The 1860 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 6, 1860, as part of the 1860 United States presidential election. Voters chose 15 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Campaign Archibald Campbell and John Curtiss Underwood attempted to have the Republican National Convention held in Wheeling, Virginia. Many national Republicans supported the idea, including chair Edwin D. Morgan. However, the hostile reaction to the Republican Party by the south after John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry resulted in the committee choosing to host the convention in Chicago.

1,500 people attended the Republican Party of Virginia's state convention in Wheeling on May 2, 1860. The party's delegation to the national convention was the sixth-largest there, despite a credentials challenge against the entire south by opponents of William H. Seward. The initially pro-Seward Virginia delegation gave a majority of its votes to Abraham Lincoln on the first ballot. The delegation supported Cassius Marcellus Clay for the vice presidential nomination.

Four companies of Wide Awakes totaling 350 men were formed during the campaign. Almost all of Lincoln's support came from around Wheeling and his largest number of votes came from Ohio County.

Results 1860 United States presidential election in VirginiaPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Constitutional Union John Bell 74,481 44.63% 15 Southern Democratic John C. Breckinridge 74,325 44.54% 0 Northern Democratic Stephen A. Douglas 16,198 9.71% 0 Republican Abraham Lincoln 1,887 1.13% 0 Totals 166,891 100.0% 15

Results by county +1860 United States Presidential Election in Virginia (by county)CountyJohn BellConstitutional UnionJohn C. BreckinridgeSouthern DemocraticStephen A. DouglasNorthern DemocraticAbraham LincolnRepublicanTotal votescast#%#%#%#%Accomack73647.39%73747.46%805.15%00.00%1,553Albemarle1,31753.32%1,05642.75%973.93%00.00%2,470Alexandria 1,01258.36%56532.58%1418.13%160.92%1,734Alleghany25039.62%34454.52%375.86%00.00%631Amelia28250.09%24944.23%325.68%00.00%563Amherst62242.72%80855.49%261.79%00.00%1,456Appomattox22127.83%56370.91%101.26%00.00%794Augusta2,55366.05%2185.64%1,09428.31%00.00%3,865Barbour42230.71%91066.23%392.84%30.22%1,374Bath22045.32%16340.25%225.43%00.00%405Bedford1,46856.55%1,03739.95%913.50%00.00%2,596Berkeley91349.38%83044.89%1065.73%00.00%1,849Boone12134.67%20458.45%246.88%00.00%349Botetourt59043.61%58943.53%17412.86%00.00%1,353Braxton27450.09%22741.50%468.41%00.00%547Brooke17319.84%45051.61%768.72%17319.84%872Brunswick30832.90%44446.28%18719.91%00.00%939Buchanan148.38%13480.24%1911.38%00.00%167Buckingham54550.00%52347.98%222.02%00.00%1,090Cabell31635.59%16118.13%40745.83%40.45%888Calhoun196.23%28593.44%10.32%00.00%305Campbell1,52152.90%1,20842.02%1465.08%00.00%2,875Caroline56141.52%77257.14%181.33%00.00%1,351Carroll31529.86%72969.10%111.04%00.00%1,055Charles City22465.12%11132.26%92.62%00.00%344Charlotte41846.04%46551.21%252.75%00.00%908Chesterfield78846.24%32819.25%58834.51%00.00%1,704Clarke28842.86%33549.85%497.29%00.00%672Clay11976.28%3723.72%00.00%00.00%156Craig11225.69%32273.85%20.46%00.00%436Culpeper 52649.16%52549.07%191.78%00.00%1,070Cumberland27847.04%27646.70%376.26%00.00%591Dinwiddie38947.09%25430.75%18322.16%00.00%826Doddridge14324.20%35660.24%9115.40%10.16%591Elizabeth City24856.88%16437.61%245.51%00.00%436Essex27947.21%30852.11%40.68%00.00%591Fairfax69147.10%68546.69%916.20%00.00%1,491Fauquier98948.13%1,02749.98%391.90%00.00%2,056Fayette38155.46%24135.08%659.46%00.00%687Floyd38446.83%40048.78%364.39%00.00%820Fluvanna48751.97%44347.28%70.72%00.00%937Franklin86341.65%1,07651.93%1336.42%00.00%2,072Frederick96341.08%1,31556.10%662.82%00.00%2,344Giles36654.46%24436.31%629.23%00.00%672Gilmer11728.40%26865.05%276.55%00.00%412Gloucester30139.55%46060.45%00.00%00.00%761Goochland24434.41%42860.37%375.22%00.00%709Grayson31540.49%44757.46%162.05%00.00%762Greenbrier99360.88%50530.96%1338.15%00.00%1,631Greene7412.23%52186.12%101.65%00.00%605Greensville13941.99%15145.62%4112.39%00.00%331Halifax56327.97%1,31265.18%1386.86%00.00%2,013Hampshire87843.37%1,05452.49%753.74%10.04%2,008Hancock335.29%26241.32%8513.42%25440.06%634Hanover57542.56%74955.44%272.00%00.00%1,351Hardy89467.57%35526.83%745.60%00.00%1,323Harrison93141.36%1,19152.91%1074.75%220.98%2,251Henrico1,40362.83%64128.71%1898.46%00.00%2,233Henry54351.91%44444.45%595.64%00.00%1,046Highland21533.59%17026.56%25539.84%00.00%640Isle of Wight14715.93%75782.02%192.05%00.00%923Jackson38839.88%50051.39%646.58%212.16%973James City14869.48%6028.17%52.35%00.00%213Jefferson95951.64%45824.66%44023.69%00.00%1,857Kanawha1,17667.55%51329.47%522.99%00.00%1,741King and Queen 25533.25%51066.49%20.26%00.00%767King George18441.44%22350.23%378.33%00.00%444King William14230.54%31567.74%81.72%00.00%465Lancaster20957.58%14239.12%123.31%00.00%363Lee46233.82%89465.45%100.73%00.00%1,366Lewis33228.06%60451.06%24720.88%00.00%1,183Logan10026.53%27171.88%61.59%00.00%377Loudoun2,03369.10%77826.44%1204.08%110.37%2,942Louisa49839.71%75460.13%20.16%00.00%1,254Lunenburg25130.99%52765.06%323.95%00.00%810McDowell3548.61%3751.39%00.00%00.00%72Madison747.97%83489.87%202.16%00.00%928Marion56927.84%1,33765.41%1376.70%10.01%2,044Marshall92845.49%80939.66%1085.29%1959.56%2,040Mason71647.39%43929.05%29719.66%593.90%1,511Mathews25145.06%30654.94%00.00%00.00%557Mecklenburg43030.85%90164.63%634.52%00.00%1,394Mercer44349.89%43248.65%131.46%00.00%888Middlesex15138.52%24161.48%00.00%00.00%392Monongalia62230.24%60129.22%75736.80%773.74%2,057Monroe69353.47%52040.12%836.40%00.00%1,296Montgomery71258.79%42535.09%746.11%00.00%1,211Morgan30852.92%25443.62%203.44%00.00%582Nansemond47752.59%42947.30%10.11%00.00%907Nelson73359.35%39031.58%1129.07%00.00%1,235New Kent26460.27%17239.27%20.46%00.00%438Nicholas34563.03%15227.89%488.81%00.00%545Norfolk City98259.38%43926.54%23314.09%00.00%1,654Norfolk County70458.52%44737.16%524.32%00.00%1,203Northampton23451.54%21447.14%61.32%00.00%454Northumberland27644.02%35055.82%10.16%00.00%627Nottoway23252.85%17940.77%286.39%00.00%439Ohio1,20233.43%91525.39%71619.87%77121.39%3,604Orange42746.72%47551.97%121.31%00.00%914Page14112.23%93781.27%756.50%00.00%1,153Patrick43346.31%43246.20%707.49%00.00%935Pendleton40053.33%21728.93%13317.73%00.00%750Petersburg97053.71%22312.35%61333.94%00.00%1,806Pittsylvania1,70257.98%1,05736.00%1776.01%00.00%2,936Pleasants14032.94%16639.06%11928.00%00.00%425Pocahontas16330.99%33363.31%305.70%00.00%526Portsmouth67846.60%55938.42%21414.72%40.27%1,455Powhatan22547.67%12726.91%12025.42%00.00%472Preston56230.33%94250.84%23912.90%1105.94%1,853Prince Edward37443.39%42349.07%657.54%00.00%862Prince George24343.39%19134.11%12622.50%00.00%560Princess Anne45153.31%37944.80%161.89%00.00%846Prince William24323.32%71868.91%262.50%555.28%1,042Pulaski33256.56%25042.59%50.85%00.00%587Putnam40052.29%32742.75%384.97%00.00%765Raleigh23073.48%6922.04%144.47%00.00%313Randolph25939.85%24838.15%14322.00%00.00%650Rappahannock49152.85%40944.03%293.12%00.00%929Richmond City2,40255.58%1,16727.08%75317.42%00.00%4,322Richmond County35364.89%18534.01%61.10%00.00%544Ritchie22426.26%54463.77%738.56%121.41%853Roane23745.84%26451.06%163.09%00.00%517Roanoke29340.81%37351.95%527.24%00.00%718Rockbridge1,23155.13%36116.17%64128.71%00.00%2,233Rockingham88330.31%67623.21%1,35446.48%00.00%2,913Russell 47347.35%52652.65%00.00%00.00%999Scott49141.75%59450.60%917.74%00.00%1,176Shenandoah42717.13%1,88375.53%1706.82%130.52%2,493Smyth 44645.01%49650.05%494.94%00.00%991Southampton54548.79%56350.40%90.81%00.00%1,117Spotsylvania59943.66%51637.61%25718.73%00.00%1,372Stafford40441.61%40241.41%16516.99%00.00%971Surry19753.68%11531.34%5514.99%00.00%367Sussex17731.22%29451.85%9616.93%00.00%567Taylor 64751.68%57545.93%262.08%40.32%1,252Tazewell30624.68%93475.32%00.00%00.00%1,240Tucker2215.28%9968.75%2315.97%00.00%144Tyler31533.69%42345.24%19721.07%00.00%935Upshur 33133.98%58960.47%545.54%00.00%974Warren27636.80%46261.60%121.60%00.00%750Warwick7269.23%3230.77%00.00%00.00%104Washington91642.60%1,17854.79%562.60%00.00%2,150Wayne32656.82%16628.42%8214.04%101.71%584Webster8645.03%9650.26%94.71%00.00%191Westmoreland43872.76%16026.58%40.66%00.00%602Wetzel9010.51%60770.91%15317.87%60.70%856Williamsburg4942.24%4337.07%2420.69%00.00%116Wirt15035.63%25560.57%163.80%00.00%421Wise10221.56%36376.74%81.69%00.00%473Wood83246.20%83246.20%563.11%814.50%1,801Wyoming6061.22%2929.60%99.18%00.00%98Wythe61743.03%79555.44%221.53%00.00%1,434York 22770.93%9028.13%30.94%00.00%320Total74,70144.65%74,37944.46%16,2929.74%1,9291.15%167,301

Analysis

Virginia was one of only three states to vote for the Constitutional Union candidate, former U.S. Senator John Bell, over the Southern Democratic candidate, Vice President John C. Breckinridge, and the Northern Democratic candidate, U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas. Former U.S. Representative Abraham Lincoln was also the Republican candidate in this election, but he received the lowest support for any Republican presidential candidate (as well as the lowest support of any candidate who won the presidency) in the history of Virginia.

This was the first presidential election since the formation of political parties in which Virginia did not vote for the Democratic or Democratic-Republican candidate. It was also the closest presidential election result in Virginia history: Bell won by 156 votes, or a margin of 0.093474% – the thirteenth-closest statewide presidential result in United States history and the closest between 1836 and 1876. Virginia eventually seceded from the United States on April 17, 1861, and did not participate in the following elections in 1864 and 1868. However, unionist counties in the Ohio basin, plus a number of adjacent counties in the northwest, seceded to form the state of West Virginia and did participate in those two elections. , this is the last election in which Morgan County, one of the counties that broke off to form West Virginia, did not vote for the Republican candidate.

Virginia was the only one of the eleven states that would later declare their secession from the Union and be controlled by Confederate armies where any ballots for Lincoln were distributed, and the vast majority of the votes Lincoln received were cast in border counties of what would soon become West Virginia – the future state accounted for 1,832 of Lincoln's 1,929 votes.Results by county in Virginia Lincoln received no votes at all in 121 of the state's then-145 counties (including 31 of the 50 that would form West Virginia), received a single vote in three counties and received ten or fewer votes in nine of the 24 counties where he polled votes. Lincoln's best results, by far, were in the four counties that comprised the state's northern panhandle, a region which had long felt alienated from Richmond and which was economically and culturally linked to its neighbors Ohio and Pennsylvania and which would become the key driver in the successful effort to form a separate state. Hancock County (Virginia's northernmost at the time) returned Lincoln's best result – he polled over 40% of the vote there and finished in second place (Lincoln polled only eight votes fewer than Breckinridge). Of the 97 votes cast for Lincoln in the state's post-1863 boundaries, 93 were polled in four counties along the Potomac River and four were cast in the coastal city of Portsmouth.

See also United States presidential elections in Virginia

Notes

References

Works cited