For related races, see 1981 United States gubernatorial elections.
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| Turnout | 64.8% (voting eligible) | ||||||||||||||||
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 County and independent city resultsRobb: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Coleman: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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In the 1981 Virginia gubernatorial election, Republican incumbent Governor John N. Dalton was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. Chuck Robb, the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, was nominated by the Democratic Party to run against the Republican nominee, state Attorney General J. Marshall Coleman.
Robb's victory ended 12 consecutive years of Republican control of the Governor's Mansion.
Fairfax County voted Democratic for Governor for the first time since 1949.
General election
Candidates
- Chuck Robb, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (Democratic)
- J. Marshall Coleman, Attorney General of Virginia (Republican)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charles S. Robb | 760,357 | 53.56% | +10.32% | |
| Republican | J. Marshall Coleman | 659,398 | 46.44% | −9.41% | |
| Majority | 100,959 | 7.11% | −5.51% | ||
| Turnout | 1,419,755 | ||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | ||||
References
- Virginia Department of Elections (2016). "Registration/Turnout Statistics". The Commonwealth of Virginia. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
- http://www.coopercenter.org/sites/default/files/autoVANLPubs/Virginia%20News%20Letter%201982%20Vol.%2058%20No.%206.pdf
| (1980 ←) 1981 United States elections (→ 1982) | |
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