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1984 United States presidential election in Virginia

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1984 United States presidential election in Virginia

← 1980 November 6, 1984 1988 →
 
Nominee Ronald Reagan Walter Mondale
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California Minnesota
Running mate George H. W. Bush Geraldine Ferraro
Electoral vote 12 0
Popular vote 1,337,078 796,250
Percentage 62.29% 37.09%


President before election

Ronald Reagan
Republican

Elected President

Ronald Reagan
Republican

The 1984 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 6, 1984. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1984 United States presidential election. Virginia voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States.

Virginia was won by incumbent United States President Ronald Reagan of California, who was running against former Vice President Walter Mondale of Minnesota. Reagan ran for a second time with incumbent Vice President and former C.I.A. Director George H. W. Bush of Texas, and Mondale ran with Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York, the first major female candidate for the vice presidency.

Virginia weighed in for this election as 5 points more Republican than the national average. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which the independent cities of Franklin, Lexington, Roanoke, and Falls Church voted for the Republican candidate, and the last election when Virginia voted to the right of Mississippi. Reagan won Virginia by a landslide 25 percentage point margin. Virginia, which had been the only former Confederate state to vote for Gerald Ford in 1976, had, unlike many other Southern states, not even been particularly close in 1980: Virginia rejected the incumbent Southerner, Jimmy Carter, in favor of Reagan by nearly 13 points. 1984 confirmed Virginia's position as a center of the emerging Republican South; Reagan's 62.3 percent vote share in the state made it his seventeenth best nationally, and his fourth-best in the former Confederacy, after Florida, Texas, and South Carolina. (Of those three, Florida and Texas had similarly decisively rejected Carter in 1980.)

Reagan performed well throughout all of Virginia's regions, relegating Mondale mostly to some largely African-American counties in the east, some highly unionized coal counties in southwest Virginia, and the independent cities of Alexandria, Norfolk, Richmond, and Portsmouth.[1] Particularly noteworthy, however, was Reagan's strong performance in Virginia's large, suburban counties: he got over sixty percent of the vote in Fairfax County, which cast the most votes of any of the state's jurisdictions, and over seventy percent in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Henrico County, and Chesterfield County. He also got over 2/3 of the vote in the emerging exurb of Prince William County.

Mondale flipped Arlington County, making Reagan the first Republican since William Howard Taft in 1908 to win the White House without carrying that county. Mondale also flipped the city of Alexandria. These were among a handful of counties nationwide that flipped against Reagan.[a] [2]

Campaign

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72% of white voters supported Reagan while 27% supported Mondale.[3][4]

Results

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1984 United States presidential election in Virginia[5]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Ronald Reagan (inc.) 1,337,078 62.29% 12
Democratic Walter Mondale 796,250 37.09% 0
Independent Democrat Lyndon LaRouche 13,307 0.62% 0
Totals 2,146,635 100.0% 12

Results by county or independent city

[edit]
County/City[6] Ronald Reagan
Republican
Walter Mondale
Democratic
Lyndon LaRouche
Independent Democrat
Margin Total
# % # % # % # %
Accomack 8,047 64.55% 4,355 34.94% 64 0.51% 3,692 29.61% 12,466
Albemarle 14,455 64.16% 7,982 35.43% 93 0.41% 6,473 28.73% 22,530
Alexandria 21,166 46.77% 23,552 52.05% 535 1.18% -2,386 -5.28% 45,253
Alleghany 3,067 60.89% 1,932 38.36% 38 0.75% 1,135 22.53% 5,037
Amelia 2,336 61.41% 1,432 37.64% 36 0.95% 904 23.77% 3,804
Amherst 7,004 66.51% 3,409 32.37% 117 1.11% 3,595 34.14% 10,530
Appomattox 3,386 68.65% 1,498 30.37% 48 0.97% 1,888 38.28% 4,932
Arlington 34,848 48.24% 37,031 51.26% 363 0.50% -2,183 -3.02% 72,242
Augusta 15,308 79.22% 3,899 20.18% 116 0.60% 11,409 59.04% 19,323
Bath 1,434 65.93% 727 33.43% 14 0.64% 707 32.50% 2,175
Bedford 10,371 68.15% 4,754 31.24% 92 0.60% 5,617 36.91% 15,217
Bedford City 1,553 60.36% 997 38.75% 23 0.89% 556 21.61% 2,573
Bland 1,812 67.29% 867 32.19% 14 0.52% 945 35.10% 2,693
Botetourt 5,959 64.15% 3,243 34.91% 87 0.94% 2,716 29.24% 9,289
Bristol 5,012 67.11% 2,429 32.53% 27 0.36% 2,583 34.58% 7,468
Brunswick 2,950 48.58% 3,040 50.06% 83 1.37% -90 -1.48% 6,073
Buchanan 5,053 38.71% 7,828 59.97% 172 1.32% -2,775 -21.26% 13,053
Buckingham 2,627 57.36% 1,879 41.03% 74 1.62% 748 16.33% 4,580
Buena Vista 1,335 64.40% 724 34.93% 14 0.68% 611 29.47% 2,073
Campbell 13,388 74.69% 4,380 24.44% 156 0.87% 9,008 50.25% 17,924
Caroline 2,949 48.04% 3,111 50.68% 78 1.27% -162 -2.64% 6,138
Carroll 7,056 70.26% 2,914 29.02% 72 0.72% 4,142 41.24% 10,042
Charles City 776 30.03% 1,776 68.73% 32 1.24% -1,000 -38.70% 2,584
Charlotte 2,999 61.76% 1,811 37.29% 46 0.95% 1,188 24.47% 4,856
Charlottesville 6,947 48.56% 7,317 51.15% 42 0.29% -370 -2.59% 14,306
Chesapeake 27,542 61.64% 16,740 37.46% 402 0.90% 10,802 24.18% 44,684
Chesterfield 54,896 79.78% 13,739 19.97% 176 0.26% 41,157 59.81% 68,811
Clarke 2,529 67.21% 1,215 32.29% 19 0.50% 1,314 34.92% 3,763
Clifton Forge 965 51.44% 896 47.76% 15 0.80% 69 3.68% 1,876
Colonial Heights 6,387 83.71% 1,218 15.96% 25 0.33% 5,169 67.75% 7,630
Covington 1,722 54.46% 1,391 43.99% 49 1.55% 331 10.47% 3,162
Craig 1,173 57.70% 845 41.56% 15 0.74% 328 16.14% 2,033
Culpeper 5,596 70.60% 2,255 28.45% 75 0.95% 3,341 42.15% 7,926
Cumberland 2,027 60.89% 1,237 37.16% 65 1.95% 790 23.73% 3,329
Danville 12,141 66.85% 5,846 32.19% 174 0.96% 6,295 34.66% 18,161
Dickenson 3,921 44.34% 4,848 54.82% 75 0.85% -927 -10.48% 8,844
Dinwiddie 4,547 56.04% 3,485 42.95% 82 1.01% 1,062 13.09% 8,114
Emporia 1,252 60.25% 807 38.84% 19 0.91% 445 21.41% 2,078
Essex 2,120 61.63% 1,300 37.79% 20 0.58% 820 23.84% 3,440
Fairfax 183,181 62.88% 107,295 36.83% 822 0.28% 75,886 26.05% 291,298
Fairfax City 6,234 65.36% 3,263 34.21% 41 0.43% 2,971 31.15% 9,538
Falls Church 2,684 52.62% 2,398 47.01% 19 0.37% 286 5.61% 5,101
Fauquier 10,319 71.41% 4,056 28.07% 76 0.53% 6,263 43.34% 14,451
Floyd 3,431 67.69% 1,599 31.54% 39 0.77% 1,832 36.15% 5,069
Fluvanna 2,247 62.21% 1,332 36.88% 33 0.91% 915 25.33% 3,612
Franklin 7,684 60.21% 4,903 38.42% 175 1.37% 2,781 21.79% 12,762
Franklin City 1,561 49.87% 1,537 49.11% 32 1.02% 24 0.76% 3,130
Frederick 9,542 77.79% 2,671 21.77% 54 0.44% 6,871 56.02% 12,267
Fredericksburg 3,500 58.60% 2,439 40.83% 34 0.57% 1,061 17.77% 5,973
Galax 1,548 65.18% 814 34.27% 13 0.55% 734 30.91% 2,375
Giles 4,340 58.18% 3,047 40.84% 73 0.98% 1,293 17.34% 7,460
Gloucester 7,109 70.91% 2,830 28.23% 86 0.86% 4,279 42.68% 10,025
Goochland 3,404 60.60% 2,178 38.78% 35 0.62% 1,226 21.82% 5,617
Grayson 4,508 65.43% 2,319 33.66% 63 0.91% 2,189 31.77% 6,890
Greene 2,216 73.87% 760 25.33% 24 0.80% 1,456 48.54% 3,000
Greensville 2,304 48.28% 2,352 49.29% 116 2.43% -48 -1.01% 4,772
Halifax 6,726 60.58% 4,231 38.11% 146 1.31% 2,495 22.47% 11,103
Hampton 25,537 57.95% 18,180 41.25% 351 0.80% 7,357 16.70% 44,068
Hanover 18,800 79.26% 4,831 20.37% 87 0.37% 13,969 58.89% 23,718
Harrisonburg 5,221 68.15% 2,384 31.12% 56 0.73% 2,837 37.03% 7,661
Henrico 63,864 74.74% 21,336 24.97% 248 0.29% 42,528 49.77% 85,448
Henry 12,693 63.76% 6,976 35.04% 237 1.19% 5,717 28.72% 19,906
Highland 997 70.91% 398 28.31% 11 0.78% 599 42.60% 1,406
Hopewell 5,661 68.27% 2,564 30.92% 67 0.81% 3,097 37.35% 8,292
Isle of Wight 5,664 60.18% 3,650 38.78% 98 1.04% 2,014 21.40% 9,412
James City 7,104 66.54% 3,486 32.65% 87 0.81% 3,618 33.89% 10,677
King and Queen 1,449 54.39% 1,201 45.08% 14 0.53% 248 9.31% 2,664
King George 2,356 61.34% 1,450 37.75% 35 0.91% 906 23.59% 3,841
King William 2,803 65.43% 1,448 33.80% 33 0.77% 1,355 31.63% 4,284
Lancaster 3,416 67.72% 1,559 30.91% 69 1.37% 1,857 36.81% 5,044
Lee 5,365 50.83% 5,085 48.18% 104 0.99% 280 2.65% 10,554
Lexington 1,197 55.34% 946 43.74% 20 0.92% 251 11.60% 2,163
Loudoun 17,765 67.99% 8,227 31.49% 136 0.52% 9,538 36.50% 26,128
Louisa 3,789 57.91% 2,703 41.31% 51 0.78% 1,086 16.60% 6,543
Lunenburg 2,713 59.94% 1,754 38.75% 59 1.30% 959 21.19% 4,526
Lynchburg 18,047 67.41% 8,542 31.91% 183 0.68% 9,505 35.50% 26,772
Madison 2,723 67.15% 1,302 32.11% 30 0.74% 1,421 35.04% 4,055
Manassas 4,613 71.34% 1,824 28.21% 29 0.45% 2,789 43.13% 6,466
Manassas Park 975 71.96% 375 27.68% 5 0.37% 600 44.28% 1,355
Martinsville 4,234 58.37% 2,942 40.56% 78 1.08% 1,292 17.81% 7,254
Mathews 2,868 71.61% 1,106 27.62% 31 0.77% 1,762 43.99% 4,005
Mecklenburg 6,777 65.69% 3,438 33.33% 101 0.98% 3,339 32.36% 10,316
Middlesex 2,612 67.23% 1,206 31.04% 67 1.72% 1,406 36.19% 3,885
Montgomery 12,428 62.88% 7,202 36.44% 135 0.68% 5,226 26.44% 19,765
Nelson 2,777 57.22% 2,021 41.64% 55 1.13% 756 15.58% 4,853
New Kent 2,679 68.71% 1,204 30.88% 16 0.41% 1,475 37.83% 3,899
Newport News 33,614 60.35% 21,834 39.20% 250 0.45% 11,780 21.15% 55,698
Norfolk 36,360 48.15% 38,913 51.53% 243 0.32% -2,553 -3.38% 75,516
Northampton 2,906 55.81% 2,226 42.75% 75 1.44% 680 13.06% 5,207
Northumberland 3,166 68.41% 1,407 30.40% 55 1.19% 1,759 38.01% 4,628
Norton 806 48.32% 842 50.48% 20 1.20% -36 -2.16% 1,668
Nottoway 3,418 59.00% 2,296 39.63% 79 1.36% 1,122 19.37% 5,793
Orange 4,483 65.72% 2,285 33.50% 53 0.78% 2,198 32.22% 6,821
Page 5,021 66.78% 2,437 32.41% 61 0.81% 2,584 34.37% 7,519
Patrick 4,703 70.47% 1,908 28.59% 63 0.94% 2,795 41.88% 6,674
Petersburg 5,753 38.17% 9,248 61.35% 73 0.48% -3,495 -23.18% 15,074
Pittsylvania 15,743 66.08% 7,791 32.70% 290 1.22% 7,952 33.38% 23,824
Poquoson 3,667 84.73% 647 14.95% 14 0.32% 3,020 69.78% 4,328
Portsmouth 18,940 46.42% 21,623 53.00% 238 0.58% -2,683 -6.58% 40,801
Powhatan 3,921 73.61% 1,381 25.92% 25 0.47% 2,540 47.69% 5,327
Prince Edward 3,454 56.11% 2,589 42.06% 113 1.84% 865 14.05% 6,156
Prince George 4,999 69.64% 2,136 29.76% 43 0.60% 2,863 39.88% 7,178
Prince William 34,992 68.88% 15,631 30.77% 180 0.35% 19,361 38.11% 50,803
Pulaski 8,242 64.90% 4,364 34.36% 93 0.73% 3,878 30.54% 12,699
Radford 2,855 61.15% 1,781 38.15% 33 0.71% 1,074 23.00% 4,669
Rappahannock 1,696 62.65% 999 36.90% 12 0.44% 697 25.75% 2,707
Richmond 1,869 68.46% 830 30.40% 31 1.14% 1,039 38.06% 2,730
Richmond City 38,754 43.73% 49,408 55.75% 466 0.53% -10,654 -12.02% 88,628
Roanoke 23,348 68.56% 10,569 31.04% 137 0.40% 12,779 37.52% 34,054
Roanoke City 19,008 52.09% 17,300 47.41% 184 0.50% 1,708 4.68% 36,492
Rockbridge 4,067 65.66% 2,098 33.87% 29 0.47% 1,969 31.79% 6,194
Rockingham 13,480 75.70% 4,220 23.70% 107 0.60% 9,260 52.00% 17,807
Russell 5,738 45.54% 6,760 53.66% 101 0.80% -1,022 -8.12% 12,599
Salem 6,419 65.43% 3,347 34.12% 44 0.45% 3,072 31.31% 9,810
Scott 5,804 59.10% 3,904 39.75% 113 1.15% 1,900 19.35% 9,821
Shenandoah 9,048 76.03% 2,771 23.29% 81 0.68% 6,277 52.74% 11,900
Smyth 8,593 67.08% 4,102 32.02% 116 0.91% 4,491 35.06% 12,811
South Boston 1,899 65.64% 974 33.67% 20 0.69% 925 31.97% 2,893
Southampton 4,669 57.99% 3,300 40.99% 82 1.02% 1,369 17.00% 8,051
Spotsylvania 8,207 66.74% 4,012 32.63% 78 0.63% 4,195 34.11% 12,297
Stafford 10,293 69.63% 4,429 29.96% 60 0.41% 5,864 39.67% 14,782
Staunton 6,137 74.88% 2,012 24.55% 47 0.57% 4,125 50.33% 8,196
Suffolk 10,128 52.97% 8,842 46.25% 149 0.78% 1,286 6.72% 19,119
Surry 1,462 43.38% 1,875 55.64% 33 0.98% -413 -12.26% 3,370
Sussex 2,183 46.14% 2,408 50.90% 140 2.96% -225 -4.76% 4,731
Tazewell 9,645 53.89% 8,014 44.78% 237 1.32% 1,631 9.11% 17,896
Virginia Beach 72,571 74.36% 24,703 25.31% 320 0.33% 47,868 49.05% 97,594
Warren 5,016 65.73% 2,551 33.43% 64 0.84% 2,465 32.30% 7,631
Washington 12,132 68.06% 5,573 31.26% 121 0.68% 6,559 36.80% 17,826
Waynesboro 4,465 73.45% 1,579 25.97% 35 0.58% 2,886 47.48% 6,079
Westmoreland 3,219 56.84% 2,363 41.73% 81 1.43% 856 15.11% 5,663
Williamsburg 1,913 56.23% 1,469 43.18% 20 0.59% 444 13.05% 3,402
Winchester 5,055 70.68% 2,064 28.86% 33 0.46% 2,991 41.82% 7,152
Wise 7,909 51.36% 7,303 47.43% 187 1.21% 606 3.93% 15,399
Wythe 6,773 68.65% 2,996 30.37% 97 0.98% 3,777 38.28% 9,866
York 10,214 71.24% 4,063 28.34% 60 0.42% 6,151 42.90% 14,337
Totals 1,337,078 62.29% 796,250 37.09% 13,307 0.62% 540,828 25.20% 2,146,635

Counties and independent cities that flipped from Republican to Democratic

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Counties and independent cities that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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Results by congressional district

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All 10 congressional districts, including four that elected Democrats, voted for Reagan.[7]

District Reagan Mondale Representative
1st 62% 37% Herbert H. Bateman
2nd 63% 37% G. William Whitehurst
3rd 65% 35% Thomas J. Bliley Jr.
4th 56% 43% Norman Sisisky
5th 66% 34% Dan Daniel
6th 66% 34% Jim Olin
7th 69% 31% J. Kenneth Robinson
D. French Slaughter Jr.
8th 61% 38% Stanford Parris
9th 58% 41% Rick Boucher
10th 59% 41% Frank Wolf

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "Virginia Elections Database » 1984 President General Election". Virginia Elections Database. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  2. ^ "The Political Graveyard: Arlington County, Va". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  3. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  4. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  5. ^ "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 6, 1984" (PDF). Clerk of the House of Representatives. p. 60.
  6. ^ "1984 President General Election". Virginia Department of State: Historical Elections Database. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  7. ^ "Official election results".

Works cited

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