1966 United States Senate election in Virginia

The 1966 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 8, 1966. Democratic incumbent A. Willis Robertson ran for re-election to a fourth term in office but was defeated in the Democratic primary by state senator William B. Spong Jr. Spong defeated Republican James Ould and Conservative F. Lee Hawthorne in the general election.

This was the last time a Democrat won the Class II Senate seat from Virginia until 2008, and along with the special election for Virginia's other seat held on the same day, the last time the Democratic Party won either seat until 1988.

Democratic primary Candidates A. Willis Robertson, incumbent Senator since 1946 William Spong Jr., state senator from Portsmouth

Campaign Robertson had long been one of the most conservative members of the Democratic Party and had opposed most civil rights legislation. To secure his defeat, President Lyndon B. Johnson personally recruited Spong, a much more liberal member of the party, to challenge Robertson in the Democratic primary. The decaying Byrd machine was unsure about supporting the aging Robertson, with some members favoring younger U.S. representative Thomas N. Downing. Nevertheless, fears that Downing's supporters would not rally behind Byrd lead the organization to stand with Robertson as its candidate for the primary.

Spong relied on support from Black voters who were newly enfranchised by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the declining power of such Byrd Democrats as Sidney Kellam of Virginia Beach. He was also helped by Robertson's age and overconfidence amongst his supporters, which may explain why Harry F. Byrd Jr. won the simultaneous primary for his father's seat, whereas Robertson lost.

Results

Spong's extremely narrow victory was received as a major upset and, alongside Harry F. Byrd Jr.'s narrow victory in the simultaneous special election primary over Armistead L. Boothe, an end to the Byrd machine's dominance over the Virginia Democratic Party. Spong was helped by the fact that many conservative voters had already turned to the Republican or Virginia Conservative parties after the 1965 gubernatorial election and did not vote in the Democratic primary. Primary results by county and independent city +1966 Virginia Senate Democratic primary by county or independent city Absalom Willis RobertsonDemocratic William Belser Spong Jr.Democratic Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % Accomack County 1,790 51.70% 1,672 48.30% 118 3.41% 3,462 Albemarle County 1,599 55.81% 1,266 44.19% 333 11.62% 2,865 Alleghany County 442 62.87% 261 37.13% 181 25.75% 703 Amelia County 909 66.11% 466 33.89% 443 32.22% 1,375 Amherst County 1,291 70.20% 548 29.80% 743 40.40% 1,839 Appomattox County 2,556 85.34% 439 14.66% 2,117 70.68% 2,995 Arlington County 6,113 34.53% 11,591 65.47% -5,478 -30.94% 17,704 Augusta County 1,415 69.16% 631 30.84% 784 38.32% 2,046 Bath County 262 81.62% 59 18.38% 203 63.24% 321 Bedford County 1,615 73.85% 572 26.15% 1,043 47.69% 2,187 Bland County 254 60.05% 169 39.95% 85 20.09% 423 Botetourt County 588 59.76% 396 40.24% 192 19.51% 984 Brunswick County 1,776 61.03% 1,134 38.97% 642 22.06% 2,910 Buchanan County 499 31.36% 1,092 68.64% -593 -37.27% 1,591 Buckingham County 1,578 77.81% 450 22.19% 1,128 55.62% 2,028 Campbell County 1,730 74.70% 586 25.30% 1,144 49.40% 2,316 Caroline County 873 49.94% 875 50.06% -2 -0.11% 1,748 Carroll County 166 20.72% 635 79.28% -469 -58.55% 801 Charles City County 222 23.20% 735 76.80% -513 -53.61% 957 Charlotte County 1,323 77.01% 395 22.99% 928 54.02% 1,718 Chesterfield County 4,837 64.02% 2,718 35.98% 2,119 28.05% 7,555 Clarke County 911 65.49% 480 34.51% 431 30.98% 1,391 Craig County 133 53.85% 114 46.15% 19 7.69% 247 Culpeper County 1,430 69.38% 631 30.62% 799 38.77% 2,061 Cumberland County 943 58.32% 674 41.68% 269 16.64% 1,617 Dickenson County 688 45.56% 822 54.44% -134 -8.87% 1,510 Dinwiddie County 1,887 67.13% 924 32.87% 963 34.26% 2,811 Essex County 594 63.46% 342 36.54% 252 26.92% 936 Fairfax County 8,531 30.06% 19,848 69.94% -11,317 -39.88% 28,379 Fauquier County 2,076 63.70% 1,183 36.30% 893 27.40% 3,259 Floyd County 144 50.00% 144 50.00% 0 0.00% 288 Fluvanna County 453 76.78% 137 23.22% 316 53.56% 590 Franklin County 1,174 59.26% 807 40.74% 367 18.53% 1,981 Frederick County 1,647 68.03% 774 31.97% 873 36.06% 2,421 Giles County 517 47.61% 569 52.39% -52 -4.79% 1,086 Gloucester County 798 59.95% 533 40.05% 265 19.91% 1,331 Goochland County 1,265 60.15% 838 39.85% 427 20.30% 2,103 Grayson County 381 38.72% 603 61.28% -222 -22.56% 984 Greene County 126 61.17% 80 38.83% 46 22.33% 206 Greensville County 1,595 54.79% 1,316 45.21% 279 9.58% 2,911 Halifax County 2,163 77.22% 638 22.78% 1,525 54.44% 2,801 Hanover County 2,348 66.72% 1,171 33.28% 1,177 33.45% 3,519 Henrico County 11,288 66.44% 5,701 33.56% 5,587 32.89% 16,989 Henry County 928 51.84% 862 48.16% 66 3.69% 1,790 Highland County 203 89.04% 25 10.96% 178 78.07% 228 Isle of Wight County 909 45.04% 1,109 54.96% -200 -9.91% 2,018 James City County 555 52.01% 512 47.99% 43 4.03% 1,067 King and Queen County 446 51.44% 421 48.56% 25 2.88% 867 King George County 452 55.39% 364 44.61% 88 10.78% 816 King William County 718 60.39% 471 39.61% 247 20.77% 1,189 Lancaster County 1,525 74.83% 513 25.17% 1,012 49.66% 2,038 Lee County 200 10.32% 1,738 89.68% -1,538 -79.36% 1,938 Loudoun County 1,949 59.77% 1,312 40.23% 637 19.53% 3,261 Louisa County 1,410 67.53% 678 32.47% 732 35.06% 2,088 Lunenburg County 1,178 63.50% 677 36.50% 501 27.01% 1,855 Madison County 496 71.68% 196 28.32% 300 43.35% 692 Mathews County 575 64.10% 322 35.90% 253 28.21% 897 Mecklenburg County 2,189 68.30% 1,016 31.70% 1,173 36.60% 3,205 Middlesex County 428 69.03% 192 30.97% 236 38.06% 620 Montgomery County 882 56.72% 673 43.28% 209 13.44% 1,555 Nansemond County1,512 39.56% 2,310 60.44% -798 -20.88% 3,822 Nelson County 705 71.50% 281 28.50% 424 43.00% 986 New Kent County 328 44.87% 403 55.13% -75 -10.26% 731 Northampton County 993 68.06% 466 31.94% 527 36.12% 1,459 Northumberland County 759 54.96% 622 45.04% 137 9.92% 1,381 Nottoway County 1,695 66.50% 854 33.50% 841 32.99% 2,549 Orange County 1,017 66.73% 507 33.27% 510 33.46% 1,524 Page County 1,261 79.61% 323 20.39% 938 59.22% 1,584 Patrick County 612 44.80% 754 55.20% -142 -10.40% 1,366 Pittsylvania County 3,411 62.91% 2,011 37.09% 1,400 25.82% 5,422 Powhatan County 583 54.18% 493 45.82% 90 8.36% 1,076 Prince Edward County 2,127 63.74% 1,210 36.26% 917 27.48% 3,337 Prince George County 980 55.65% 781 44.35% 199 11.30% 1,761 Prince William County 2,505 55.18% 2,035 44.82% 470 10.35% 4,540 Pulaski County 763 41.40% 1,080 58.60% -317 -17.20% 1,843 Rappahannock County 816 79.77% 207 20.23% 609 59.53% 1,023 Richmond County 589 66.25% 300 33.75% 289 32.51% 889 Roanoke County 2,213 59.49% 1,507 40.51% 706 18.98% 3,720 Rockbridge County 906 78.24% 252 21.76% 654 56.48% 1,158 Rockingham County 1,138 67.14% 557 32.86% 581 34.28% 1,695 Russell County 523 29.99% 1,221 70.01% -698 -40.02% 1,744 Scott County 284 21.93% 1,011 78.07% -727 -56.14% 1,295 Shenandoah County 1,430 77.72% 410 22.28% 1,020 55.43% 1,840 Smyth County 539 37.75% 889 62.25% -350 -24.51% 1,428 Southampton County 1,272 55.40% 1,024 44.60% 248 10.80% 2,296 Spotsylvania County 1,130 46.69% 1,290 53.31% -160 -6.61% 2,420 Stafford County 1,187 44.04% 1,508 55.96% -321 -11.91% 2,695 Surry County 843 52.46% 764 47.54% 79 4.92% 1,607 Sussex County 1,686 66.88% 835 33.12% 851 33.76% 2,521 Tazewell County 770 47.71% 844 52.29% -74 -4.58% 1,614 Warren County 1,246 58.55% 882 41.45% 364 17.11% 2,128 Washington County 929 42.21% 1,272 57.79% -343 -15.58% 2,201 Westmoreland County 868 55.96% 683 44.04% 185 11.93% 1,551 Wise County 1,471 50.24% 1,457 49.76% 14 0.48% 2,928 Wythe County 650 46.26% 755 53.74% -105 -7.47% 1,405 York County 1,206 53.10% 1,065 46.90% 141 6.21% 2,271 Alexandria City 3,870 35.02% 7,180 64.98% -3,310 -29.95% 11,050 Bristol City 556 38.40% 892 61.60% -336 -23.20% 1,448 Buena Vista City 416 79.24% 109 20.76% 307 58.48% 525 Charlottesville City 2,123 46.49% 2,444 53.51% -321 -7.03% 4,567 Chesapeake City 4,820 43.44% 6,277 56.56% -1,457 -13.13% 11,097 Clifton Forge City 401 69.26% 178 30.74% 223 38.51% 579 Colonial Heights City 1,478 80.02% 369 19.98% 1,109 60.04% 1,847 Covington City 575 59.28% 395 40.72% 180 18.56% 970 Danville City 2,691 60.01% 1,793 39.99% 898 20.03% 4,484 Fairfax City 773 36.39% 1,351 63.61% -578 -27.21% 2,124 Falls Church City 441 31.34% 966 68.66% -525 -37.31% 1,407 Franklin City 536 55.66% 427 44.34% 109 11.32% 963 Fredericksburg City 1,406 45.17% 1,707 54.83% -301 -9.67% 3,113 Galax City 182 40.27% 270 59.73% -88 -19.47% 452 Hampton City 5,335 50.50% 5,229 49.49% 106 1.00% 10,565 Harrisonburg City 844 70.22% 358 29.78% 486 40.43% 1,202 Hopewell City 1,376 56.05% 1,079 43.95% 297 12.10% 2,455 Lexington City 662 68.32% 307 31.68% 355 36.64% 969 Lynchburg City 3,188 59.30% 2,188 40.70% 1,000 18.60% 5,376 Martinsville City 811 49.72% 820 50.28% -9 -0.55% 1,631 Newport News City 6,313 49.33% 6,484 50.67% -171 -1.34% 12,797 Norfolk City 9,773 33.76% 19,175 66.24% -9,402 -32.48% 28,948 Norton City 151 34.79% 283 65.21% -132 -30.41% 434 Petersburg City 2,723 46.55% 3,126 53.45% -403 -6.89% 5,849 Portsmouth City 4,460 26.79% 12,187 73.21% -7,727 -46.42% 16,647 Radford City 334 50.76% 324 49.24% 10 1.52% 658 Richmond City 14,628 46.87% 16,579 53.13% -1,951 -6.25% 31,207 Roanoke City 4,135 54.96% 3,388 45.04% 747 9.93% 7,523 South Boston City 599 79.65% 153 20.35% 446 59.31% 752 Staunton City 1,356 66.47% 684 33.53% 672 32.94% 2,040 Suffolk City 997 54.69% 826 45.31% 171 9.38% 1,823 Virginia Beach City 6,396 42.77% 8,560 57.23% -2,164 -14.47% 14,956 Waynesboro City 740 59.06% 513 40.94% 227 18.12% 1,253 Williamsburg City 470 45.76% 557 54.24% -87 -8.47% 1,027 Winchester City 1,795 70.70% 744 29.30% 1,051 41.39% 2,539Totals216,27449.93%216,88550.07%-611-0.14%433,160

General election

Candidates

F. Lee Hawthorne (Conservative) James P. Ould Jr., mayor of Lynchburg (Republican) William Spong Jr., state senator from Portsmouth (Democratic)

Campaign This was the first time since 1948 that the Republicans nominated a candidate for the seat. James P. Ould was mayor of Lynchburg and ran an essentially conservative campaign against the moderately progressive Spong. He was less successful by about 4 percent than the lesser-known Lawrence Traylor in the concurrent election for the state's other Senate seat.

The Virginia Conservative Party was formed by hard-line Byrd Democrats who believed that the pay-as-you-go political system must be reinforced and federal control eliminated throughout the state. Support by several leaders of the machine for Lyndon Johnson in the 1964 presidential election – most critically future party-switching two-time Governor Mills Godwin – angered this group and led it away from even the conservative state Democratic Party. Both Conservative Senate candidates devoted their campaigns to attacking the major parties for refusing to debate such issues as the supposed takeover of schools, inflation due to the War on Poverty, and judicial appointments that the Conservatives believed responsible for the crime wave of the 1960s. Results

Results by county or independent city