% | 1,000 | 40.31% | 19 | 0.77% | 462 | 18.62% | 2,481 |
| Hopewell City | 981 | 76.05% | 308 | 23.88% | 1 | 0.08% | 673 | 52.17% | 1,290 |
| Lynchburg City | 4,656 | 70.22% | 1,966 | 29.65% | 9 | 0.14% | 2,690 | 40.57% | 6,631 |
| Martinsville City | 980 | 78.15% | 269 | 21.45% | 5 | 0.40% | 711 | 56.70% | 1,254 |
| Newport News City | 3,907 | 81.41% | 863 | 17.98% | 29 | 0.60% | 3,044 | 63.43% | 4,799 |
| Norfolk City | 10,783 | 75.38% | 3,485 | 24.36% | 36 | 0.25% | 7,298 | 51.02% | 14,304 |
| Petersburg City | 2,193 | 77.90% | 604 | 21.46% | 18 | 0.64% | 1,589 | 56.45% | 2,815 |
| Portsmouth City | 5,053 | 87.83% | 675 | 11.73% | 25 | 0.43% | 4,378 | 76.10% | 5,753 |
| Radford City | 793 | 65.21% | 417 | 34.29% | 6 | 0.49% | 376 | 30.92% | 1,216 |
| Richmond City | 19,332 | 75.99% | 6,031 | 23.71% | 76 | 0.30% | 13,301 | 52.29% | 25,439 |
| Roanoke City | 6,942 | 65.85% | 3,553 | 33.70% | 47 | 0.45% | 3,389 | 32.15% | 10,542 |
| South Norfolk City | 920 | 85.50% | 156 | 14.50% | 0 | 0.00% | 764 | 71.00% | 1,076 |
| Staunton City | 1,042 | 59.75% | 687 | 39.39% | 15 | 0.86% | 355 | 20.36% | 1,744 |
| Suffolk City | 1,215 | 76.03% | 383 | 23.97% | 0 | 0.00% | 832 | 52.07% | 1,598 |
| Williamsburg City | 367 | 67.84% | 168 | 31.05% | 6 | 1.11% | 199 | 36.78% | 541 |
| Winchester City | 1,114 | 53.89% | 945 | 45.72% | 8 | 0.39% | 169 | 8.18% | 2,067 |
| Totals | 235,961 | 68.08% | 109,363 | 31.55% | 1,284 | 0.37% | 126,598 | 36.52% | 346,608 |
Counties and Independent Cities that flipped from Democratic to Republican
editCounties and Independent Cities that flipped from Republican to Democratic
editReferences
edit- ^ The Political Graveyard; Greene County, Virginia
- ^ The Political Graveyard; Madison County, Virginia
- ^ The Political Graveyard; Wythe County, Virginia
- ^ The Political Graveyard; Montgomery County, Virginia
- ^ "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 1940" (PDF). Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. p. 32.
- ^ Williamson, Hugh P.; ‘Evolution of the Franchise in England and the United States’; The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, vol. 6, no. 3 (April 1947), pp. 403-419
- ^ "1940 President General Election". Virginia Department of Elections: Historical Elections Database. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
- ^ Scammon, Richard M. (compiler); America at the Polls: A Handbook of Presidential Election Statistics 1920-1964; pp. 474-476 ISBN 0405077114