Main article: 1888 United States presidential election
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County Results
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The 1888 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 6, 1888, as part of the 1888 United States presidential election. Voters chose 12 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Virginia voted for the Democratic candidate, incumbent President Grover Cleveland over the Republican candidate, former U.S. Senator Benjamin Harrison. The contest in Virginia was very close and Cleveland narrowly won the state by a margin of just 0.53 percentage points. This was the closest the Republican Party came to winning an ex-Confederate state between the Compromise of 1877 and Warren G. Harding’s 1920 win in Tennessee, and with Virginia voting 0.30 points more Republican than the nation at-large, would also prove the last time any former Confederate state voted more Republican than the nation until Virginia itself did so in 1952.
This election represented the height of the expanded Reconstruction Era electorate. So complete was to be the disfranchisement of Virginia's lower classes with the new Constitution of 1902 that it was 1952, with a much larger population, before the electorate returned to the same numbers observed in 1888.
Results
1888 United States presidential election in Virginia | |||||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
Democratic | Grover Cleveland (inc.) | 152,004 | 49.99% | 12 | |
Republican | Benjamin Harrison | 150,399 | 49.46% | 0 | |
Prohibition | Clinton B. Fisk | 1,684 | 0.55% | 0 | |
Totals | 304,087 | 100.0% | 12 |
Results by county
1888 United States presidential election in Virginia by counties and independent cities | |||||||||
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Stephen Grover Cleveland Democratic |
Benjamin Harrison Republican |
Clinton Bowen Fisk Prohibition |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
# | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Accomack County | 3,184 | 59.70% | 1,993 | 37.37% | 156 | 2.93% | 1,191 | 22.33% | 5,333 |
Albemarle County | 2,573 | 54.15% | 2,166 | 45.58% | 13 | 0.27% | 407 | 8.56% | 4,752 |
Alexandria County | 255 | 35.12% | 462 | 63.64% | 9 | 1.24% | -207 | -28.51% | 726 |
Alleghany County | 759 | 43.13% | 995 | 56.53% | 6 | 0.34% | -236 | -13.41% | 1,760 |
Amelia County | 704 | 40.46% | 1,036 | 59.54% | 0 | 0.00% | -332 | -19.08% | 1,740 |
Amherst County | 1,777 | 55.74% | 1,411 | 44.26% | 0 | 0.00% | 366 | 11.48% | 3,188 |
Appomattox County | 689 | 46.24% | 787 | 52.82% | 14 | 0.94% | -98 | -6.58% | 1,490 |
Augusta County | 3,370 | 56.36% | 2,526 | 42.25% | 83 | 1.39% | 844 | 14.12% | 5,979 |
Bath County | 482 | 54.22% | 405 | 45.56% | 2 | 0.22% | 77 | 8.66% | 889 |
Bedford County | 3,204 | 61.64% | 1,991 | 38.30% | 3 | 0.06% | 1,213 | 23.34% | 5,198 |
Bland County | 537 | 51.34% | 509 | 48.66% | 0 | 0.00% | 28 | 2.68% | 1,046 |
Botetourt County | 1,558 | 55.62% | 1,217 | 43.45% | 26 | 0.93% | 341 | 12.17% | 2,801 |
Brunswick County | 1,289 | 45.79% | 1,521 | 54.03% | 5 | 0.18% | -232 | -8.24% | 2,815 |
Buchanan County | 492 | 53.54% | 427 | 46.46% | 0 | 0.00% | 65 | 7.07% | 919 |
Buckingham County | 1,184 | 43.67% | 1,520 | 56.07% | 7 | 0.26% | -336 | -12.39% | 2,711 |
Campbell County | 2,089 | 57.00% | 1,564 | 42.67% | 12 | 0.33% | 525 | 14.32% | 3,665 |
Caroline County | 1,442 | 47.56% | 1,588 | 52.37% | 2 | 0.07% | -146 | -4.82% | 3,032 |
Carroll County | 1,322 | 53.18% | 1,147 | 46.14% | 17 | 0.68% | 175 | 7.04% | 2,486 |
Charles City County | 303 | 30.67% | 684 | 69.23% | 1 | 0.10% | -381 | -38.56% | 988 |
Charlotte County | 1,720 | 62.39% | 1,036 | 37.58% | 1 | 0.04% | 684 | 24.81% | 2,757 |
Chesterfield County | 1,589 | 50.05% | 1,576 | 49.64% | 10 | 0.31% | 13 | 0.41% | 3,175 |
Clarke County | 1,204 | 69.20% | 529 | 30.40% | 7 | 0.40% | 675 | 38.79% | 1,740 |
Craig County | 550 | 75.24% | 177 | 24.21% | 4 | 0.55% | 373 | 51.03% | 731 |
Culpeper County | 1,404 | 54.31% | 1,181 | 45.69% | 0 | 0.00% | 223 | 8.63% | 2,585 |
Cumberland County | 578 | 35.61% | 1,045 | 64.39% | 0 | 0.00% | -467 | -28.77% | 1,623 |
Dickenson County | 451 | 53.95% | 384 | 45.93% | 1 | 0.12% | 67 | 8.01% | 836 |
Dinwiddie County | 1,066 | 42.86% | 1,411 | 56.74% | 10 | 0.40% | -345 | -13.87% | 2,487 |
Elizabeth City County | 547 | 29.10% | 1,316 | 70.00% | 17 | 0.90% | -769 | -40.90% | 1,880 |
Essex County | 774 | 41.57% | 1,088 | 58.43% | 0 | 0.00% | -314 | -16.86% | 1,862 |
Fairfax County | 2,010 | 52.21% | 1,824 | 47.38% | 16 | 0.42% | 186 | 4.83% | 3,850 |
Fauquier County | 2,661 | 59.95% | 1,778 | 40.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 883 | 19.89% | 4,439 |
Floyd County | 952 | 38.78% | 1,482 | 60.37% | 21 | 0.86% | -530 | -21.59% | 2,455 |
Fluvanna County | 1,004 | 57.31% | 739 | 42.18% | 9 | 0.51% | 265 | 15.13% | 1,752 |
Franklin County | 2,403 | 57.71% | 1,757 | 42.20% | 4 | 0.10% | 646 | 15.51% | 4,164 |
Frederick County | 1,832 | 66.72% | 871 | 31.72% | 43 | 1.57% | 961 | 35.00% | 2,746 |
Giles County | 977 | 59.36% | 640 | 38.88% | 29 | 1.76% | 337 | 20.47% | 1,646 |
Gloucester County | 1,073 | 43.94% | 1,368 | 56.02% | 1 | 0.04% | -295 | -12.08% | 2,442 |
Goochland County | 674 | 40.63% | 985 | 59.37% | 0 | 0.00% | -311 | -18.75% | 1,659 |
Grayson County | 1,288 | 50.47% | 1,259 | 49.33% | 5 | 0.20% | 29 | 1.14% | 2,552 |
Greene County | 532 | 50.57% | 520 | 49.43% | 0 | 0.00% | 12 | 1.14% | 1,052 |
Greensville County | 714 | 44.35% | 893 | 55.47% | 3 | 0.19% | -179 | -11.12% | 1,610 |
Halifax County | 3,570 | 58.74% | 2,473 | 40.69% | 35 | 0.58% | 1,097 | 18.05% | 6,078 |
Hanover County | 1,721 | 53.22% | 1,511 | 46.72% | 2 | 0.06% | 210 | 6.49% | 3,234 |
Henrico County | 1,712 | 42.40% | 2,326 | 57.60% | 0 | 0.00% | -614 | -15.21% | 4,038 |
Henry County | 1,409 | 46.55% | 1,608 | 53.12% | 10 | 0.33% | -199 | -6.57% | 3,027 |
Highland County | 454 | 50.33% | 440 | 48.78% | 8 | 0.89% | 14 | 1.55% | 902 |
Isle of Wight County | 1,200 | 51.81% | 1,116 | 48.19% | 0 | 0.00% | 84 | 3.63% | 2,316 |
James City County | 219 | 26.51% | 607 | 73.49% | 0 | 0.00% | -388 | -46.97% | 826 |
King and Queen County | 958 | 53.61% | 829 | 46.39% | 0 | 0.00% | 129 | 7.22% | 1,787 |
King George County | 542 | 42.95% | 720 | 57.05% | 0 | 0.00% | -178 | -14.10% | 1,262 |
King William County | 746 | 40.57% | 1,093 | 59.43% | 0 | 0.00% | -347 | -18.87% | 1,839 |
Lancaster County | 839 | 47.32% | 928 | 52.34% | 6 | 0.34% | -89 | -5.02% | 1,773 |
Lee County | 1,479 | 52.86% | 1,295 | 46.28% | 24 | 0.86% | 184 | 6.58% | 2,798 |
Loudoun County | 2,842 | 55.83% | 2,190 | 43.03% | 58 | 1.14% | 652 | 12.81% | 5,090 |
Louisa County | 1,157 | 40.70% | 1,677 | 58.99% | 9 | 0.32% | -520 | -18.29% | 2,843 |
Lunenburg County | 1,215 | 60.12% | 806 | 39.88% | 0 | 0.00% | 409 | 20.24% | 2,021 |
Madison County | 961 | 51.45% | 907 | 48.55% | 0 | 0.00% | 54 | 2.89% | 1,868 |
Mathews County | 1,023 | 61.92% | 615 | 37.23% | 14 | 0.85% | 408 | 24.70% | 1,652 |
Mecklenburg County | 1,764 | 40.25% | 2,607 | 59.48% | 12 | 0.27% | -843 | -19.23% | 4,383 |
Middlesex County | 635 | 40.81% | 909 | 58.42% | 12 | 0.77% | -274 | -17.61% | 1,556 |
Montgomery County | 1,335 | 44.51% | 1,516 | 50.55% | 148 | 4.93% | -181 | -6.04% | 2,999 |
Nansemond County | 1,382 | 39.84% | 2,087 | 60.16% | 0 | 0.00% | -705 | -20.32% | 3,469 |
Nelson County | 1,554 | 55.94% | 1,224 | 44.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 330 | 11.88% | 2,778 |
New Kent County | 375 | 34.92% | 689 | 64.15% | 10 | 0.93% | -314 | -29.24% | 1,074 |
Norfolk County | 1,969 | 34.41% | 3,741 | 65.37% | 13 | 0.23% | -1,772 | -30.96% | 5,723 |
Northampton County | 980 | 44.53% | 1,221 | 55.47% | 0 | 0.00% | -241 | -10.95% | 2,201 |
Northumberland County | 851 | 48.41% | 905 | 51.48% | 2 | 0.11% | -54 | -3.07% | 1,758 |
Nottoway County | 611 | 35.30% | 1,116 | 64.47% | 4 | 0.23% | -505 | -29.17% | 1,731 |
Orange County | 1,126 | 49.21% | 1,153 | 50.39% | 9 | 0.39% | -27 | -1.18% | 2,288 |
Page County | 1,195 | 47.05% | 1,333 | 52.48% | 12 | 0.47% | -138 | -5.43% | 2,540 |
Patrick County | 1,239 | 54.46% | 1,022 | 44.92% | 14 | 0.62% | 217 | 9.54% | 2,275 |
Pittsylvania County | 4,261 | 52.36% | 3,847 | 47.27% | 30 | 0.37% | 414 | 5.09% | 8,138 |
Powhatan County | 561 | 42.21% | 767 | 57.71% | 1 | 0.08% | -206 | -15.50% | 1,329 |
Prince Edward County | 1,130 | 42.63% | 1,519 | 57.30% | 2 | 0.08% | -389 | -14.67% | 2,651 |
Prince George County | 661 | 39.37% | 1,018 | 60.63% | 0 | 0.00% | -357 | -21.26% | 1,679 |
Prince William County | 1,313 | 63.83% | 740 | 35.97% | 4 | 0.19% | 573 | 27.86% | 2,057 |
Princess Anne County | 844 | 45.52% | 1,004 | 54.15% | 6 | 0.32% | -160 | -8.63% | 1,854 |
Pulaski County | 1,070 | 51.47% | 993 | 47.76% | 16 | 0.77% | 77 | 3.70% | 2,079 |
Rappahannock County | 1,034 | 65.15% | 553 | 34.85% | 0 | 0.00% | 481 | 30.31% | 1,587 |
Richmond County | 553 | 42.60% | 741 | 57.09% | 4 | 0.31% | -188 | -14.48% | 1,298 |
Roanoke County | 935 | 42.58% | 1,212 | 55.19% | 49 | 2.23% | -277 | -12.61% | 2,196 |
Rockbridge County | 2,030 | 49.22% | 2,074 | 50.29% | 20 | 0.48% | -44 | -1.07% | 4,124 |
Rockingham County | 2,895 | 46.80% | 3,175 | 51.33% | 116 | 1.88% | -280 | -4.53% | 6,186 |
Russell County | 1,601 | 54.23% | 1,333 | 45.16% | 18 | 0.61% | 268 | 9.08% | 2,952 |
Scott County | 1,550 | 46.27% | 1,800 | 53.73% | 0 | 0.00% | -250 | -7.46% | 3,350 |
Shenandoah County | 2,164 | 50.81% | 2,063 | 48.44% | 32 | 0.75% | 101 | 2.37% | 4,259 |
Smyth County | 1,310 | 51.57% | 1,228 | 48.35% | 2 | 0.08% | 82 | 3.23% | 2,540 |
Southampton County | 1,560 | 41.81% | 2,117 | 56.74% | 54 | 1.45% | -557 | -14.93% | 3,731 |
Spotsylvania County | 876 | 48.67% | 922 | 51.22% | 2 | 0.11% | -46 | -2.56% | 1,800 |
Stafford County | 595 | 40.26% | 883 | 59.74% | 0 | 0.00% | -288 | -19.49% | 1,478 |
Surry County | 661 | 37.39% | 1,101 | 62.27% | 6 | 0.34% | -440 | -24.89% | 1,768 |
Sussex County | 896 | 36.07% | 1,582 | 63.69% | 6 | 0.24% | -686 | -27.62% | 2,484 |
Tazewell County | 1,307 | 36.31% | 2,245 | 62.36% | 48 | 1.33% | -938 | -26.06% | 3,600 |
Warren County | 1,224 | 72.43% | 440 | 26.04% | 26 | 1.54% | 784 | 46.39% | 1,690 |
Warwick County | 385 | 33.54% | 763 | 66.46% | 0 | 0.00% | -378 | -32.93% | 1,148 |
Washington County | 2,920 | 52.82% | 2,548 | 46.09% | 60 | 1.09% | 372 | 6.73% | 5,528 |
Westmoreland County | 626 | 38.24% | 1,009 | 61.64% | 2 | 0.12% | -383 | -23.40% | 1,637 |
Wise County | 722 | 49.15% | 742 | 50.51% | 5 | 0.34% | -20 | -1.36% | 1,469 |
Wythe County | 1,462 | 46.84% | 1,643 | 52.64% | 16 | 0.51% | -181 | -5.80% | 3,121 |
York County | 495 | 33.13% | 972 | 65.06% | 27 | 1.81% | -477 | -31.93% | 1,494 |
Alexandria City | 1,665 | 51.95% | 1,523 | 47.52% | 17 | 0.53% | 142 | 4.43% | 3,205 |
Charlottesville City | 674 | 61.89% | 407 | 37.37% | 8 | 0.73% | 267 | 24.52% | 1,089 |
Danville City | 1,070 | 56.76% | 812 | 43.08% | 3 | 0.16% | 258 | 13.69% | 1,885 |
Fredericksburg City | 595 | 59.26% | 409 | 40.74% | 0 | 0.00% | 186 | 18.53% | 1,004 |
Lynchburg City | 2,054 | 53.20% | 1,796 | 46.52% | 11 | 0.28% | 258 | 6.68% | 3,861 |
Manchester City | 896 | 54.63% | 735 | 44.82% | 9 | 0.55% | 161 | 9.82% | 1,640 |
Newport News City | 2,613 | 44.77% | 3,198 | 54.80% | 25 | 0.43% | -585 | -10.02% | 5,836 |
Norfolk City | 337 | 60.07% | 223 | 39.75% | 1 | 0.18% | 114 | 20.32% | 561 |
Petersburg City | 2,067 | 48.46% | 2,198 | 51.54% | 0 | 0.00% | -131 | -3.07% | 4,265 |
Portsmouth City | 1,439 | 55.99% | 1,107 | 43.07% | 24 | 0.93% | 332 | 12.92% | 2,570 |
Richmond City | 8,211 | 56.69% | 6,273 | 43.31% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,938 | 13.38% | 14,484 |
Radford City | 1,155 | 53.97% | 976 | 45.61% | 9 | 0.42% | 179 | 8.36% | 2,140 |
Roanoke City | 719 | 54.43% | 535 | 40.50% | 67 | 5.07% | 184 | 13.93% | 1,321 |
Staunton City | 101 | 37.83% | 161 | 60.30% | 5 | 1.87% | -60 | -22.47% | 267 |
Winchester City | 488 | 46.83% | 540 | 51.82% | 14 | 1.34% | -52 | -4.99% | 1,042 |
Totals | 152,004 | 49.99% | 150,399 | 49.46% | 1,684 | 0.55% | 1,605 | 0.53% | 304,087 |
Notes
- This figure takes into account the fact that the Nineteenth Amendment had enfranchised women in 1920, so that the equivalent size is twice the total vote cast in 1888.
References
- Key, Valdimer Orlando; Southern Politics in State and Nation, p. 15 Alfred A. Knopf (1949)
- Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; Presidential General Election Results Comparison — Virginia
- "1888 Presidential General Election Results — Virginia". U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
- "Presidential election of 1888 Popular Vote". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €15)
- "Popular Vote for Clinton Fisk". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €15)
State and district results of the 1888 United States presidential election | ||
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