1932 United States presidential election in Virginia
November 8, 1932
 
Nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt Herbert Hoover
Party Democratic Republican
Home state New York Iowa
Running mate John N. Garner Charles Curtis
Electoral vote 11 0
Popular vote 203,979 89,637
Percentage 68.46% 30.09%
County Results
President before election

Herbert Hoover
Republican

 Elected President

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic

The 1932 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 8, 1932. Voters chose eleven representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Like all former Confederate States, early twentieth-century Virginia almost completely disenfranchised its black and poor white populations through the use of a cumulative poll tax and literacy tests.[1] So severe was the disenfranchising effect of the new 1902 Constitution that it has been calculated that a third of the electorate during the first half of the twentieth century comprised state employees and officeholders.[1]

This limited electorate meant Virginian politics was controlled by political machines based in Southside Virginia — the 1920 would see the building of the Byrd Organization which would control the state’s politics until the Voting Rights Act. Progressive “antiorganization” factions were rendered impotent by the inability of almost all their potential electorate to vote.[2] Unlike the Deep South, historical fusion with the “Readjuster” Democrats,[3] defection over free silver of substantial proportions of the Northeast-aligned white electorate of the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia,[4] and an early move towards a “lily white” Jim Crow party[3] meant that in general elections the Republicans retained around one-third of the small statewide electorate,[5] with the majority of GOP support located in the western part of the state. However — like in Tennessee during the same era — the parties avoided competition in many areas by an agreed division over local offices.[2]

1928 saw a substantial change, whereby a combination of anti-Catholicism in the Tidewater region and growing middle-class Republicanism in the cities saw Republican Herbert Hoover carry Virginia’s electoral votes[6] and elect three Congressmen, including the local district of emerging machine leader Byrd.[7] However, a combination of record drought[8] and the economic catastrophe of the Great Depression meant that the trend towards the GOP would be short-lived.[9] The Depression had extremely severe effects in the South, which had the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and many Southerners blamed this on the North and on Wall Street, rejecting Hoover’s claim that the Depression’s causes were exogenous.[10]

For some time in 1932, Byrd was seen as a possible compromise candidate between Roosevelt and Al Smith for the Democratic presidential nomination;[11] however, Southern opposition to Smith meant that Byrd ultimately wavered on seeking the nomination and accepted Roosevelt,[12] as even delegates from such states as North Carolina rejected him for FDR.

Neither major party candidate campaigned in the state, and no polls were taken early in the campaign. when the state was finally polled in the middle of October, Roosevelt was clearly leading over Hoover by around five-to-two.[13] A later poll had Roosevelt winning by seventy thousand votes, despite overall being much more favourable to the incumbent President than most other polls.[14] As it turned out, the earlier poll was more accurate, with Roosevelt winning by over one hundred and fourteen thousand votes. Roosevelt ultimately won the national election with 57.41 percent of the vote.

Results

1932 United States presidential election in Virginia[15]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Franklin D. Roosevelt 203,979 68.46% 11
Republican Herbert Hoover (inc.) 89,637 30.09% 0
Socialist Norman Thomas 2,382 0.80% 0
Prohibition William David Upshaw 1,843 0.62% 0
Communist William Z. Foster 86 0.03% 0
Farmer-Labor Jacob Coxey 15 0.01% 0
Totals 297,942 100.00% 11

Results by county or independent city

1932 United States presidential election in Virginia by counties and independent cities[16]
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Democratic		 Herbert Clark Hoover
Republican		 Various candidates
Other parties		 Margin Total votes cast
#  % #  % #  % #  %
Accomack County 2,458 81.74% 527 17.53% 22 0.73% 1,931 64.22% 3,007
Albemarle County 1,949 78.24% 508 20.39% 34 1.36% 1,441 57.85% 2,491
Alleghany County 1,293 53.50% 1,095 45.30% 29 1.20% 198 8.19% 2,417
Amelia County 701 82.08% 142 16.63% 11 1.29% 559 65.46% 854
Amherst County 1,764 89.09% 195 9.85% 21 1.06% 1,569 79.24% 1,980
Appomattox County 1,123 83.99% 204 15.26% 10 0.75% 919 68.74% 1,337
Arlington County 3,285 52.69% 2,806 45.01% 143 2.29% 479 7.68% 6,234
Augusta County 2,606 61.51% 1,541 36.37% 90 2.12% 1,065 25.14% 4,237
Bath County 594 59.88% 384 38.71% 14 1.41% 210 21.17% 992
Bedford County 2,321 81.99% 469 16.57% 41 1.45% 1,852 65.42% 2,831
Bland County 783 57.74% 556 41.00% 17 1.25% 227 16.74% 1,356
Botetourt County 1,808 59.12% 1,209 39.54% 41 1.34% 599 19.59% 3,058
Brunswick County 1,361 95.58% 52 3.65% 11 0.77% 1,309 91.92% 1,424
Buchanan County 1,372 65.24% 727 34.57% 4 0.19% 645 30.67% 2,103
Buckingham County 870 79.82% 204 18.72% 16 1.47% 666 61.10% 1,090
Campbell County 1,692 83.72% 301 14.89% 28 1.39% 1,391 68.83% 2,021
Caroline County 1,076 78.89% 270 19.79% 18 1.32% 806 59.09% 1,364
Carroll County 1,537 50.79% 1,461 48.28% 28 0.93% 76 2.51% 3,026
Charles City County 245 73.13% 85 25.37% 5 1.49% 160 47.76% 335
Charlotte County 1,300 88.02% 169 11.44% 8 0.54% 1,131 76.57% 1,477
Chesterfield County 1,886 69.90% 726 26.91% 86 3.19% 1,160 42.99% 2,698
Clarke County 841 86.43% 124 12.74% 8 0.82% 717 73.69% 973
Craig County 649 67.18% 302 31.26% 15 1.55% 347 35.92% 966
Culpeper County 1,349 75.70% 417 23.40% 16 0.90% 932 52.30% 1,782
Cumberland County 511 84.05% 84 13.82% 13 2.14% 427 70.23% 608
Dickenson County 2,635 67.95% 1,228 31.67% 15 0.39% 1,407 36.28% 3,878
Dinwiddie County 1,028 90.18% 104 9.12% 8 0.70% 924 81.05% 1,140
Elizabeth City County 1,226 62.58% 700 35.73% 33 1.68% 526 26.85% 1,959
Essex County 420 80.15% 101 19.27% 3 0.57% 319 60.88% 524
Fairfax County 2,714 65.33% 1,368 32.93% 72 1.73% 1,346 32.40% 4,154
Fauquier County 1,999 83.43% 379 15.82% 18 0.75% 1,620 67.61% 2,396
Floyd County 699 39.90% 1,051 59.99% 2 0.11% -352 -20.09% 1,752
Fluvanna County 579 75.39% 176 22.92% 13 1.69% 403 52.47% 768
Franklin County 2,245 72.96% 812 26.39% 20 0.65% 1,433 46.57% 3,077
Frederick County 1,536 76.19% 456 22.62% 24 1.19% 1,080 53.57% 2,016
Giles County 1,754 62.60% 1,016 36.26% 32 1.14% 738 26.34% 2,802
Gloucester County 916 75.64% 280 23.12% 15 1.24% 636 52.52% 1,211
Goochland County 629 77.65% 166 20.49% 15 1.85% 463 57.16% 810
Grayson County 2,306 58.26% 1,624 41.03% 28 0.71% 682 17.23% 3,958
Greene County 394 60.43% 258 39.57% 0 0.00% 136 20.86% 652
Greensville County 692 85.33% 112 13.81% 7 0.86% 580 71.52% 811
Halifax County 3,583 91.85% 275 7.05% 43 1.10% 3,308 84.80% 3,901
Hanover County 1,073 80.56% 238 17.87% 21 1.58% 835 62.69% 1,332
Henrico County 2,458 63.43% 1,291 33.32% 126 3.25% 1,167 30.12% 3,875
Henry County 1,146 76.25% 342 22.75% 15 1.00% 804 53.49% 1,503
Highland County 464 55.37% 355 42.36% 19 2.27% 109 13.01% 838
Isle of Wight County 982 77.02% 284 22.27% 9 0.71% 698 54.75% 1,275
James City County 302 71.06% 116 27.29% 7 1.65% 186 43.76% 425
King and Queen County 368 68.79% 154 28.79% 13 2.43% 214 40.00% 535
King George County 475 69.65% 203 29.77% 4 0.59% 272 39.88% 682
King William County 612 76.12% 177 22.01% 15 1.87% 435 54.10% 804
Lancaster County 639 68.93% 272 29.34% 16 1.73% 367 39.59% 927
Lee County 2,892 58.84% 1,985 40.39% 38 0.77% 907 18.45% 4,915
Loudoun County 2,440 79.45% 600 19.54% 31 1.01% 1,840 59.92% 3,071
Louisa County 879 68.62% 366 28.57% 36 2.81% 513 40.05% 1,281
Lunenburg County 1,141 91.50% 92 7.38% 14 1.12% 1,049 84.12% 1,247
Madison County 849 61.52% 522 37.83% 9 0.65% 327 23.70% 1,380
Mathews County 652 56.50% 488 42.29% 14 1.21% 164 14.21% 1,154
Mecklenburg County 2,188 88.30% 275 11.10% 15 0.61% 1,913 77.20% 2,478
Middlesex County 595 80.19% 127 17.12% 20 2.70% 468 63.07% 742
Montgomery County 1,805 53.01% 1,522 44.70% 78 2.29% 283 8.31% 3,405
Nansemond County 1,264 86.22% 196 13.37% 6 0.41% 1,068 72.85% 1,466
Nelson County 1,457 85.61% 238 13.98% 7 0.41% 1,219 71.62% 1,702
New Kent County 286 70.44% 115 28.33% 5 1.23% 171 42.12% 406
Norfolk County 2,926 72.09% 1,072 26.41% 61 1.50% 1,854 45.68% 4,059
Northampton County 1,264 80.15% 298 18.90% 15 0.95% 966 61.26% 1,577
Northumberland County 630 71.27% 245 27.71% 9 1.02% 385 43.55% 884
Nottoway County 1,348 80.67% 277 16.58% 46 2.75% 1,071 64.09% 1,671
Orange County 1,253 79.96% 309 19.72% 5 0.32% 944 60.24% 1,567
Page County 1,851 58.61% 1,261 39.93% 46 1.46% 590 18.68% 3,158
Patrick County 1,342 72.42% 486 26.23% 25 1.35% 856 46.20% 1,853
Pittsylvania County 3,124 81.35% 656 17.08% 60 1.56% 2,468 64.27% 3,840
Powhatan County 433 78.02% 108 19.46% 14 2.52% 325 58.56% 555
Prince Edward County 970 81.04% 196 16.37% 31 2.59% 774 64.66% 1,197
Prince George County 597 83.03% 115 15.99% 7 0.97% 482 67.04% 719
Prince William County 1,499 78.61% 386 20.24% 22 1.15% 1,113 58.36% 1,907
Princess Anne County 1,451 76.29% 432 22.71% 19 1.00% 1,019 53.58% 1,902
Pulaski County 2,314 66.99% 1,109 32.11% 31 0.90% 1,205 34.89% 3,454
Rappahannock County 590 81.94% 124 17.22% 6 0.83% 466 64.72% 720
Richmond County 461 69.95% 192 29.14% 6 0.91% 269 40.82% 659
Roanoke County 2,509 58.79% 1,704 39.93% 55 1.29% 805 18.86% 4,268
Rockbridge County 1,764 67.35% 811 30.97% 44 1.68% 953 36.39% 2,619
Rockingham County 2,750 53.85% 2,194 42.96% 163 3.19% 556 10.89% 5,107
Russell County 3,274 70.09% 1,386 29.67% 11 0.24% 1,888 40.42% 4,671
Scott County 2,137 55.64% 1,673 43.56% 31 0.81% 464 12.08% 3,841
Shenandoah County 2,635 50.51% 2,514 48.19% 68 1.30% 121 2.32% 5,217
Smyth County 2,287 54.50% 1,843 43.92% 66 1.57% 444 10.58% 4,196
Southampton County 1,357 87.15% 182 11.69% 18 1.16% 1,175 75.47% 1,557
Spotsylvania County 784 68.35% 346 30.17% 17 1.48% 438 38.19% 1,147
Stafford County 731 61.38% 454 38.12% 6 0.50% 277 23.26% 1,191
Surry County 653 88.72% 73 9.92% 10 1.36% 580 78.80% 736
Sussex County 688 83.39% 122 14.79% 15 1.82% 566 68.61% 825
Tazewell County 2,713 56.97% 2,005 42.10% 44 0.92% 708 14.87% 4,762
Warren County 1,096 74.46% 367 24.93% 9 0.61% 729 49.52% 1,472
Warwick County 645 71.67% 242 26.89% 13 1.44% 403 44.78% 900
Washington County 2,784 60.17% 1,774 38.34% 69 1.49% 1,010 21.83% 4,627
Westmoreland County 641 74.80% 212 24.74% 4 0.47% 429 50.06% 857
Wise County 5,276 68.13% 2,405 31.06% 63 0.81% 2,871 37.07% 7,744
Wythe County 1,866 53.56% 1,589 45.61% 29 0.83% 277 7.95% 3,484
York County 457 56.84% 309 38.43% 38 4.73% 148 18.41% 804
Alexandria City 2,941 70.29% 1,199 28.66% 44 1.05% 1,742 41.63% 4,184
Bristol City 1,252 79.09% 307 19.39% 24 1.52% 945 59.70% 1,583
Buena Vista City 258 58.90% 154 35.16% 26 5.94% 104 23.74% 438
Charlottesville City 1,287 75.53% 409 24.00% 8 0.47% 878 51.53% 1,704
Clifton Forge City 917 72.15% 328 25.81% 26 2.05% 589 46.34% 1,271
Danville City 2,264 73.41% 740 23.99% 80 2.59% 1,524 49.42% 3,084
Fredericksburg City 812 68.18% 366 30.73% 13 1.09% 446 37.45% 1,191
Hampton City 772 71.22% 294 27.12% 18 1.66% 478 44.10% 1,084
Harrisonburg City 995 58.81% 665 39.30% 32 1.89% 330 19.50% 1,692
Hopewell City 957 72.50% 342 25.91% 21 1.59% 615 46.59% 1,320
Lynchburg City 3,656 74.07% 1,200 24.31% 80 1.62% 2,456 49.76% 4,936
Martinsville City 739 77.14% 212 22.13% 7 0.73% 527 55.01% 958
Newport News City 2,703 62.80% 1,515 35.20% 86 2.00% 1,188 27.60% 4,304
Norfolk City 8,814 65.45% 4,403 32.69% 250 1.86% 4,411 32.75% 13,467
Petersburg City 1,920 78.69% 490 20.08% 30 1.23% 1,430 58.61% 2,440
Portsmouth City 3,344 63.17% 1,840 34.76% 110 2.08% 1,504 28.41% 5,294
Radford City 542 59.63% 341 37.51% 26 2.86% 201 22.11% 909
Richmond City 14,631 70.75% 5,602 27.09% 448 2.17% 9,029 43.66% 20,681
Roanoke City 6,215 65.15% 3,195 33.49% 130 1.36% 3,020 31.66% 9,540
South Norfolk City 597 63.17% 329 34.81% 19 2.01% 268 28.36% 945
Staunton City 988 63.54% 551 35.43% 16 1.03% 437 28.10% 1,555
Suffolk City 1,013 78.71% 265 20.59% 9 0.70% 748 58.12% 1,287
Williamsburg City 387 76.63% 99 19.60% 19 3.76% 288 57.03% 505
Winchester City 1,179 61.73% 698 36.54% 33 1.73% 481 25.18% 1,910
Totals203,97968.46%89,63730.09%4,3261.45%114,34238.38%297,942

Analysis

Although Roosevelt won Virginia by a margin that exceeded Woodrow Wilson’s two victories in the state and was the best Democratic performance since Andrew Jackson exactly a century previously, Hoover — despite losing every county except Floyd — was still able to maintain a small portion of the urban and Tidewater gains gains made by the Republicans during the 1920s.[6] In some counties of the Virginia Peninsula and Middle Peninsula, the incumbent President bettered Calvin Coolidge’s 1924 performance even in a depression year.

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Carroll County, Highland County, and Shenandoah County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[17] This is the closest anyone has come to sweeping every Virginia county since 1820.

References

  1. 1 2 Kousser, J. Morgan. The Shaping of Southern Politics: Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910. Yale University Press. pp. 178–181. ISBN 0-300-01696-4.
  2. 1 2 Key, Valdimer Orlando (1949). Southern Politics in State and Nation. pp. 20–25.
  3. 1 2 Heersink, Boris; Jenkins, Jeffrey A. Republican Party Politics and the American South, 1865-1968. pp. 217–221. ISBN 1107158435.
  4. ↑ Moger, Allen. "The Rift in Virginia Democracy in 1896". The Journal of Southern History. 4 (3): 295–317.
  5. ↑ Phillips, Kevin P. (1969). The Emerging Republican Majority. pp. 193, 219. ISBN 0870000586.
  6. 1 2 Phillips. The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 195
  7. ↑ Hawkes (junior), Robert T. (July 1974). "The Emergence of a Leader: Harry Flood Byrd, Governor of Virginia, 1926-1930". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 82 (3): 259–281.
  8. ↑ Heinemann, Ronald L. (1996). Harry Byrd of Virginia. Charlottesville, Virginia: University Press of Virginia.
  9. ↑ Lewinson, Paul (1965). Race, class and party; a history of Negro suffrage and white politics in the South. pp. 167–168.
  10. ↑ Ritchie, Donald A. (2007). Electing FDR: the New Deal campaign of 1932. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. p. 143. ISBN 070061687X.
  11. ↑ Heinemann; Harry Byrd of Virginia, p. 141
  12. ↑ Heinemann; Harry Byrd of Virginia, p. 143
  13. ↑ "Roosevelt Overwhelmingly". The Tampa Times. October 21, 1932. p. 4-A.
  14. ↑ Pasquino (October 30, 1932). "Non-Partisan Forecast Gives G.O.P. President Edge over Roosevelt". The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. pp. 1, 6.
  15. ↑ "Statistics of the Congressional and Presidential election of November 8, 1932" (PDF). Clerk of the House of Representatives. p. 38.
  16. ↑ Robinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote 1896-1932, pp. 354-361 ISBN 9780804716963
  17. ↑ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
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