1945 Virginia gubernatorial election

1945 Virginia gubernatorial election
November 6, 1945
 
Nominee William M. Tuck S. Floyd Landreth
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 112,355 52,386
Percentage 66.6% 31.0%
County and independent city results
Tuck:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Landreth:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Governor before election

Colgate Darden
Democratic

Elected Governor

William M. Tuck
Democratic

In the 1945 Virginia gubernatorial election, incumbent Governor Colgate Darden, a Democrat, was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. Lieutenant Governor William M. Tuck was nominated by the Democratic Party to run against Republican state senator S. Floyd Landreth.

Background

For the previous four decades Virginia had almost completely disenfranchised its black and poor white populations through the use of a cumulative poll tax and literacy tests.[1] So restricted was suffrage 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.[1] 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.[2] Historical fusion with the “Readjuster” Democrats,[3] defection of substantial proportions of the Northeast-aligned white electorate of the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia over free silver,[4] and an early move towards a "lily white" Jim Crow party[3] meant Republicans retained a small but permanent number of legislative seats and local offices in the western part of the state.[5] Nevertheless, in gubernatorial elections during this period the Republican vote was mostly in the nature of a protest, and in most elections between 1925 and 1949 turnout was higher in the Democratic primary than the general election.[6]

William M. Tuck had lost out to Darden as the 1941 organization nominee for Governor, but became Lieutenant Governor [6] against perennial anti-organization leader Moss Plunkett.[7] Tuck had beaten Plunkett by four-to-one in the 1941 lieutenant gubernatorial primary with a turnout even lower than usual due to the war,[8] and he would repeat his win in the rematch by a five-to-two majority and carrying all but four counties and three independent cities,[9] although Plunkett campaigned extensive on the failings of the Byrd machine in issues like suffrage, education and health.[10] In the general election, Tuck would also win easily despite the fact that — unlike past GOP nominees — Landreth did significant campaigning.[11]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

1945 Virginia Democratic gubernatorial primary[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic William M. Tuck 97,304 70.11%
Democratic Moss A. Plunkett 41,484 29.89%
Majority 55,820 40.22%
Turnout 138,788 7.71%
Democratic hold Swing

General election

Candidates

Results

1945 Virginia gubernatorial election[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic William M. Tuck 112,355 66.58% −14.00%
Republican S. Floyd Landreth 52,386 31.04% +13.16%
Independent Howard Carwile 4,023 2.38%
Majority 59,969 35.53%
Turnout 168,764 9.38%
Democratic hold Swing

Results by county or independent city

1945 Virginia gubernatorial election by county or independent city[13]
William Munford Tuck
Democratic 		Sydney Floyd Landreth
Republican 		Howard Hearnes Carwile
Independent 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Accomack County 1,026 87.47% 133 11.34% 14 1.19% 893 76.13% 1,173
Albemarle County 934 81.50% 170 14.83% 42 3.66% 764 66.67% 1,146
Alleghany County 565 53.25% 465 43.83% 31 2.92% 100 9.43% 1,061
Amelia County 530 81.92% 109 16.85% 8 1.24% 421 65.07% 647
Amherst County 611 85.94% 90 12.66% 10 1.41% 521 73.28% 711
Appomattox County 1,472 95.28% 69 4.47% 4 0.26% 1,403 90.81% 1,545
Arlington County 3,521 66.05% 1,593 29.88% 217 4.07% 1,928 36.17% 5,331
Augusta County 1,135 66.76% 539 31.71% 26 1.53% 596 35.06% 1,700
Bath County 220 64.71% 110 32.35% 10 2.94% 110 32.35% 340
Bedford County 1,125 75.20% 340 22.73% 31 2.07% 785 52.47% 1,496
Bland County 457 47.41% 493 51.14% 14 1.45% -36 -3.73% 964
Botetourt County 785 54.86% 633 44.23% 13 0.91% 152 10.62% 1,431
Brunswick County 535 94.36% 29 5.11% 3 0.53% 506 89.24% 567
Buchanan County 1,309 51.15% 1,159 45.29% 91 3.56% 150 5.86% 2,559
Buckingham County 481 84.68% 77 13.56% 10 1.76% 404 71.13% 568
Campbell County 937 85.18% 136 12.36% 27 2.45% 801 72.82% 1,100
Caroline County 356 80.18% 83 18.69% 5 1.13% 273 61.49% 444
Carroll County 863 32.73% 1,761 66.78% 13 0.49% -898 -34.05% 2,637
Charles City County 104 72.73% 35 24.48% 4 2.80% 69 48.25% 143
Charlotte County 1,174 90.66% 95 7.34% 26 2.01% 1,079 83.32% 1,295
Chesterfield County 706 74.24% 211 22.19% 34 3.58% 495 52.05% 951
Clarke County 332 87.60% 41 10.82% 6 1.58% 291 76.78% 379
Craig County 243 60.45% 150 37.31% 9 2.24% 93 23.13% 402
Culpeper County 951 74.82% 293 23.05% 27 2.12% 658 51.77% 1,271
Cumberland County 320 88.40% 38 10.50% 4 1.10% 282 77.90% 362
Dickenson County 1,473 55.23% 1,127 42.26% 67 2.51% 346 12.97% 2,667
Dinwiddie County 486 89.34% 50 9.19% 8 1.47% 436 80.15% 544
Elizabeth City County 780 78.31% 195 19.58% 21 2.11% 585 58.73% 996
Essex County 261 82.59% 51 16.14% 4 1.27% 210 66.46% 316
Fairfax County 1,613 62.21% 821 31.66% 159 6.13% 792 30.54% 2,593
Fauquier County 853 85.04% 125 12.46% 25 2.49% 728 72.58% 1,003
Floyd County 288 28.74% 708 70.66% 6 0.60% -420 -41.92% 1,002
Fluvanna County 289 75.65% 85 22.25% 8 2.09% 204 53.40% 382
Franklin County 1,290 71.79% 491 27.32% 16 0.89% 799 44.46% 1,797
Frederick County 508 74.16% 164 23.94% 13 1.90% 344 50.22% 685
Giles County 1,184 59.35% 772 38.70% 39 1.95% 412 20.65% 1,995
Gloucester County 437 83.72% 75 14.37% 10 1.92% 362 69.35% 522
Goochland County 585 85.40% 93 13.58% 7 1.02% 492 71.82% 685
Grayson County 2,785 41.03% 3,942 58.08% 60 0.88% -1,157 -17.05% 6,787
Greene County 124 56.36% 88 40.00% 8 3.64% 36 16.36% 220
Greensville County 478 88.35% 54 9.98% 9 1.66% 424 78.37% 541
Halifax County 2,746 97.03% 69 2.44% 15 0.53% 2,677 94.59% 2,830
Hanover County 461 72.14% 167 26.13% 11 1.72% 294 46.01% 639
Henrico County 684 67.72% 297 29.41% 29 2.87% 387 38.32% 1,010
Henry County 614 64.97% 295 31.22% 36 3.81% 319 33.76% 945
Highland County 241 59.65% 157 38.86% 6 1.49% 84 20.79% 404
Isle of Wight County 618 85.36% 97 13.40% 9 1.24% 521 71.96% 724
James City County 106 77.94% 28 20.59% 2 1.47% 78 57.35% 136
King and Queen County 141 82.46% 27 15.79% 3 1.75% 114 66.67% 171
King George County 161 71.24% 59 26.11% 6 2.65% 102 45.13% 226
King William County 346 82.78% 54 12.92% 18 4.31% 292 69.86% 418
Lancaster County 375 74.70% 115 22.91% 12 2.39% 260 51.79% 502
Lee County 1,966 58.05% 1,319 38.94% 102 3.01% 647 19.10% 3,387
Loudoun County 1,860 87.69% 228 10.75% 33 1.56% 1,632 76.94% 2,121
Louisa County 751 78.64% 192 20.10% 12 1.26% 559 58.53% 955
Lunenburg County 956 92.10% 61 5.88% 21 2.02% 895 86.22% 1,038
Madison County 250 56.56% 183 41.40% 9 2.04% 67 15.16% 442
Mathews County 335 71.13% 130 27.60% 6 1.27% 205 43.52% 471
Mecklenburg County 867 87.31% 108 10.88% 18 1.81% 759 76.44% 993
Middlesex County 258 80.12% 60 18.63% 4 1.24% 198 61.49% 322
Montgomery County 1,264 46.92% 1,383 51.34% 47 1.74% -119 -4.42% 2,694
Nansemond County 446 89.20% 51 10.20% 3 0.60% 395 79.00% 500
Nelson County 707 87.83% 91 11.30% 7 0.87% 616 76.52% 805
New Kent County 107 75.89% 30 21.28% 4 2.84% 77 54.61% 141
Norfolk County 1,755 80.06% 370 16.88% 67 3.06% 1,385 63.18% 2,192
Northampton County 1,126 94.30% 58 4.86% 10 0.84% 1,068 89.45% 1,194
Northumberland County 307 73.98% 100 24.10% 8 1.93% 207 49.88% 415
Nottoway County 569 86.87% 70 10.69% 16 2.44% 499 76.18% 655
Orange County 435 73.73% 144 24.41% 11 1.86% 291 49.32% 590
Page County 1,618 44.55% 1,926 53.03% 88 2.42% -308 -8.48% 3,632
Patrick County 961 81.58% 208 17.66% 9 0.76% 753 63.92% 1,178
Pittsylvania County 1,853 85.08% 280 12.86% 45 2.07% 1,573 72.22% 2,178
Powhatan County 215 78.75% 53 19.41% 5 1.83% 162 59.34% 273
Prince Edward County 655 87.68% 71 9.50% 21 2.81% 584 78.18% 747
Prince George County 180 64.75% 83 29.86% 15 5.40% 97 34.89% 278
Prince William County 565 78.58% 140 19.47% 14 1.95% 425 59.11% 719
Princess Anne County 1,083 88.70% 127 10.40% 11 0.90% 956 78.30% 1,221
Pulaski County 1,313 65.58% 678 33.87% 11 0.55% 635 31.72% 2,002
Rappahannock County 348 81.50% 68 15.93% 11 2.58% 280 65.57% 427
Richmond County 211 68.06% 97 31.29% 2 0.65% 114 36.77% 310
Roanoke County 1,256 47.72% 1,328 50.46% 48 1.82% -72 -2.74% 2,632
Rockbridge County 637 70.54% 254 28.13% 12 1.33% 383 42.41% 903
Rockingham County 1,610 54.45% 1,285 43.46% 62 2.10% 325 10.99% 2,957
Russell County 1,518 61.81% 901 36.69% 37 1.51% 617 25.12% 2,456
Scott County 1,560 44.85% 1,792 51.52% 126 3.62% -232 -6.67% 3,478
Shenandoah County 1,273 43.36% 1,663 56.64% 0 0.00% -390 -13.28% 2,936
Smyth County 1,422 39.92% 2,045 57.41% 95 2.67% -623 -17.49% 3,562
Southampton County 687 89.11% 75 9.73% 9 1.17% 612 79.38% 771
Spotsylvania County 529 84.78% 86 13.78% 9 1.44% 443 70.99% 624
Stafford County 381 71.08% 144 26.87% 11 2.05% 237 44.22% 536
Surry County 297 90.00% 24 7.27% 9 2.73% 273 82.73% 330
Sussex County 482 91.63% 37 7.03% 7 1.33% 445 84.60% 526
Tazewell County 957 51.09% 877 46.82% 39 2.08% 80 4.27% 1,873
Warren County 1,016 76.05% 303 22.68% 17 1.27% 713 53.37% 1,336
Warwick County 378 73.54% 106 20.62% 30 5.84% 272 52.92% 514
Washington County 1,170 50.04% 1,130 48.33% 38 1.63% 40 1.71% 2,338
Westmoreland County 434 85.10% 69 13.53% 7 1.37% 365 71.57% 510
Wise County 1,872 65.78% 921 32.36% 53 1.86% 951 33.42% 2,846
Wythe County 860 44.44% 1,066 55.09% 9 0.47% -206 -10.65% 1,935
York County 194 73.48% 61 23.11% 9 3.41% 133 50.38% 264
Alexandria City 2,756 74.11% 761 20.46% 202 5.43% 1,995 53.64% 3,719
Bristol City 722 79.78% 175 19.34% 8 0.88% 547 60.44% 905
Buena Vista City 173 68.38% 73 28.85% 7 2.77% 100 39.53% 253
Charlottesville City 644 72.12% 231 25.87% 18 2.02% 413 46.25% 893
Clifton Forge City 438 67.70% 184 28.44% 25 3.86% 254 39.26% 647
Danville City 2,096 82.13% 328 12.85% 128 5.02% 1,768 69.28% 2,552
Fredericksburg City 702 78.00% 173 19.22% 25 2.78% 529 58.78% 900
Hampton City 398 85.22% 57 12.21% 12 2.57% 341 73.02% 467
Harrisonburg City 1,123 66.49% 548 32.45% 18 1.07% 575 34.04% 1,689
Hopewell City 668 72.37% 230 24.92% 25 2.71% 438 47.45% 923
Lynchburg City 1,045 77.06% 279 20.58% 32 2.36% 766 56.49% 1,356
Martinsville City 716 71.03% 241 23.91% 51 5.06% 475 47.12% 1,008
Newport News City 1,037 75.69% 280 20.44% 53 3.87% 757 55.26% 1,370
Norfolk City 2,790 71.03% 967 24.62% 171 4.35% 1,823 46.41% 3,928
Petersburg City 677 81.18% 119 14.27% 38 4.56% 558 66.91% 834
Portsmouth City 2,840 82.77% 442 12.88% 149 4.34% 2,398 69.89% 3,431
Radford City 704 53.91% 583 44.64% 19 1.45% 121 9.26% 1,306
Richmond City 6,507 68.76% 2,579 27.25% 378 3.99% 3,928 41.50% 9,464
Roanoke City 1,865 47.97% 1,932 49.69% 91 2.34% -67 -1.72% 3,888
South Norfolk City 300 81.74% 56 15.26% 11 3.00% 244 66.49% 367
Staunton City 751 72.35% 278 26.78% 9 0.87% 473 45.57% 1,038
Suffolk City 516 79.26% 126 19.35% 9 1.38% 390 59.91% 651
Williamsburg City 172 77.83% 40 18.10% 9 4.07% 132 59.73% 221
Winchester City 602 76.79% 170 21.68% 12 1.53% 432 55.10% 784
Totals 112,355 66.58% 52,386 31.04% 4,023 2.38% 59,969 35.53% 168,764

References

  1. ^ a b Kousser, J. Morgan (1974). The Shaping of Southern Politics: Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910. Yale University Press. pp. 178–181. ISBN 0-300-01696-4.
  2. ^ Key, Valdimer Orlando (1949). Southern Politics in State and Nation. pp. 20–25.
  3. ^ a b Heersink, Boris; Jenkins, Jeffrey A. (March 19, 2020). Republican Party Politics and the American South, 1865-1968. Cambridge University Press. pp. 217–221. ISBN 978-1107158436.
  4. ^ Moger, Allen (1938). "The Rift in Virginia Democracy in 1896". The Journal of Southern History. 4 (3): 295–317. doi:10.2307/2191291. JSTOR 2191291.
  5. ^ Phillips, Kevin P. (1969). The Emerging Republican Majority. Arlington House. pp. 193, 219. ISBN 0870000586.
  6. ^ a b Heinemann, Ronald (August 4, 2023). "Prelude to Revolution: The Rise and Fall of the Byrd Organization, 1925–49". In Rozell, Mark; Milliken, John G. (eds.). The New Dominion: The Twentieth-Century Elections That Shaped Modern Virginia. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. ISBN 9780813949727.
  7. ^ Sabato, Larry (1977). The Democratic Party primary in Virginia: Tantamount to election no longer (Report). University of Virginia Institute of Government. pp. 55–56.
  8. ^ Sabato (1977). The Democratic Party primary in Virginia (Report). p. 110.
  9. ^ J. Harvie Wilkinson III (1968). "Democratic Primary for Governor: Tuck v. Plunkett (1945)" (Map). Harry Byrd and the Changing Face of Virginia Politics 1945-1966. The University Of Virginia Press. Sheet 1. Cities inset. ISBN 9780813902395.
  10. ^ J. Harvie Wilkinson III (1968). Harry Byrd and the Changing Face of Virginia Politics 1945-1966. pp. 27–27. ISBN 9780813902395.
  11. ^ Atkinson, Frank B. (2006). The Dynamic Dominion: Realignment and the Rise of Two-Party Competition in Virginia, 1945-1980. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 22. ISBN 9780742552098.
  12. ^ "VA Governor D Primary – August 07, 1945". Our Campaigns.
  13. ^ a b "VA Governor Race – November 06, 1945". Our Campaigns.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1945_Virginia_gubernatorial_election&oldid=1308266342"