The 1961 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1961, to elect the governor of Virginia. Democratic former attorney general Albertis Harrison defeated Republican former state delegate H. Clyde Pearson.

Incumbent Democratic governor J. Lindsay Almond was ineligible to seek re-election to a second term due to the state's prohibition on consecutive gubernatorial terms.

Background 1961 would become the last Virginia gubernatorial election under the control of the conservative Byrd Organization before the Twenty-fourth Amendment and Voting Rights Act served to greatly expand the state's electorate – previously exceedingly small due to a cumulative poll tax and literacy tests.

Allie Edward Stakes Stephens had served as Lieutenant Governor for over two terms since a 1952 special election. However, when the state went for losing GOP nominee Richard Nixon in 1960 despite Stephens supporting national Democrat Kennedy, it was clear that the long-serving lieutenant had broken with the Organization. With patriarch Byrd senior considering it inappropriate for his son to run for any state office, Attorney General Albertis S. Harrison Jr. gained the Organization support in January.

Campaign By May Stephens had become strongly opposed to its longstanding policies and was campaigning vigorously against Organization nominee Harrison, aided by financial support from former councillor and current State Highway Commission member Walter Chinn. Harrison would consistently criticize Stephens for "intemperate" criticism of the Byrd Organization.

Although "Massive Resistance" had been ended by outgoing Governor Almond in 1959, education remained the major issue for all campaigns from the first primaries in June. Stephens would lose the July 11 primary by thirteen percentage points – significantly smaller than previous antiorganization candidates.

Campaigning was described by the press as "mild", and predictions – ultimately fulfilled – expected turnout to be less than forty percent of the state's approximately one million registered voters.

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Albertis Harrison, former attorney general of Virginia (1958–1961) Eliminated in primary Allie Edward Stakes Stephens, lieutenant governor of Virginia (1952–1962)

Primary results by county and independent city +1961 Virginia gubernatorial Democratic primary by county or independent city Albertis Sydney Harrison jr. Democratic Allie Edward Stakes StephensDemocratic Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % Accomack County 2,968 66.83% 1,473 33.17% 1,495 33.66% 4,441 Albemarle County 1,529 65.71% 798 34.29% 731 31.41% 2,327 Alleghany County 436 61.67% 271 38.33% 165 23.34% 707 Amelia County 841 78.16% 235 21.84% 606 56.32% 1,076 Amherst County 1,611 69.65% 702 30.35% 909 39.30% 2,313 Appomattox County 1,608 88.06% 218 11.94% 1,390 76.12% 1,826 Arlington County 4,641 34.01% 9,004 65.99% -4,363 -31.98% 13,645 Augusta County 1,283 74.85% 431 25.15% 852 49.71% 1,714 Bath County 225 74.01% 79 25.99% 146 48.03% 304 Bedford County 2,520 61.92% 1,550 38.08% 970 23.83% 4,070 Bland County 314 52.51% 284 47.49% 30 5.02% 598 Botetourt County 430 43.79% 552 56.21% -122 -12.42% 982 Brunswick County 2,537 86.59% 393 13.41% 2,144 73.17% 2,930 Buchanan County 340 21.04% 1,276 78.96% -936 -57.92% 1,616 Buckingham County 1,085 80.79% 258 19.21% 827 61.58% 1,343 Campbell County 1,518 71.54% 604 28.46% 914 43.07% 2,122 Caroline County 688 70.78% 284 29.22% 404 41.56% 972 Carroll County 217 21.81% 778 78.19% -561 -56.38% 995 Charles City County 137 34.00% 266 66.00% -129 -32.01% 403 Charlotte County 1,344 84.26% 251 15.74% 1,093 68.53% 1,595 Chesterfield County 4,751 74.11% 1,660 25.89% 3,091 48.21% 6,411 Clarke County 850 65.69% 444 34.31% 406 31.38% 1,294 Craig County 111 39.36% 171 60.64% -60 -21.28% 282 Culpeper County 1,417 70.15% 603 29.85% 814 40.30% 2,020 Cumberland County 562 74.63% 191 25.37% 371 49.27% 753 Dickenson County 69 5.13% 1,277 94.87% -1,208 -89.75% 1,346 Dinwiddie County 1,390 78.27% 386 21.73% 1,004 56.53% 1,776 Essex County 454 71.16% 184 28.84% 270 42.32% 638 Fairfax County 4,932 30.15% 11,427 69.85% -6,495 -39.70% 16,359 Fauquier County 1,827 62.78% 1,083 37.22% 744 25.57% 2,910 Floyd County 56 15.34% 309 84.66% -253 -69.32% 365 Fluvanna County 378 74.26% 131 25.74% 247 48.53% 509 Franklin County 1,224 48.78% 1,285 51.22% -61 -2.43% 2,509 Frederick County 1,378 69.35% 609 30.65% 769 38.70% 1,987 Giles County 579 47.30% 645 52.70% -66 -5.39% 1,224 Gloucester County 756 63.53% 434 36.47% 322 27.06% 1,190 Goochland County 841 78.60% 229 21.40% 612 57.20% 1,070 Grayson County 307 24.98% 922 75.02% -615 -50.04% 1,229 Greene County 87 49.15% 90 50.85% -3 -1.69% 177 Greensville County 1,843 80.45% 448 19.55% 1,395 60.89% 2,291 Halifax County 2,091 84.97% 370 15.03% 1,721 69.93% 2,461 Hanover County 2,784 76.78% 842 23.22% 1,942 53.56% 3,626 Henrico County 10,861 76.60% 3,318 23.40% 7,543 53.20% 14,179 Henry County 1,114 57.07% 838 42.93% 276 14.14% 1,952 Highland County 157 75.48% 51 24.52% 106 50.96% 208 Isle of Wight County 859 32.61% 1,775 67.39% -916 -34.78% 2,634 James City County 355 48.56% 376 51.44% -21 -2.87% 731 King and Queen County 269 65.77% 140 34.23% 129 31.54% 409 King George County 314 66.24% 160 33.76% 154 32.49% 474 King William County 706 72.56% 267 27.44% 439 45.12% 973 Lancaster County 820 60.25% 541 39.75% 279 20.50% 1,361 Lee County 234 15.48% 1,278 84.52% -1,044 -69.05% 1,512 Loudoun County 1,434 65.39% 759 34.61% 675 30.78% 2,193 Louisa County 1,089 81.76% 243 18.24% 846 63.51% 1,332 Lunenburg County 1,635 86.65% 252 13.35% 1,383 73.29% 1,887 Madison County 396 79.68% 101 20.32% 295 59.36% 497 Mathews County 525 73.53% 189 26.47% 336 47.06% 714 Mecklenburg County 2,926 89.62% 339 10.38% 2,587 79.23% 3,265 Middlesex County 524 65.83% 272 34.17% 252 31.66% 796 Montgomery County 539 31.71% 1,161 68.29% -622 -36.59% 1,700 Nansemond County 2,112 50.47% 2,073 49.53% 39 0.93% 4,185 Nelson County 946 66.62% 474 33.38% 472 33.24% 1,420 New Kent County 272 67.66% 130 32.34% 142 35.32% 402 Norfolk County 2,480 58.99% 1,724 41.01% 756 17.98% 4,204 Northampton County 1,309 82.85% 271 17.15% 1,038 65.70% 1,580 Northumberland County 666 63.49% 383 36.51% 283 26.98% 1,049 Nottoway County 1,703 77.55% 493 22.45% 1,210 55.10% 2,196 Orange County 752 70.61% 313 29.39% 439 41.22% 1,065 Page County 873 74.62% 297 25.38% 576 49.23% 1,170 Patrick County 848 57.65% 623 42.35% 225 15.30% 1,471 Pittsylvania County 4,414 78.68% 1,196 21.32% 3,218 57.36% 5,610 Powhatan County 450 67.98% 212 32.02% 238 35.95% 662 Prince Edward County 2,129 79.23% 558 20.77% 1,571 58.47% 2,687 Prince George County 756 76.60% 231 23.40% 525 53.19% 987 Prince William County 1,294 61.01% 827 38.99% 467 22.02% 2,121 Princess Anne County 4,019 73.66% 1,437 26.34% 2,582 47.32% 5,456 Pulaski County 866 49.66% 878 50.34% -12 -0.69% 1,744 Rappahannock County 435 76.05% 137 23.95% 298 52.10% 572 Richmond County 492 71.72% 194 28.28% 298 43.44% 686 Roanoke County 1,529 53.99% 1,303 46.01% 226 7.98% 2,832 Rockbridge County 1,189 67.29% 578 32.71% 611 34.58% 1,767 Rockingham County 776 64.56% 426 35.44% 350 29.12% 1,202 Russell County 406 24.22% 1,270 75.78% -864 -51.55% 1,676 Scott County 450 30.57% 1,022 69.43% -572 -38.86% 1,472 Shenandoah County 1,070 75.51% 347 24.49% 723 51.02% 1,417 Smyth County 498 34.09% 963 65.91% -465 -31.83% 1,461 Southampton County 1,834 67.45% 885 32.55% 949 34.90% 2,719 Spotsylvania County 508 42.37% 691 57.63% -183 -15.26% 1,199 Stafford County 426 34.72% 801 65.28% -375 -30.56% 1,227 Surry County 620 56.57% 476 43.43% 144 13.14% 1,096 Sussex County 1,429 84.66% 259 15.34% 1,170 69.31% 1,688 Tazewell County 677 28.88% 1,667 71.12% -990 -42.24% 2,344 Warren County 1,383 68.98% 622 31.02% 761 37.96% 2,005 Washington County 648 31.72% 1,395 68.28% -747 -36.56% 2,043 Westmoreland County 777 56.67% 594 43.33% 183 13.35% 1,371 Wise County 349 12.96% 2,343 87.04% -1,994 -74.07% 2,692 Wythe County 607 49.15% 628 50.85% -21 -1.70% 1,235 York County 1,078 53.13% 951 46.87% 127 6.26% 2,029 Alexandria City 3,400 37.45% 5,678 62.55% -2,278 -25.09% 9,078 Bristol City 729 53.72% 628 46.28% 101 7.44% 1,357 Buena Vista City 447 74.87% 150 25.13% 297 49.75% 597 Charlottesville City 2,088 53.14% 1,841 46.86% 247 6.29% 3,929 Clifton Forge City 343 56.05% 269 43.95% 74 12.09% 612 Colonial Heights City 1,334 83.58% 262 16.42% 1,072 67.17% 1,596 Covington City 613 55.73% 487 44.27% 126 11.45% 1,100 Danville City 4,611 73.48% 1,664 26.52% 2,947 46.96% 6,275 Fairfax City 373 40.68% 544 59.32% -171 -18.65% 917 Falls Church City 371 37.47% 619 62.53% -248 -25.05% 990 Fredericksburg City 833 48.86% 872 51.14% -39 -2.29% 1,705 Galax City 182 40.09% 272 59.91% -90 -19.82% 454 Hampton City 3,365 43.49% 4,373 56.51% -1,008 -13.03% 7,738 Harrisonburg City 576 70.67% 239 29.33% 337 41.35% 815 Hopewell City 1,778 69.81% 769 30.19% 1,009 39.62% 2,547 Lynchburg City 4,311 62.71% 2,563 37.29% 1,748 25.43% 6,874 Martinsville City 896 61.08% 571 38.92% 325 22.15% 1,467 Newport News City 4,536 49.09% 4,705 50.91% -169 -1.83% 9,241 Norfolk City 11,556 46.90% 13,085 53.10% -1,529 -6.21% 24,641 Norton City 123 32.89% 251 67.11% -128 -34.22% 374 Petersburg City 2,433 63.93% 1,373 36.07% 1,060 27.85% 3,806 Portsmouth City 4,542 42.27% 6,203 57.73% -1,661 -15.46% 10,745 Radford City 186 24.80% 564 75.20% -378 -50.40% 750 Richmond City 16,082 57.67% 11,804 42.33% 4,278 15.34% 27,886 Roanoke City 3,556 45.54% 4,253 54.46% -697 -8.93% 7,809 South Boston City 567 79.41% 147 20.59% 420 58.82% 714 South Norfolk City 931 63.90% 526 36.10% 405 27.80% 1,457 Staunton City 1,205 73.88% 426 26.12% 779 47.76% 1,631 Suffolk City 1,358 60.28% 895 39.72% 463 20.55% 2,253 Virginia Beach City 794 73.52% 286 26.48% 508 47.04% 1,080 Waynesboro City 772 71.35% 310 28.65% 462 42.70% 1,082 Williamsburg City 302 50.67% 294 49.33% 8 1.34% 596 Winchester City 1,540 74.15% 537 25.85% 1,003 48.29% 2,077Totals199,51956.66%152,63943.34%46,88013.31%352,158

General election results

Results by county or independent city