Gubernatorial elections were held in Virginia on February 11–12 and December 15, 1842. The Democratic former member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Rockbridge County James McDowell defeated the Democratic former U.S. representative from Virginia's 9th congressional district William P. Taylor and the Whig commonwealth attorney for Roanoke County Edward Watts.

The previous governor of Virginia Thomas Walker Gilmer resigned on March 20, 1841. John M. Patton, John Rutherfoord, and John Munford Gregory succeeded to office in turn in their capacities as the senior member of the Executive Council and acted as governor until the election of a successor.

The 1841 state elections resulted in split control of the legislature, with a Whig majority in the House of Delegates and a Democratic majority in the Virginia Senate. The powerful Richmond Junto was believed to favor the former speaker of the United States House of Representatives Andrew Stevenson as Gilmer's successor. Allies of the U.S. senator from South Carolina John C. Calhoun suspected Stevenson of using the governorship as a stepping stone to secure the Democratic vice presidential nomination in 1844 and determined to oppose his election. McDowell had the most support of the potential Democratic candidates, having narrowly lost the 1840 Virginia gubernatorial election to Gilmer after eight consecutive ballots.

The election was conducted by the Virginia General Assembly in joint session. During the voting on February 11–12, the Democratic Senate majority repeatedly prevented the election of a governor. After eight consecutive ballots, the Senate adjourned, and the election was postponed indefinitely.

Democrats controlled both chambers of the legislature following the 1842 state elections, which resulted in a landslide defeat for the Whigs. The elections did nothing to increase the influence of the Richmond Junto, which had steadily declined since 1837. Unable to prevent McDowell's nomination by the Democratic legislative caucus, Thomas Ritchie, the leader of the Junto and editor of the Richmond Enquirer, endorsed McDowell in hopes of averting an intra-party split. McDowell easily prevailed in the caucus, an outcome that represented the end of the Junto's leadership of the Virginia Democratic Party.

The newly-elected General Assembly met in joint session on December 15, 1842. McDowell was elected with a majority on the first ballot.

General election February 11 + 1842 Virginia gubernatorial election Party Candidate Ballot 1st 2nd Whig Edward Watts 80 81 Democratic William P. Taylor 79 81 Democratic Henley Chapman 2colspan=7 Democratic James McDowell 1 1 Whig John Howe Peyton 1 Democratic Andrew Stevenson 1 1 164 164

February 12 + 1842 Virginia gubernatorial election Party Candidate Ballot 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Democratic William P. Taylor 78colspan=5 Whig Edward Watts 56 4 3 1 1 Whig Lewis Summers 26 68 71 68colspan=2 Whig William B. Preston 4 3 6 41 41 66 Democratic James McDowell 2 2 1colspan=2 55 Democratic Andrew Stevenson 2 78 79 82 80 22 Whig Robert Eden Scott 2colspan=3 1 Whig John F. May 2 1colspan=3 Whig James M. Garnett 2 2 3 1 1 Democratic Isaac S. Pennybacker 1colspan=4 Whig Robert W. Cartercolspan=2 1colspan=3 Whig John M. Pattoncolspan=2 1 1colspan=2 Whig John Howe Peytoncolspan=2 1colspan=2 4 Democratic Richard H. Baptistcolspan=2 1colspan=3 Whig Oscar M. Crutchfieldcolspan=3 1colspan=2 Whig Vincent Witchercolspan=4 39 5 Whig David McComascolspan=4 1 Democratic George W. Munfordcolspan=4 1 1 Democratic William F. Gordoncolspan=4 1 Whig William M. McCartycolspan=5 1 Whig Robert M. T. Huntercolspan=5 1 164 162 164 164 163 159

House of Delegates: 7th ballot The House of Delegates proceeded to a seventh ballot immediately after the sixth, with the following result. The Senate, however, adjourned rather than continue voting, and the election was postponed indefinitely.

+ 1842 Virginia gubernatorial election: House of Delegates Party Candidate Seventh ballot Count Percent Democratic James McDowell 55 44.72 Whig William B. Preston 53 43.09 Democratic John Winston Jones 3 2.44 Democratic Andrew Stevenson 3 2.44 Whig John Howe Peyton 2 1.63 Whig Robert Eden Scott 2 1.63 Whig Charles P. Dorman 1 0.81 Whig William Kinney 1 0.81 Democratic Thomas Ritchie 1 0.81 Democratic Littleton Waller Tazewell 1 0.81 Whig Vincent Witcher 1 0.81

December 15 + 1842 Virginia gubernatorial election Party Candidate First ballot Count Percent Democratic James McDowell 110 68.75 Democratic William P. Taylor 9 5.62 Whig Edward Watts 8 5.00 Democratic John Winston Jones 4 2.50 Whig Benjamin Watkins Leigh 4 2.50 Whig Robert Eden Scott 4 2.50 Democratic Andrew Stevenson 4 2.50colspan=2 William Garnett 3 1.88 Whig William M. Peyton 3 1.88colspan=2 Samuel C. Anderson 2 1.25 Democratic John Y. Mason 2 1.25colspan=2 James W. Pegram 2 1.25 Whig Oscar M. Crutchfield 1 0.62 Whig James Lyons 1 0.62 Whig William B. Preston 1 0.62 Whig Samuel Watts 1 0.62 Whig Vincent Witcher 1 0.62

References

Bibliography

Further reading For a list of members of the Virginia General Assembly by party, see