The 1964 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 3, 1964. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1964 United States presidential election. Virginia voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States.
For the previous six decades Virginia had almost completely disenfranchised its black and poor white populations through the use of a cumulative poll tax and literacy tests. So restricted was suffrage in this period 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.
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. Historical fusion with the “Readjuster” Democrats, defection of substantial proportions of the Northeast-aligned white electorate of the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia over free silver, and an early move towards a “lily white” Jim Crow party meant Republicans retained a small but permanent number of legislative seats and local offices in the western part of the state.Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 210, 242
In 1928, the GOP did carry the state's presidential electoral votes due to anti-Catholicism against Al Smith, but it was 1952 before any real changes occurred, as in-migration from the traditionally Republican Northeast meant that growing Washington, D.C., and Richmond suburbs would turn Republican not just in presidential elections but in Congressional ones as well, although the Republicans would not make significant gains in the state legislature. Opposition to the black civil rights legislation of Harry S. Truman meant that the Byrd Organization did not support Adlai Stevenson II or John F. Kennedy. Although the Organization viewed the national Republican party as no better on civil rights—it opposed the “massive resistance” orchestrated by Senator Byrd after Brown v. Board of Education—Byrd's silence helped Eisenhower and Nixon win the state three consecutive times between 1952 and 1960.
For 1964, it was evident that Virginia's electorate would be substantially increased by the Twenty-fourth Amendment, which banned the poll tax in federal elections and allowed major increases in voter registration during the preceding year. Efforts by civil rights groups to register black voters would help black voter registration double vis-à-vis 1960. At the same time, Republican nominee Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater voted against the Civil Rights Act and targeted the South as critical to winning the election against incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson who signed that Act in August 1964, whilst most Byrd Democrats endorsed Johnson—this being the first time since 1936 the Organization had done so. Virginia would not vote for a Democrat again until 2008, after which it has always gone Democratic.
Predictions SourceRankingAs ofThe Wall Street JournalSeptember 29, 1964Honolulu AdvertiserOctober 18, 1964The Progress-IndexOctober 25, 1964The Chicago TribuneOctober 29, 1964Fort Lauderdale NewsNovember 1, 1964The Charlotte ObserverNovember 1, 1964Los Angeles TimesNovember 1, 1964
Results 1964 United States presidential election in VirginiaPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Democratic Lyndon B. Johnson (inc.) 558,038 53.53% 12 Republican Barry Goldwater 481,334 46.17% 0 Socialist Labor Eric Hass 2,895 0.28% 0 American NaziGeorge Lincoln Rockwell (write-in)2120.02%0 Totals 1,042,479 100.00% 12
Results by county or independent city County orcity Lyndon B. JohnsonDemocratic Barry GoldwaterRepublican Eric HassSocialist Labor Margin Total votescast # % # % # % # % Accomack 3,528 52.79% 3,145 47.06%100.15% 383 5.73% 6,683 Albemarle 3,062 48.49% 3,251 51.48%20.03% -189 -2.99% 6,315 Alexandria 16,828 65.52% 8,825 34.36%300.12% 8,003 31.16% 25,683 Alleghany 1,580 58.85% 1,104 41.12%10.04% 476 17.73% 2,685 Amelia 884 39.48% 1,348 60.21%70.31% -464 -20.73% 2,239 Amherst 2,730 50.46% 2,675 49.45%50.09% 55 1.01% 5,410 Appomattox 1,339 35.32% 2,444 64.47%80.21% -1,105 -29.15% 3,791 Arlington 33,567 61.75% 20,485 37.68%3110.57% 13,082 24.07% 54,363 Augusta 4,039 48.24% 4,327 51.68%60.07% -288 -3.44% 8,372 Bath 770 59.88% 516 40.12%00.00% 254 19.76% 1,286 Bedford 4,076 51.50% 3,806 48.09%320.40% 270 3.41% 7,914 Bland 851 54.20% 717 45.67%20.13% 134 8.53% 1,570 Botetourt 2,377 53.11% 2,098 46.87%10.02% 279 6.24% 4,476 Bristol 2,429 65.24% 1,289 34.62%50.13% 1,140 30.62% 3,723 Brunswick 1,883 42.35% 2,560 57.58%30.07% -677 -15.23% 4,446 Buchanan 4,756 66.76% 2,349 32.97%190.27% 2,407 33.79% 7,124 Buckingham 1,182 43.25% 1,547 56.60%40.15% -365 -13.35% 2,733 Buena Vista 691 59.93% 459 39.81%30.26% 232 20.12% 1,153 Campbell 3,401 37.19% 5,713 62.47%310.34% -2,312 -25.28% 9,145 Caroline 2,064 63.64% 1,166 35.95%130.40% 898 27.69% 3,243 Carroll 2,517 40.95% 3,617 58.85%120.20% -1,100 -17.90% 6,146 Charles City 1,023 75.89% 323 23.96%20.15% 700 51.93% 1,348 Charlotte 1,191 37.48% 1,974 62.11%130.41% -783 -24.63% 3,178 Charlottesville 5,205 53.64% 4,415 45.50%840.87% 790 8.14% 9,704 Chesapeake 9,532 51.19% 9,038 48.54%510.27% 494 2.65% 18,621 Chesterfield 8,376 32.38% 17,486 67.59%90.03% -9,110 -35.21% 25,871 Clarke 1,136 51.50% 1,068 48.41%20.09% 68 3.09% 2,206 Clifton Forge 1,252 59.56% 850 40.44%00.00% 402 19.12% 2,102 Colonial Heights 1,198 33.09% 2,420 66.85%20.06% -1,222 -33.76% 3,620 Covington 2,055 64.10% 1,149 35.84%20.06% 906 28.26% 3,206 Craig 767 61.66% 477 38.34%00.00% 290 23.32% 1,244 Culpeper 1,886 51.46% 1,775 48.43%40.11% 111 3.03% 3,665 Cumberland 871 44.06% 1,099 55.59%70.35% -228 -11.53% 1,977 Danville 4,539 35.67% 7,900 62.09%2852.24% -3,361 -26.42% 12,724 Dickenson 3,485 61.80% 2,143 38.00%110.20% 1,342 23.80% 5,639 Dinwiddie 2,182 50.92% 2,096 48.91%70.16% 86 2.01% 4,285 Essex 760 49.03% 789 50.90%10.06% -29 -1.87% 1,550 Fairfax 48,680 61.22% 30,755 38.68%820.10% 17,925 22.54% 79,517 Fairfax City 2,835 59.48% 1,924 40.37%70.15% 911 19.11% 4,766 Falls Church 2,371 63.96% 1,329 35.85%70.19% 1,042 28.11% 3,707 Fauquier 3,506 62.46% 2,101 37.43%60.11% 1,405 25.03% 5,613 Floyd 1,144 38.32% 1,836 61.51%50.17% -692 -23.19% 2,985 Fluvanna County 1,008 54.96% 823 44.87%30.16% 185 10.09% 1,834 Franklin 3,447 60.08% 2,279 39.72%110.19% 1,168 20.36% 5,737 Franklin City 1,257 61.59% 783 38.36%10.05% 474 23.23% 2,041 Frederick 2,880 52.61% 2,585 47.22%90.16% 295 5.39% 5,474 Fredericksburg 2,410 61.35% 1,511 38.47%70.18% 899 22.88% 3,928 Galax 717 50.64% 697 49.22%20.14% 20 1.42% 1,416 Giles 3,133 60.63% 1,952 37.78%821.59% 1,181 22.85% 5,167 Gloucester 1,949 54.40% 1,631 45.52%30.08% 318 8.88% 3,583 Goochland 1,452 53.84% 1,241 46.01%40.15% 211 7.83% 2,697 Grayson 3,238 50.98% 3,105 48.88%90.14% 133 2.10% 6,352 Greene 460 41.67% 641 58.06%30.27% -181 -16.39% 1,104 Greensville 2,262 50.06% 2,245 49.68%120.27% 17 0.38% 4,519 Halifax 2,198 35.77% 3,928 63.93%180.29% -1,730 -28.16% 6,144 Hampton 13,542 60.76% 8,731 39.17%150.07% 4,811 21.59% 22,288 Hanover 2,864 36.95% 4,879 62.95%80.10% -2,015 -26.00% 7,751 Harrisonburg 1,765 49.16% 1,820 50.70%50.14% -55 -1.54% 3,590 Henrico 12,779 30.37% 29,286 69.59%170.04% -16,507 -39.22% 42,082 Henry 5,295 64.70% 2,844 34.75%450.55% 2,451 29.95% 8,184 Highland 476 48.13% 511 51.67%20.20% -35 -3.54% 989 Hopewell 2,498 43.89% 3,183 55.93%100.18% -685 -12.04% 5,691 Isle of Wight 2,656 60.38% 1,737 39.49%60.14% 919 20.89% 4,399 James City 1,744 61.43% 1,092 38.46%30.11% 652 22.97% 2,839 King and Queen 786 52.79% 699 46.94%40.27% 87 5.85% 1,489 King George 1,085 62.75% 644 37.25%00.00% 441 25.50% 1,729 King William 904 45.77% 1,065 53.92%60.30% -161 -8.15% 1,975 Lancaster 1,245 42.77% 1,663 57.13%30.10% -418 -14.36% 2,911 Lee 5,151 59.71% 3,463 40.15%120.14% 1,688 19.56% 8,626 Loudoun 4,278 62.21% 2,594 37.72%50.07% 1,684 24.49% 6,877 Louisa 1,731 55.78% 1,369 44.12%30.10% 362 11.66% 3,103 Lunenburg 1,128 37.89% 1,847 62.04%20.07% -719 -24.15% 2,977 Lynchburg 6,758 40.14% 10,044 59.66%320.19% -3,286 -19.52% 16,834 Madison 862 44.83% 1,060 55.12%10.05% -198 -10.29% 1,923 Martinsville 2,943 61.01% 1,805 37.42%761.58% 1,138 23.59% 4,824 Mathews 1,137 49.74% 1,149 50.26%00.00% -12 -0.52% 2,286 Mecklenburg 3,238 39.36% 4,976 60.48%130.16% -1,738 -21.12% 8,227 Middlesex 973 48.77% 1,019 51.08%30.15% -46 -2.31% 1,995 Montgomery 3,872 45.61% 4,604 54.23%130.15% -732 -8.62% 8,489 Nansemond 4,804 64.79% 2,590 34.93%210.28% 2,214 29.86% 7,415 Nelson 1,635 64.52% 893 35.24%60.24% 742 29.28% 2,534 New Kent 684 50.11% 677 49.60%40.29% 7 0.51% 1,365 Newport News 15,296 59.07% 10,584 40.87%140.05% 4,712 18.20% 25,894 Norfolk 32,388 62.83% 18,429 35.75%7291.41% 13,959 27.08% 51,546 Northampton 1,516 48.86% 1,586 51.11%10.03% -70 -2.25% 3,103 Northumberland 988 40.86% 1,423 58.85%70.29% -435 -17.99% 2,418 Norton 824 68.90% 372 31.10%00.00% 452 37.80% 1,196 Nottoway 2,138 47.52% 2,353 52.30%80.18% -215 -4.78% 4,499 Orange 1,508 48.54% 1,595 51.34%40.13% -87 -2.80% 3,107 Page 2,606 48.09% 2,804 51.74%90.17% -198 -3.65% 5,419 Patrick 2,306 61.07% 1,468 38.88%20.05% 838 22.19% 3,776 Petersburg 4,521 58.15% 3,253 41.84%10.01% 1,268 16.31% 7,775 Pittsylvania 5,228 42.25% 7,120 57.54%250.20% -1,892 -15.29% 12,373 Portsmouth 16,073 65.49% 8,420 34.31%510.21% 7,653 31.18% 24,544 Powhatan 969 45.03% 1,182 54.93%10.05% -213 -9.90% 2,152 Prince Edward 1,512 37.20% 2,545 62.62%70.17% -1,033 -25.42% 4,064 Prince George 1,502 45.58% 1,790 54.32%30.09% -288 -8.74% 3,295 Prince William 5,611 62.60% 3,343 37.30%90.10% 2,268 25.30% 8,963 Pulaski 3,620 53.82% 3,101 46.10%50.07% 519 7.72% 6,726 Radford 1,850 55.09% 1,505 44.82%30.09% 345 10.27% 3,358 Rappahannock 675 59.89% 449 39.84%30.27% 226 20.05% 1,127 Richmond 636 41.30% 901 58.51%30.19% -265 -17.21% 1,540 Richmond City 35,662 56.71% 27,196 43.24%320.05% 8,466 13.47% 62,890 Roanoke 8,808 45.09% 10,714 54.84%140.07% -1,906 -9.75% 19,536 Roanoke City 15,314 53.74% 13,164 46.20%180.06% 2,150 7.54% 28,496 Rockbridge 2,599 54.08% 2,200 45.78%70.15% 399 8.30% 4,806 Rockingham 4,205 50.28% 4,155 49.68%30.04% 50 0.60% 8,363 Russell 4,330 58.78% 3,012 40.89%250.34% 1,318 17.89% 7,367 Scott 4,720 50.92% 4,533 48.90%160.17% 187 2.02% 9,269 Shenandoah 3,184 44.42% 3,981 55.54%30.04% -797 -11.12% 7,168 Smyth 4,113 51.72% 3,830 48.16%90.11% 283 3.56% 7,952 South Boston 636 34.51% 1,206 65.44%10.05% -570 -30.93% 1,843 Southampton 2,566 62.74% 1,520 37.16%40.10% 1,046 25.58% 4,090 Spotsylvania 2,097 62.28% 1,261 37.45%90.27% 836 24.83% 3,367 Stafford 2,469 56.58% 1,888 43.26%70.16% 581 13.32% 4,364 Staunton 2,705 47.62% 2,969 52.27%60.11% -264 -4.65% 5,680 Suffolk 1,579 51.87% 1,463 48.06%20.07% 116 3.81% 3,044 Surry 1,131 52.85% 1,004 46.92%50.23% 127 5.93% 2,140 Sussex 1,234 44.47% 1,537 55.39%40.14% -303 -10.92% 2,775 Tazewell 6,081 64.57% 3,231 34.31%1051.12% 2,850 30.26% 9,417 Virginia Beach 12,892 55.00% 10,529 44.92%210.09% 2,363 10.08% 23,442 Warren 2,494 56.81% 1,886 42.96%100.23% 608 13.85% 4,390 Washington 5,070 54.95% 4,146 44.94%100.11% 924 10.01% 9,226 Waynesboro 2,369 52.28% 2,107 46.50%551.21% 262 5.78% 4,531 Westmoreland 1,312 52.50% 1,181 47.26%60.24% 131 5.24% 2,499 Williamsburg 1,171 55.95% 906 43.29%160.76% 265 12.66% 2,093 Winchester 2,254 50.80% 2,180 49.13%30.07% 74 1.67% 4,437 Wise 7,220 68.51% 3,309 31.40%100.09% 3,911 37.11% 10,539 Wythe 2,879 49.10% 2,958 50.45%260.44% -79 -1.35% 5,863 York 3,385 52.98% 2,992 46.83%120.19% 393 6.15% 6,389Totals558,03853.54%481,33446.18%2,8950.28%76,7047.36%1,042,267
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Appomattox Brunswick Buckingham Campbell Charlotte Halifax Lunenburg Mecklenburg Northampton Nottoway Pittsylvania Prince George Sussex