1904 United States presidential election in Virginia explained

See main article: 1904 United States presidential election.

The 1904 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 8, 1904, as part of the 1904 United States presidential election. Voters chose 12 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Following the state's delayed readmission to the Union, Virginia was unique among ex-Confederate states in not having a period of Republican control during Reconstruction, due to the failure of the Underwood Constitution to pass in 1868^[1] and the consequent support for the Conservative Party that fused prewar Democrats and Whigs in the first postwar elections and consistently controlled the state legislature after readmission. From 1879, however, a fusion with the “Readjuster” faction of the state Democratic Party would revitalize the Republicans^[1] until 1883, although the state GOP would remain competitive in statewide elections — only narrowly failing to carry the state in 1888^[1] — until the Cleveland Administration eliminated federal oversight while the Walton Act created the secret ballot and began large-scale black disenfranchisement.^[2] However, despite its dominant position, the Democratic Party was deeply divided between the conservative Gold Democrats of a state whose economy was already substantially influenced by the rapidly industrializing Northeast, and a Populist-influenced faction centered in the state's rural areas.^[2] Northern and Southwest Virginia were supportive of the Republican policies of the gold standard and high tariffs,^[2] and trended towards William McKinley in 1896 and 1900 — ultimately becoming the mainstay of a “lily-white” Jim Crow state Republican Party for the ensuing half-century, allowing the party to remain more viable than in any other ex-Confederate state except North Carolina and Tennessee where extremely loyal Unionist Republicanism remained.^[3]

Following the 1900 election, a new constitution was drafted with a cumulative poll tax and literacy tests that served to reduce voter turnout dramatically.^[4] The new constitution was supposedly a response to persistent electoral fraud, common in the Black Belt as it was in other Southern states.^[5] After much debate over how rigidly to disenfranchise black voters, alongside the question of whether poor whites should be disenfranchised,^[4] the ultimately produced Constitution featured some of the most stringent poll tax and literacy requirements in the former Confederacy. These stringent suffrage requirements would mean Virginia's 1900 turnout would not be equaled until 1952, by which time the state's population had almost doubled.

From the earliest polls, it was clear that Democratic candidate, Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals Alton B. Parker was always going to carry Virginia.^[6] Neither candidate campaigned in the state during the fall. Virginia ultimately voted for Parker over the Republican candidate, incumbent President Theodore Roosevelt. Parker won the state by a margin of 24.90 percentage points.

Results

1904 United States presidential election in Virginia[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Alton B. Parker	80,649	61.84%	12
	Republican	Theodore Roosevelt (inc.)	48,180	36.95%	0
	Prohibition	Silas C. Swallow	1,379	1.06%	0
	Socialist	Eugene V. Debs	202	0.15%	0
Totals			130,410	100.0%	12

Results by county

1904 United States presidential election in Virginia by counties and independent cities[8] [9]
County or Independent City	Alton Brooks Parker Democratic		Theodore Roosevelt Republican		Silas Comfort Swallow Prohibition		Eugene Victor Debs Socialist		Margin		Total votes cast
	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"			data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%
	Accomack County		1,517		82.67%		256		13.95%		62		3.38%		0		0.00%		1,261		68.72%		1,835
	Albemarle County		1,069		76.74%		309		22.18%		15		1.08%		0		0.00%		760		54.56%		1,393
	Alexandria County		157		61.09%		99		38.52%		1		0.39%		0		0.00%		58		22.57%		257
	Alleghany County		782		52.52%		665		44.66%		42		2.82%		0		0.00%		117		7.86%		1,489
	Amelia County		320		77.11%		76		18.31%		19		4.58%		0		0.00%		244		58.80%		415
	Amherst County		878		82.91%		177		16.71%		4		0.38%		0		0.00%		701		66.19%		1,059
	Appomattox County		684		87.80%		93		11.94%		2		0.26%		0		0.00%		591		75.87%		779
	Augusta County		1,582		57.57%		1,096		39.88%		70		2.55%		0		0.00%		486		17.69%		2,748
	Bath County		325		57.12%		239		42.00%		4		0.70%		1		0.18%		86		15.11%		569
	Bedford County		1,301		66.82%		560		28.76%		86		4.42%		0		0.00%		741		38.06%		1,947
	Bland County		339		45.02%		407		54.05%		7		0.93%		0		0.00%		-68		-9.03%		753
	Botetourt County		818		54.14%		664		43.94%		29		1.92%		0		0.00%		154		10.19%		1,511
	Brunswick County		593		79.49%		149		19.97%		4		0.54%		0		0.00%		444		59.52%		746
	Buchanan County		307		35.37%		561		64.63%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-254		-29.26%		868
	Buckingham County		595		59.03%		405		40.18%		8		0.79%		0		0.00%		190		18.85%		1,008
	Campbell County		674		79.20%		158		18.57%		14		1.65%		5		0.59%		516		60.63%		851
	Caroline County		501		60.65%		317		38.38%		8		0.97%		0		0.00%		184		22.28%		826
	Carroll County		874		40.78%		1,265		59.03%		4		0.19%		0		0.00%		-391		-18.25%		2,143
	Charles City County		129		62.02%		78		37.50%		1		0.48%		0		0.00%		51		24.52%		208
	Charlotte County		517		69.96%		210		28.42%		12		1.62%		0		0.00%		307		41.54%		739
	Chesterfield County		597		78.04%		151		19.74%		16		2.09%		1		0.13%		446		58.30%		765
	Clarke County		444		82.99%		67		12.52%		23		4.30%		1		0.19%		377		70.47%		535
	Craig County		335		65.30%		161		31.38%		17		3.31%		0		0.00%		174		33.92%		513
	Culpeper County		798		79.01%		209		20.69%		3		0.30%		0		0.00%		589		58.32%		1,010
	Cumberland County		334		85.42%		51		13.04%		6		1.53%		0		0.00%		283		72.38%		391
	Dickenson County		577		45.61%		684		54.07%		4		0.32%		0		0.00%		-107		-8.46%		1,265
	Dinwiddie County		406		77.04%		119		22.58%		2		0.38%		0		0.00%		287		54.46%		527
	Elizabeth City County		600		73.35%		211		25.79%		7		0.86%		0		0.00%		389		47.56%		818
	Essex County		430		45.55%		513		54.34%		0		0.00%		1		0.11%		-83		-8.79%		944
	Fairfax County		774		63.91%		422		34.85%		12		0.99%		3		0.25%		352		29.07%		1,211
	Fauquier County		1,216		77.16%		357		22.65%		3		0.19%		0		0.00%		859		54.51%		1,576
	Floyd County		450		30.57%		1,012		68.75%		9		0.61%		1		0.07%		-562		-38.18%		1,472
	Fluvanna County		394		74.34%		135		25.47%		1		0.19%		0		0.00%		259		48.87%		530
	Franklin County		1,166		56.03%		874		42.00%		41		1.97%		0		0.00%		292		14.03%		2,081
	Frederick County		858		71.38%		316		26.29%		28		2.33%		0		0.00%		542		45.09%		1,202
	Giles County		721		53.73%		588		43.82%		33		2.46%		0		0.00%		133		9.91%		1,342
	Gloucester County		474		72.37%		173		26.41%		6		0.92%		2		0.31%		301		45.95%		655
	Goochland County		298		52.19%		273		47.81%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		25		4.38%		571
	Grayson County		867		45.04%		1,054		54.75%		4		0.21%		0		0.00%		-187		-9.71%		1,925
	Greene County		214		40.61%		311		59.01%		2		0.38%		0		0.00%		-97		-18.41%		527
	Greensville County		356		77.56%		100		21.79%		3		0.65%		0		0.00%		256		55.77%		459
	Halifax County		1,198		65.75%		594		32.60%		30		1.65%		0		0.00%		604		33.15%		1,822
	Hanover County		527		66.04%		261		32.71%		10		1.25%		0		0.00%		266		33.33%		798
	Henrico County		890		76.26%		248		21.25%		16		1.37%		13		1.11%		642		55.01%		1,167
	Henry County		718		62.22%		422		36.57%		14		1.21%		0		0.00%		296		25.65%		1,154
	Highland County		304		45.58%		352		52.77%		11		1.65%		0		0.00%		-48		-7.20%		667
	Isle of Wight County		584		77.45%		168		22.28%		2		0.27%		0		0.00%		416		55.17%		754
	James City County		98		71.01%		34		24.64%		6		4.35%		0		0.00%		64		46.38%		138
	King and Queen County		390		74.43%		134		25.57%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		256		48.85%		524
	King George County		279		59.49%		188		40.09%		2		0.43%		0		0.00%		91		19.40%		469
	King William County		304		60.44%		195		38.77%		4		0.80%		0		0.00%		109		21.67%		503
	Lancaster County		350		77.78%		93		20.67%		7		1.56%		0		0.00%		257		57.11%		450
	Lee County		780		36.81%		1,329		62.72%		10		0.47%		0		0.00%		-549		-25.91%		2,119
	Loudoun County		1,558		75.19%		442		21.33%		72		3.47%		0		0.00%		1,116		53.86%		2,072
	Louisa County		514		62.53%		296		36.01%		11		1.34%		1		0.12%		218		26.52%		822
	Lunenburg County		433		80.04%		96		17.74%		6		1.11%		6		1.11%		337		62.29%		541
	Madison County		538		64.82%		292		35.18%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		246		29.64%		830
	Mathews County		467		76.94%		119		19.60%		21		3.46%		0		0.00%		348		57.33%		607
	Mecklenburg County		1,021		76.25%		296		22.11%		22		1.64%		0		0.00%		725		54.14%		1,339
	Middlesex County		416		72.85%		151		26.44%		4		0.70%		0		0.00%		265		46.41%		571
	Montgomery County		650		45.84%		725		51.13%		42		2.96%		1		0.07%		-75		-5.29%		1,418
	Nansemond County		678		78.11%		186		21.43%		4		0.46%		0		0.00%		492		56.68%		868
	Nelson County		847		75.16%		269		23.87%		10		0.89%		1		0.09%		578		51.29%		1,127
	New Kent County		127		62.56%		75		36.95%		1		0.49%		0		0.00%		52		25.62%		203
	Norfolk County		1,345		57.63%		977		41.86%		1		0.04%		11		0.47%		368		15.77%		2,334
	Northampton County		592		73.00%		210		25.89%		9		1.11%		0		0.00%		382		47.10%		811
	Northumberland County		532		70.00%		225		29.61%		3		0.39%		0		0.00%		307		40.39%		760
	Nottoway County		470		84.08%		86		15.38%		3		0.54%		0		0.00%		384		68.69%		559
	Orange County		568		72.91%		201		25.80%		10		1.28%		0		0.00%		367		47.11%		779
	Page County		741		47.08%		804		51.08%		21		1.33%		8		0.51%		-63		-4.00%		1,574
	Patrick County		737		53.29%		616		44.54%		30		2.17%		0		0.00%		121		8.75%		1,383
	Pittsylvania County		1,718		69.27%		650		26.21%		111		4.48%		1		0.04%		1,068		43.06%		2,480
	Powhatan County		240		60.30%		156		39.20%		2		0.50%		0		0.00%		84		21.11%		398
	Prince Edward County		576		84.46%		101		14.81%		5		0.73%		0		0.00%		475		69.65%		682
	Prince George County		189		67.02%		92		32.62%		1		0.35%		0		0.00%		97		34.40%		282
	Prince William County		724		75.57%		228		23.80%		6		0.63%		0		0.00%		496		51.77%		958
	Princess Anne County		420		79.10%		109		20.53%		2		0.38%		0		0.00%		311		58.57%		531
	Pulaski County		732		48.09%		764		50.20%		6		0.39%		20		1.31%		-32		-2.10%		1,522
	Rappahannock County		400		72.07%		151		27.21%		4		0.72%		0		0.00%		249		44.86%		555
	Richmond County		377		66.73%		185		32.74%		3		0.53%		0		0.00%		192		33.98%		565
	Roanoke County		630		56.96%		427		38.61%		48		4.34%		1		0.09%		203		18.35%		1,106
	Rockbridge County		996		51.58%		911		47.18%		23		1.19%		1		0.05%		85		4.40%		1,931
	Rockingham County		1,604		51.15%		1,441		45.95%		88		2.81%		3		0.10%		163		5.20%		3,136
	Russell County		987		41.26%		1,396		58.36%		9		0.38%		0		0.00%		-409		-17.10%		2,392
	Scott County		1,164		39.38%		1,773		59.98%		17		0.58%		2		0.07%		-609		-20.60%		2,956
	Shenandoah County		1,098		47.39%		1,189		51.32%		30		1.29%		0		0.00%		-91		-3.93%		2,317
	Smyth County		848		39.02%		1,312		60.38%		12		0.55%		1		0.05%		-464		-21.35%		2,173
	Southampton County		924		76.94%		260		21.65%		16		1.33%		1		0.08%		664		55.29%		1,201
	Spotsylvania County		330		56.80%		237		40.79%		13		2.24%		1		0.17%		93		16.01%		581
	Stafford County		301		43.56%		384		55.57%		6		0.87%		0		0.00%		-83		-12.01%		691
	Surry County		323		66.19%		154		31.56%		11		2.25%		0		0.00%		169		34.63%		488
	Sussex County		253		72.70%		93		26.72%		2		0.57%		0		0.00%		160		45.98%		348
	Tazewell County		803		35.33%		1,462		64.32%		5		0.22%		3		0.13%		-659		-28.99%		2,273
	Warren County		540		76.49%		151		21.39%		13		1.84%		2		0.28%		389		55.10%		706
	Warwick County		108		60.00%		71		39.44%		1		0.56%		0		0.00%		37		20.56%		180
	Washington County		1,344		41.62%		1,872		57.97%		13		0.40%		0		0.00%		-528		-16.35%		3,229
	Westmoreland County		392		68.06%		181		31.42%		3		0.52%		0		0.00%		211		36.63%		576
	Wise County		897		36.11%		1,572		63.29%		9		0.36%		6		0.24%		-675		-27.17%		2,484
	Wythe County		1,065		43.33%		1,384		56.31%		8		0.33%		1		0.04%		-319		-12.98%		2,458
	York County		186		66.67%		69		24.73%		24		8.60%		0		0.00%		117		41.94%		279
	Alexandria City		738		79.18%		187		20.06%		7		0.75%		0		0.00%		551		59.12%		932
	Bristol City		297		67.04%		133		30.02%		12		2.71%		1		0.23%		164		37.02%		443
	Buena Vista City		125		59.52%		79		37.62%		6		2.86%		0		0.00%		46		21.90%		210
	Charlottesville City		391		83.55%		71		15.17%		6		1.28%		0		0.00%		320		68.38%		468
	Danville City		836		85.39%		101		10.32%		41		4.19%		1		0.10%		735		75.08%		979
	Fredericksburg City		352		73.33%		124		25.83%		4		0.83%		0		0.00%		228		47.50%		480
	Lynchburg City		995		76.48%		292		22.44%		13		1.00%		1		0.08%		703		54.04%		1,301
	Manchester City		285		79.17%		66		18.33%		7		1.94%		2		0.56%		219		60.83%		360
	Newport News City		744		65.21%		335		29.36%		27		2.37%		35		3.07%		409		35.85%		1,141
	Norfolk City		2,559		83.19%		457		14.86%		37		1.20%		23		0.75%		2,102		68.34%		3,076
	Petersburg City		924		85.95%		144		13.40%		7		0.65%		0		0.00%		780		72.56%		1,075
	Portsmouth City		1,151		80.66%		247		17.31%		21		1.47%		8		0.56%		904		63.35%		1,427
	Radford City		184		63.01%		100		34.25%		6		2.05%		2		0.68%		84		28.77%		292
	Richmond City		3,749		85.40%		569		12.96%		42		0.96%		30		0.68%		3,180		72.44%		4,390
	Roanoke City		1,268		69.71%		506		27.82%		45		2.47%		0		0.00%		762		41.89%		1,819
	Staunton City		458		70.46%		162		24.92%		30		4.62%		0		0.00%		296		45.54%		650
	Williamsburg City		103		72.54%		37		26.06%		2		1.41%		0		0.00%		66		46.48%		142
	Winchester City		394		71.25%		146		26.40%		13		2.35%		0		0.00%		248		44.85%		553
Totals	80,649	61.64%	48,180	36.82%	2,013	1.54%	202	0.15%	32,469	24.82%	130,842

See also

• United States presidential elections in Virginia

Notes and References

1. Book: Heersink. Boris. Jenkins. Jeffrey A.. Republican Party Politics and the American South, 1865–1968. March 19, 2020 . 217–221. Cambridge University Press . 978-1107158436.
2. Moger. Allen. The Rift in Virginia Democracy in 1896. The Journal of Southern History. 4. 3. 295–317. 10.2307/2191291 . 2191291 .
3. [Kevin Phillips (political commentator)|Phillips, Kevin P.]
4. Book: Kousser, J. Morgan. The Shaping of Southern Politics Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910. 1974 . Yale University Press. 178–181. 0-300-01696-4.
5. Book: Perman, Michael. 2001. Struggle for Mastery: Disfranchisement in the South, 1888-1908. 195–196. Univ of North Carolina Press . 080784909X.
6. News: A Conservative Estimate. July 20, 1904. 6. Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York.
7. Web site: 1904 Presidential General Election Results — Virginia. U.S. Election Atlas. 12 April 2013.
8. Robinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote 1896-1932, pp. 354-361
9. Web site: Géoelections. Popular Vote for Eugene V. Debs (1904). (.xlsx file for €15)