1969 Virginia gubernatorial election
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County and independent city results Holton: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Battle: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Virginia |
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In the 1969 Virginia gubernatorial election, incumbent Governor Mills E. Godwin, Jr., a Democrat, was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. A. Linwood Holton, Jr., an attorney from Roanoke, was nominated again by the Republican Party to run against former United States Ambassador to Australia, Democratic candidate William C. Battle.
The Democrats had held the governor's mansion for 84 years since 1885, and Holton's victory was considered a historic upset at the time. This was the first election in which Republicans won a gubernatorial election in the state.
Godwin would later successfully run for reelection as a Republican in 1973.
Democratic nomination
Candidates
- William C. Battle, former U. S. Ambassador to Australia and son of former Governor John S. Battle
- Henry Howell, State Senator from Norfolk
- Fred G. Pollard, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and former State Delegate from Richmond
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William C. Battle | 158,956 | 39.6% | |
| Democratic | Henry Howell | 154,617 | 37.0% | |
| Democratic | Fred G. Pollard | 95,057 | 23.4% | |
| Total votes | 408,630 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William C. Battle | 226,108 | 51.7% | |
| Democratic | Henry Howell | 207,505 | 48.3% | |
| Total votes | 433,613 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- William C. Battle, former U. S. Ambassador to Australia and son of former Governor John S. Battle (Democratic)
- Linwood Holton, Roanoke attorney (Republican)
- Beverly McDowell (Conservative)
- William Pennington (American Independent)
- George Walker (Independent)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | A. Linwood Holton, Jr. | 480,869 | 52.51% | +14.80% | |
| Democratic | William C. Battle | 415,695 | 45.39% | −2.50% | |
| Conservative | Beverly McDowell | 10,596 | 1.16% | −12.22% | |
| American Independent | William Pennington | 7,382 | 0.81% | +0.81% | |
| Independent | George Walker | 1,182 | 0.13% | ||
| Write-ins | 317 | <0.01% | |||
| Majority | 65,174 | 7.12% | −7.86% | ||
| Turnout | 915,764 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | ||||
References
- ^ "1969 Virginia gubernatorial election - D Primary". Virginia Department of Elections. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
- ^ "1969 Virginia gubernatorial election - D Runoff". Virginia Department of Elections. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
- ^ Jack R. Hunter, http://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1350&context=masters-theses