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1860 United States presidential election in Virginia

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1860 United States presidential election in Virginia

← 1856 November 6, 1860 1872
1864 (West Virginia) →
 
Nominee John Bell John C. Breckinridge Stephen A. Douglas
Party Constitutional Union Southern Democratic Democratic
Home state Tennessee Kentucky Illinois
Running mate Edward Everett Joseph Lane Herschel V. Johnson
Electoral vote 15 0 0
Popular vote 74,481 74,325 16,198
Percentage 44.63% 44.54% 9.71%

County Results

President before election

James Buchanan
Democratic

Elected President

Abraham Lincoln
Republican

The 1860 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 6, 1860, as part of the 1860 United States presidential election. Voters chose 15 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Campaign

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Archibald Campbell and John Curtiss Underwood attempted to have the Republican National Convention held in Wheeling, Virginia. Many national Republicans supported the idea, including chair Edwin D. Morgan. However, the hostile reaction to the Republican Party by the south after John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry resulted in the committee choosing to host the convention in Chicago.[1]

1,500 people attended the Republican Party of Virginia's state convention in Wheeling on May 2, 1860. The party's delegation to the national convention was the sixth-largest there, despite a credentials challenge against the entire south by opponents of William H. Seward. The initially pro-Seward Virginia delegation gave a majority of its votes to Abraham Lincoln on the first ballot. The delegation supported Cassius Marcellus Clay for the vice presidential nomination.[2]

Four companies of Wide Awakes totaling 350 men were formed during the campaign.[3] Almost all of Lincoln's support came from around Wheeling[4] and his best county was Ohio County.[3]

Results

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1860 United States presidential election in Virginia[5]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Constitutional Union John Bell 74,481 44.63% 15
Southern Democratic John C. Breckinridge 74,325 44.54% 0
Democratic Stephen A. Douglas 16,198 9.71% 0
Republican Abraham Lincoln 1,887 1.13% 0
Totals 166,891 100.0% 15

Results by County

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1860 United States Presidential Election in Virginia (By County)[6]
County John Bell

Constitutional Union

John C. Breckinridge

Southern Democratic

Stephen A. Douglas

Democratic

Abraham Lincoln

Republican

Total Votes Cast[6]
# % # % # % # %
Accomack 736 47.39% 737 47.46% 80 5.15% 0 0.00% 1,553
Albemarle 1,317 53.32% 1,056 42.75% 97 3.93% 0 0.00% 2,470
Alexandria 1,012 58.36% 565 32.58% 141 8.13% 16 0.92% 1,734
Alleghany 250 39.62% 344 54.52% 37 5.86% 0 0.00% 631
Amelia 282 50.09% 249 44.23% 32 5.68% 0 0.00% 563
Amherst 622 42.72% 808 55.49% 26 1.79% 0 0.00% 1,456
Appomattox 221 27.83% 563 70.91% 10 1.26% 0 0.00% 794
Augusta 2,553 66.05% 218 5.64% 1,094 28.31% 0 0.00% 3,865
Barbour 422 30.71% 910 66.23% 39 2.84% 3 0.22% 1,374
Bath 220 45.32% 163 40.25% 22 5.43% 0 0.00% 405
Bedford 1,468 56.55% 1,037 39.95% 91 3.50% 0 0.00% 2,596
Berkeley 913 49.38% 830 44.89% 106 5.73% 0 0.00% 1,849
Boone 121 34.67% 204 58.45% 24 6.88% 0 0.00% 349
Botetourt 590 43.61% 589 43.53% 174 12.86% 0 0.00% 1,353
Braxton 274 50.09% 227 41.50% 46 8.41% 0 0.00% 547
Brooke 173 19.84% 450 51.61% 76 8.72% 173 19.84% 872
Brunswick 308 32.90% 444 46.28% 187 19.91% 0 0.00% 939
Buchanan 14 8.38% 134 80.24% 19 11.38% 0 0.00% 167
Buckingham 545 50.00% 523 47.98% 22 2.02% 0 0.00% 1,090
Cabell 316 35.59% 161 18.13% 407 45.83% 4 0.45% 888
Calhoun 19 6.23% 285 93.44% 1 0.32% 0 0.00% 305
Campbell 1,521 52.90% 1,208 42.02% 146 5.08% 0 0.00% 2,875
Caroline 561 41.52% 772 57.14% 18 1.33% 0 0.00% 1,351
Carroll 315 29.86% 729 69.10% 11 1.04% 0 0.00% 1,055
Charles City 224 65.12% 111 32.26% 9 2.62% 0 0.00% 344
Charlotte 418 46.04% 465 51.21% 25 2.75% 0 0.00% 908
Chesterfield 788 46.24% 328 19.25% 588 34.51% 0 0.00% 1,704
Clarke 288 42.86% 335 49.85% 49 7.29% 0 0.00% 672
Clay 119 76.28% 37 23.72% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 156
Craig 112 25.69% 322 73.85% 2 0.46% 0 0.00% 436
Culpeper 526 49.16% 525 49.07% 19 1.78% 0 0.00% 1,070
Cumberland 278 47.04% 276 46.70% 37 6.26% 0 0.00% 591
Dinwiddie 389 47.09% 254 30.75% 183 22.16% 0 0.00% 826
Doddridge 143 24.20% 356 60.24% 91 15.40% 1 0.16% 591
Elizabeth City 248 56.88% 164 37.61% 24 5.51% 0 0.00% 436
Essex 279 47.21% 308 52.11% 4 0.68% 0 0.00% 591
Fairfax 691 47.10% 685 46.69% 91 6.20% 0 0.00% 1,491
Fauquier 989 48.13% 1,027 49.98% 39 1.90% 0 0.00% 2,056
Fayette 381 55.46% 241 35.08% 65 9.46% 0 0.00% 687
Floyd 384 46.83% 400 48.78% 36 4.39% 0 0.00% 820
Fluvanna 487 51.97% 443 47.28% 7 0.72% 0 0.00% 937
Franklin 863 41.65% 1,076 51.93% 133 6.42% 0 0.00% 2,072
Frederick 963 41.08% 1,315 56.10% 66 2.82% 0 0.00% 2,344
Giles 366 54.46% 244 36.31% 62 9.23% 0 0.00% 672
Gilmer 117 28.40% 268 65.05% 27 6.55% 0 0.00% 412
Gloucester 301 39.55% 460 60.45% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 761
Goochland 244 34.41% 428 60.37% 37 5.22% 0 0.00% 709
Grayson 315 40.49% 447 57.46% 16 2.05% 0 0.00% 762
Greenbrier 993 60.88% 505 30.96% 133 8.15% 0 0.00% 1,631
Greene 74 12.23% 521 86.12% 10 1.65% 0 0.00% 605
Greensville 139 41.99% 151 45.62% 41 12.39% 0 0.00% 331
Halifax 563 27.97% 1,312 65.18% 138 6.86% 0 0.00% 2,013
Hampshire 878 43.37% 1,054 52.49% 75 3.74% 1 0.04% 2,008
Hancock 33 5.29% 262 41.32% 85 13.42% 254 40.06% 634
Hanover 575 42.56% 749 55.44% 27 2.00% 0 0.00% 1,351
Hardy 894 67.57% 355 26.83% 74 5.60% 0 0.00% 1,323
Harrison 931 41.36% 1,191 52.91% 107 4.75% 22 0.98% 2,251
Henrico 1,403 62.83% 641 28.71% 189 8.46% 0 0.00% 2,233
Henry 543 51.91% 444 44.45% 59 5.64% 0 0.00% 1,046
Highland 215 33.59% 170 26.56% 255 39.84% 0 0.00% 640
Isle of Wight 147 15.93% 757 82.02% 19 2.05% 0 0.00% 923
Jackson 388 39.88% 500 51.39% 64 6.58% 21 2.16% 973
James City 148 69.48% 60 28.17% 5 2.35% 0 0.00% 213
Jefferson 959 51.64% 458 24.66% 440 23.69% 0 0.00% 1,857
Kanawha 1,176 67.55% 513 29.47% 52 2.99% 0 0.00% 1,741
King and Queen 255 33.25% 510 66.49% 2 0.26% 0 0.00% 767
King George 184 41.44% 223 50.23% 37 8.33% 0 0.00% 444
King William 142 30.54% 315 67.74% 8 1.72% 0 0.00% 465
Lancaster 209 57.58% 142 39.12% 12 3.31% 0 0.00% 363
Lee 462 33.82% 894 65.45% 10 0.73% 0 0.00% 1,366
Lewis 332 28.06% 604 51.06% 247 20.88% 0 0.00% 1,183
Logan 100 26.53% 271 71.88% 6 1.59% 0 0.00% 377
Loudoun 2,033 69.10% 778 26.44% 120 4.08% 11 0.37% 2,942
Louisa 498 39.71% 754 60.13% 2 0.16% 0 0.00% 1,254
Lunenburg 251 30.99% 527 65.06% 32 3.95% 0 0.00% 810
McDowell 35 48.61% 37 51.39% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 72
Madison 74 7.97% 834 89.87% 20 2.16% 0 0.00% 928
Marion 569 27.84% 1,337 65.41% 137 6.70% 1 0.01% 2,044
Marshall 928 45.49% 809 39.66% 108 5.29% 195 9.56% 2,040
Mason 716 47.39% 439 29.05% 297 19.66% 59 3.90% 1,511
Mathews 251 45.06% 306 54.94% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 557
Mecklenburg 430 30.85% 901 64.63% 63 4.52% 0 0.00% 1,394
Mercer 443 49.89% 432 48.65% 13 1.46% 0 0.00% 888
Middlesex 151 38.52% 241 61.48% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 392
Monongalia 622 30.24% 601 29.22% 757 36.80% 77 3.74% 2,057
Monroe 693 53.47% 520 40.12% 83 6.40% 0 0.00% 1,296
Montgomery 712 58.79% 425 35.09% 74 6.11% 0 0.00% 1,211
Morgan 308 52.92% 254 43.62% 20 3.44% 0 0.00% 582
Nansemond 477 52.59% 429 47.30% 1 0.11% 0 0.00% 907
Nelson 733 59.35% 390 31.58% 112 9.07% 0 0.00% 1,235
New Kent 264 60.27% 172 39.27% 2 0.46% 0 0.00% 438
Nicholas 345 63.03% 152 27.89% 48 8.81% 0 0.00% 545
Norfolk City 982 59.38% 439 26.54% 233 14.09% 0 0.00% 1,654
Norfolk County 704 58.52% 447 37.16% 52 4.32% 0 0.00% 1,203
Northampton 234 51.54% 214 47.14% 6 1.32% 0 0.00% 454
Northumberland 276 44.02% 350 55.82% 1 0.16% 0 0.00% 627
Nottoway 232 52.85% 179 40.77% 28 6.39% 0 0.00% 439
Ohio 1,202 33.43% 915 25.39% 716 19.87% 771 21.39% 3,604
Orange 427 46.72% 475 51.97% 12 1.31% 0 0.00% 914
Page 141 12.23% 937 81.27% 75 6.50% 0 0.00% 1,153
Patrick 433 46.31% 432 46.20% 70 7.49% 0 0.00% 935
Pendleton 400 53.33% 217 28.93% 133 17.73% 0 0.00% 750
Petersburg 970 53.71% 223 12.35% 613 33.94% 0 0.00% 1,806
Pittsylvania 1,702 57.98% 1,057 36.00% 177 6.01% 0 0.00% 2,936
Pleasants 140 32.94% 166 39.06% 119 28.00% 0 0.00% 425
Pocahontas 163 30.99% 333 63.31% 30 5.70% 0 0.00% 526
Portsmouth 678 46.60% 559 38.42% 214 14.72% 4 0.27% 1,455
Powhatan 225 47.67% 127 26.91% 120 25.42% 0 0.00% 472
Preston 562 30.33% 942 50.84% 239 12.90% 110 5.94% 1,853
Prince Edward 374 43.39% 423 49.07% 65 7.54% 0 0.00% 862
Prince George 243 43.39% 191 34.11% 126 22.50% 0 0.00% 560
Princess Anne 451 53.31% 379 44.80% 16 1.89% 0 0.00% 846
Prince William 243 23.32% 718 68.91% 26 2.50% 55 5.28% 1,042
Pulaski 332 56.56% 250 42.59% 5 0.85% 0 0.00% 587
Putnam 400 52.29% 327 42.75% 38 4.97% 0 0.00% 765
Raleigh 230 73.48% 69 22.04% 14 4.47% 0 0.00% 313
Randolph 259 39.85% 248 38.15% 143 22.00% 0 0.00% 650
Rappahannock 491 52.85% 409 44.03% 29 3.12% 0 0.00% 929
Richmond City 2,402 55.58% 1,167 27.08% 753 17.42% 0 0.00% 4,322
Richmond County 353 64.89% 185 34.01% 6 1.10% 0 0.00% 544
Ritchie 224 26.26% 544 63.77% 73 8.56% 12 1.41% 853
Roane 237 45.84% 264 51.06% 16 3.09% 0 0.00% 517
Roanoke 293 40.81% 373 51.95% 52 7.24% 0 0.00% 718
Rockbridge 1,231 55.13% 361 16.17% 641 28.71% 0 0.00% 2,233
Rockingham 883 30.31% 676 23.21% 1,354 46.48% 0 0.00% 2,913
Russell 473 47.35% 526 52.65% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 999
Scott 491 41.75% 594 50.60% 91 7.74% 0 0.00% 1,176
Shenandoah 427 17.13% 1,883 75.53% 170 6.82% 13 0.52% 2,493
Smyth 446 45.01% 496 50.05% 49 4.94% 0 0.00% 991
Southampton 545 48.79% 563 50.40% 9 0.81% 0 0.00% 1,117
Spotsylvania 599 43.66% 516 37.61% 257 18.73% 0 0.00% 1,372
Stafford 404 41.61% 402 41.41% 165 16.99% 0 0.00% 971
Surry 197 53.68% 115 31.34% 55 14.99% 0 0.00% 367
Sussex 177 31.22% 294 51.85% 96 16.93% 0 0.00% 567
Taylor 647 51.68% 575 45.93% 26 2.08% 4 0.32% 1,252
Tazewell 306 24.68% 934 75.32% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 1,240
Tucker 22 15.28% 99 68.75% 23 15.97% 0 0.00% 144
Tyler 315 33.69% 423 45.24% 197 21.07% 0 0.00% 935
Upshur 331 33.98% 589 60.47% 54 5.54% 0 0.00% 974
Warren 276 36.80% 462 61.60% 12 1.60% 0 0.00% 750
Warwick 72 69.23% 32 30.77% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 104
Washington 916 42.60% 1,178 54.79% 56 2.60% 0 0.00% 2,150
Wayne 326 56.82% 166 28.42% 82 14.04% 10 1.71% 584
Webster 86 45.03% 96 50.26% 9 4.71% 0 0.00% 191
Westmoreland 438 72.76% 160 26.58% 4 0.66% 0 0.00% 602
Wetzel 90 10.51% 607 70.91% 153 17.87% 6 0.70% 856
Williamsburg 49 42.24% 43 37.07% 24 20.69% 0 0.00% 116
Wirt 150 35.63% 255 60.57% 16 3.80% 0 0.00% 421
Wise 102 21.56% 363 76.74% 8 1.69% 0 0.00% 473
Wood 832 46.20% 832 46.20% 56 3.11% 81 4.50% 1,801
Wyoming[a] 60 61.22% 29 29.60% 9 9.18% 0 0.00% 98
Wythe 617 43.03% 795 55.44% 22 1.53% 0 0.00% 1,434
York 227 70.93% 90 28.13% 3 0.94% 0 0.00% 320
Total 74,701 44.65% 74,379 44.46% 16,292 9.74% 1,929 1.15% 167,301

Analysis

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Virginia was one of only three states to vote for the Constitutional Union candidate, former U.S. Senator John Bell, over the Southern Democratic candidate, Vice President John C. Breckinridge, and the Democratic candidate, U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas. Former U.S. Representative Abraham Lincoln was also the Republican candidate in this election, but he received the lowest support for any Republican presidential candidate (as well as the lowest support of any candidate who won the presidency) in the history of Virginia.

This was the first presidential election since the formation of political parties in which Virginia did not vote for the Democratic or Democratic-Republican candidate. It was also the closest presidential election result in Virginia history: Bell won by 156 votes, or a margin of 0.093474% – the thirteenth-closest statewide presidential result in United States history and the closest between 1836 and 1876. Virginia eventually seceded from the United States on April 17, 1861, and did not participate in the following elections in 1864 and 1868. However, unionist counties in the Ohio basin, plus a number of adjacent counties in the northwest, seceded to form the state of West Virginia and did participate in those two elections. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Morgan County, one of the counties that broke off to form West Virginia, did not vote for the Republican candidate.

Virginia was the only one of the eleven states that would later declare their secession from the Union and be controlled by Confederate armies where any ballots for Lincoln were distributed, and the vast majority of the votes Lincoln received were cast in border counties of what would soon become West Virginia – the future state accounted for 1,832 of Lincoln's 1,929 votes.[7] Lincoln received no votes at all in 121 of the state's then-145 counties (including 31 of the 50 that would form West Virginia), received a single vote in three counties and received ten or fewer votes in nine of the 24 counties where he polled votes. Lincoln's best results, by far, were in the four counties that comprised the state's northern panhandle, a region which had long felt alienated from Richmond and which was economically and culturally linked to its neighbors Ohio and Pennsylvania and which would become the key driver in the successful effort to form a separate state. Hancock County (Virginia's northernmost at the time) returned Lincoln's best result – he polled over 40% of the vote there and finished in second place (Lincoln polled only eight votes fewer than Breckinridge). Of the 97 votes cast for Lincoln in the state's post-1863 boundaries, 93 were polled in four counties along the Potomac River and four were cast in the coastal city of Portsmouth.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The official return from Wyoming County was received in Richmond after the legal deadline for submission of returns and so was not counted in the totals.

References

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  1. ^ Lowe 1973, p. 273-274.
  2. ^ Lowe 1973, p. 275-277.
  3. ^ a b Lowe 1973, p. 278.
  4. ^ Abbott 1986, p. 17.
  5. ^ "1860 Presidential General Election Results - Virginia". U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "1860 Election Returns" (PDF). Virginia Memory.
  7. ^ Results by county in Virginia

Works cited

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