The 1920 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on Tuesday, November 2, 1920, as part of the nationwide election in which voters chose the President and Vice President of the United States. Virginia voters selected twelve electors to the Electoral College, which voted for the offices of president and vice president.
Candidates
- Republican Party: Senator Warren G. Harding of Ohio, with running mate Senator Calvin Coolidge of Massachusetts.
- Democratic Party: Governor James M. Cox of Ohio, with running mate former Senator Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York.
- Other parties: The Socialist Party nominated Eugene V. Debs; the Prohibition Party nominated Aaron V. Friedrich. Their combined vote totals in Virginia were negligible relative to the two major parties.
Results
| Candidate | Party | Popular vote | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren G. Harding | Republican | ~113,000 | ~58 % |
| James M. Cox | Democratic | ~80,000 | ~42 % |
| Others | — | < 1 % | — |
All twelve of Virginia’s electoral votes were awarded to Warren G. Harding, reflecting the winner‑take‑all system used by the state.
Context and significance
- The election occurred shortly after the ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote nationwide. Turnout increased nationally, though Virginia’s voting population remained limited by state‑imposed poll taxes and other disenfranchisement measures that suppressed African‑American and many poor white voters.
- The 1920 election marked a departure from Virginia’s typical Democratic alignment that had prevailed since the post‑Reconstruction era. Harding’s victory was part of a broader Republican landslide driven by public desire for a “return to normalcy” after World War I and the perceived failures of the Democratic administration of Woodrow Wilson.
- The shift in Virginia reflected growing Republican influence in parts of the state, particularly in urban areas and among business interests, though the Democratic Party would regain dominance in most subsequent elections until the mid‑20th century realignment.
Electoral map
Harding carried the majority of Virginia’s counties, especially in the western and Tidewater regions, while Cox performed best in the historically Democratic areas of the Southside and parts of the central Piedmont. The county‑level results reinforced the emerging geographic political divide within the state.
Aftermath
Warren G. Harding was inaugurated as the 29th President of the United States on March 4, 1921, with Calvin Coolidge as Vice President. The Republican victory in Virginia contributed to the party’s control of both the Presidency and Congress during the early 1920s. Subsequent elections saw Virginia revert to Democratic control until the realignment of the 1950s‑1960s.
