2001 Virginia gubernatorial election
← 1997 November 6, 2001 2005 →
Turnout46.4% Decrease 3.1[1]
 
Nominee Mark Warner Mark Earley
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 984,177 887,234
Percentage 52.2% 47.0%
Warner:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Earley:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election

Jim Gilmore
Republican

Elected Governor

Mark Warner
Democratic

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The 2001 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2001. Incumbent Republican Governor Jim Gilmore was barred from seeking a second term; Democratic nominee Mark Warner, the 1996 Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate and former Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, defeated Republican nominee Mark Earley, the Attorney General of Virginia.

General election

Candidates

Campaign

Warner made a conscious effort to appeal to voters in rural Virginia, personified by his official campaign song, written by the Bluegrass Brothers.[2] The song was considered an essential part of Warner's outreach to rural Virginia, with the lyrics emphasizing Warner's understanding of the culture of that part of the state.[3][4]

Polling

Source Date Warner (D) Earley (R) Redpath (L)
Mason-Dixon October 21, 2001 46% 40% N/A
Mason-Dixon October 20, 2001 45% 42% 1%

Results

Virginia gubernatorial election, 2001[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Mark Warner 984,177 52.16% +9.60%
Republican Mark Earley 887,234 47.03% -8.79%
Libertarian Bill Redpath 14,497 0.77% +0.77%
Write-in 813 0.04%
Majority 96,943 5.14% -8.11%
Turnout 1,886,721
Democratic gain from Republican Swing

Results by county and city

County[6] Warner Votes Earley Votes Redpath Votes Others Votes
Accomack 50.3% 3,710 48.5% 3,575 1.2% 89 0.0% 0
Albemarle 56.3% 14,891 42.2% 11,143 1.4% 373 0.1% 21
Alexandria 68.2% 23,739 31.1% 10,810 0.6% 226 0.1% 27
Alleghany 59.0% 3,018 39.9% 2,044 1.1% 56 0.0% 0
Amelia 46.7% 1,665 52.7% 1,880 0.6% 20 0.0% 0
Amherst 50.8% 4,198 48.8% 4,031 0.4% 37 0.0% 0
Appomattox 51.3% 2,268 47.3% 2,090 1.4% 61 0.0% 1
Arlington 68.3% 35,990 30.8% 16,214 0.9% 487 0.1% 28
Augusta 37.1% 6,673 61.9% 11,133 0.9% 164 0.0% 4
Bath 51.8% 804 46.4% 721 1.8% 28 0.0% 0
Bedford County 41.1% 8,035 57.8% 11,298 1.1% 211 0.0% 3
Bedford 56.9% 1,031 41.2% 747 1.9% 35 0.0% 0
Bland 48.2% 835 51.2% 888 0.6% 11 0.0% 0
Botetourt 43.7% 4,629 55.4% 5,872 0.9% 100 0.0% 1
Bristol 48.6% 2,166 50.9% 2,268 0.5% 21 0.1% 3
Brunswick 65.3% 2,840 34.3% 1,491 0.4% 16 0.1% 3
Buchanan 65.7% 3,746 33.7% 1,921 0.7% 39 0.0% 0
Buckingham 59.1% 2,364 40.1% 1,601 0.8% 32 0.0% 0
Buena Vista 58.6% 853 39.3% 572 2.1% 30 0.0% 0
Campbell 45.7% 7,187 53.1% 8,366 1.2% 187 0.0% 3
Caroline 60.8% 3,590 38.5% 2,274 0.6% 34 0.1% 4
Carroll 42.3% 3,309 57.2% 4,481 0.5% 40 0.0% 0
Charles City 73.1% 1,747 26.4% 631 0.5% 13 0.0% 0
Charlotte 51.4% 2,202 46.9% 2,012 1.7% 73 0.0% 0
Charlottesville 72.9% 6,781 24.9% 2,316 2.1% 193 0.2% 16
Chesapeake 45.8% 24,087 53.8% 28,328 0.4% 201 0.0% 17
Chesterfield 41.9% 33,810 57.3% 46,160 0.7% 534 0.1% 94
Clarke 49.3% 1,839 49.7% 1,851 0.9% 34 0.1% 3
Colonial Heights 32.1% 1,758 66.9% 3,660 0.7% 41 0.3% 14
Covington 62.7% 1,071 34.9% 597 2.4% 41 0.0% 0
Craig 50.3% 918 48.6% 887 1.0% 19 0.1% 1
Culpeper 42.0% 3,721 57.1% 5,054 0.8% 74 0.0% 0
Cumberland 50.0% 1,315 47.7% 1,255 2.4% 62 0.0% 0
Danville 53.5% 7,346 44.8% 6,150 1.7% 231 0.0% 3
Dickenson 61.0% 2,907 38.6% 1,837 0.4% 19 0.0% 0
Dinwiddie 52.3% 3,578 46.8% 3,202 0.8% 55 0.0% 1
Emporia 59.4% 912 40.1% 616 0.5% 7 0.0% 0
Essex 54.2% 1,436 45.4% 1,203 0.4% 10 0.1% 2
Fairfax County 54.5% 146,537 44.9% 120,799 0.6% 1,586 0.0% 92
Fairfax 51.7% 3,478 47.6% 3,203 0.6% 43 0.0% 0
Falls Church 65.8% 2,623 33.3% 1,326 0.9% 35 0.0% 1
Fauquier 42.2% 6,952 57.2% 9,420 0.6% 91 0.1% 9
Floyd 46.6% 2,093 51.9% 2,331 1.5% 69 0.0% 0
Fluvanna 47.0% 3,118 51.7% 3,425 1.3% 86 0.0% 1
Franklin County 51.3% 7,182 47.9% 6,703 0.8% 111 0.0% 0
Franklin 64.5% 1,434 35.1% 781 0.3% 6 0.0% 1
Frederick 39.0% 6,433 60.3% 9,947 0.7% 113 0.0% 6
Fredericksburg 61.0% 2,717 37.7% 1,679 1.2% 55 0.1% 5
Galax 54.0% 866 45.7% 733 0.4% 6 0.0% 0
Giles 56.5% 3,071 41.9% 2,276 1.6% 85 0.0% 0
Gloucester 44.8% 4,116 54.5% 5,010 0.7% 68 0.0% 2
Goochland 47.3% 3,091 51.9% 3,394 0.7% 46 0.1% 6
Grayson 46.7% 2,507 52.6% 2,824 0.7% 40 0.0% 0
Greene 41.7% 1,644 56.9% 2,244 1.4% 56 0.0% 0
Greensville 68.6% 1,859 31.0% 841 0.3% 8 0.0% 1
Halifax 54.8% 5,506 43.4% 4,366 1.8% 178 0.0% 1
Hampton 63.7% 20,627 35.8% 11,592 0.5% 157 0.0% 16
Hanover 38.2% 11,713 61.1% 18,757 0.7% 201 0.1% 20
Harrisonburg 47.7% 3,083 51.5% 3,334 0.8% 49 0.0% 2
Henrico 51.4% 42,089 47.9% 39,215 0.6% 514 0.1% 85
Henry 61.4% 9,872 36.9% 5,942 1.7% 270 0.0% 1
Highland 48.0% 533 51.2% 568 0.8% 9 0.0% 0
Hopewell 49.4% 2,467 48.8% 2,435 1.8% 88 0.1% 4
Isle of Wight 49.9% 4,727 49.7% 4,708 0.3% 32 0.0% 4
James City 49.3% 8,505 50.2% 8,654 0.5% 86 0.0% 6
King and Queen 57.3% 1,188 42.0% 872 0.7% 14 0.0% 0
King George 49.2% 2,110 50.1% 2,151 0.7% 29 0.0% 1
King William 49.4% 1,942 49.9% 1,960 0.6% 25 0.1% 2
Lancaster 45.7% 2,025 53.5% 2,373 0.7% 29 0.1% 5
Lee 53.3% 2,923 46.2% 2,536 0.5% 25 0.0% 0
Lexington 64.6% 1,053 33.9% 552 1.5% 24 0.0% 0
Loudoun 45.8% 20,907 53.4% 24,372 0.7% 310 0.0% 20
Louisa 53.7% 4,244 45.2% 3,568 1.1% 89 0.0% 1
Lunenburg 54.7% 1,996 44.7% 1,634 0.6% 21 0.0% 1
Lynchburg 53.0% 9,314 46.3% 8,132 0.6% 112 0.1% 10
Madison 44.9% 1,794 53.1% 2,121 1.9% 76 0.0% 1
Manassas 45.7% 2,992 53.8% 3,520 0.5% 31 0.0% 0
Manassas Park 46.3% 691 52.9% 790 0.7% 11 0.1% 2
Martinsville 67.0% 2,769 32.6% 1,346 0.4% 16 0.0% 1
Mathews 46.4% 1,516 52.4% 1,712 1.1% 37 0.0% 0
Mecklenburg 46.7% 3,519 51.7% 3,898 1.6% 124 0.0% 0
Middlesex 47.6% 1,757 50.4% 1,861 2.0% 74 0.0% 0
Montgomery 55.7% 11,154 43.1% 8,639 1.1% 228 0.1% 13
Nelson 59.4% 2,681 39.1% 1,763 1.5% 68 0.0% 1
New Kent 45.6% 2,161 53.5% 2,532 0.8% 37 0.1% 7
Newport News 57.0% 21,318 42.5% 15,920 0.4% 168 0.0% 16
Norfolk 65.2% 28,244 34.0% 14,741 0.7% 294 0.0% 14
Northampton 64.2% 2,316 34.2% 1,236 1.6% 58 0.0% 0
Northumberland 49.7% 2,166 49.6% 2,159 0.6% 26 0.1% 4
Norton 67.6% 773 32.0% 366 0.4% 5 0.0% 0
Nottoway 57.4% 2,513 41.6% 1,824 1.0% 43 0.0% 1
Orange 47.5% 3,617 51.3% 3,902 1.2% 94 0.0% 0
Page 42.4% 2,443 57.2% 3,292 0.4% 21 0.0% 1
Patrick 48.3% 2,651 50.6% 2,775 1.0% 56 0.0% 1
Petersburg 82.0% 7,018 17.6% 1,509 0.4% 32 0.0% 0
Pittsylvania 42.5% 7,462 56.0% 9,831 1.5% 270 0.0% 5
Poquoson 35.7% 1,489 63.7% 2,656 0.6% 25 0.0% 1
Portsmouth 65.7% 17,336 33.8% 8,922 0.4% 103 0.0% 13
Powhatan 36.8% 2,558 62.4% 4,338 0.8% 58 0.0% 3
Prince Edward 58.6% 2,874 40.1% 1,967 1.3% 64 0.0% 0
Prince George 45.1% 3,414 54.2% 4,104 0.6% 43 0.1% 9
Prince William 46.8% 27,297 52.4% 30,543 0.9% 497 0.0% 5
Pulaski 53.0% 5,109 45.8% 4,411 1.2% 115 0.0% 4
Radford 58.9% 1,876 40.2% 1,280 0.8% 26 0.0% 1
Rappahannock 48.0% 1,284 51.2% 1,369 0.7% 20 0.1% 2
Richmond County 49.1% 1,101 50.1% 1,124 0.8% 17 0.0% 0
Richmond 73.3% 35,558 25.6% 12,432 1.1% 514 0.1% 33
Roanoke County 47.0% 14,993 52.4% 16,713 0.6% 204 0.0% 7
Roanoke 62.1% 15,348 37.0% 9,147 0.8% 204 0.0% 0
Rockbridge 50.3% 2,972 48.9% 2,885 0.7% 44 0.0% 2
Rockingham 36.0% 6,642 63.5% 11,723 0.5% 97 0.1% 10
Russell 60.4% 4,507 38.9% 2,907 0.7% 53 0.0% 0
Salem 49.7% 4,067 49.4% 4,042 0.8% 66 0.0% 0
Scott 42.8% 2,877 56.1% 3,772 1.2% 78 0.0% 0
Shenandoah 40.2% 4,531 59.1% 6,653 0.6% 72 0.1% 7
Smyth 51.4% 4,691 47.7% 4,354 0.9% 85 0.0% 0
Southampton 60.2% 2,790 39.4% 1,827 0.3% 15 0.0% 0
Spotsylvania 45.8% 9,742 53.8% 11,447 0.4% 89 0.0% 5
Stafford 43.2% 9,248 56.1% 12,019 0.6% 132 0.1% 23
Staunton 48.8% 3,141 50.6% 3,256 0.6% 38 0.0% 2
Suffolk 53.1% 9,124 46.5% 7,996 0.3% 59 0.0% 2
Surry 65.5% 1,550 33.9% 801 0.6% 14 0.0% 0
Sussex 61.6% 1,924 36.3% 1,134 2.1% 66 0.0% 0
Tazewell 54.3% 5,250 44.9% 4,335 0.8% 76 0.0% 0
Virginia Beach 46.3% 43,495 53.0% 49,800 0.6% 560 0.0% 35
Warren 44.6% 3,546 54.2% 4,311 1.2% 97 0.1% 5
Washington 45.3% 6,703 53.8% 7,972 0.9% 130 0.0% 3
Waynesboro 42.9% 2,109 56.5% 2,777 0.4% 21 0.1% 4
Westmoreland 57.6% 2,471 41.0% 1,759 1.5% 63 0.0% 0
Williamsburg 57.5% 1,475 41.6% 1,067 0.9% 24 0.0% 0
Winchester 51.4% 3,155 47.7% 2,928 0.8% 50 0.0% 0
Wise 58.5% 5,509 40.5% 3,816 1.0% 92 0.0% 4
Wythe 48.6% 3,822 50.7% 3,991 0.6% 47 0.1% 9
York 45.0% 7,530 54.3% 9,083 0.6% 100 0.0% 5

Counties and Independent Cities that flipped from Republican to Democratic

References

  1. ^ Virginia Department of Elections (2016). "Registration/Turnout Statistics". The Commonwealth of Virginia. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  2. ^ Glass, Andrew; Phillip, Abby (July 30, 2009). "Curious case of catchy political tunes". Politico. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  3. ^ Howell, Isak (November 9, 2001). "Good Ol' Boys Meet High Society When Band Hits Campaign Trail". Daily Press. Retrieved May 19, 2001 – via The Roanoke Times.
  4. ^ Graff, Garrett M. (February 1, 2006). "Is Mark Warner the Next Bill Clinton?". The Washingtonian. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  5. ^ "OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS". elections.virginia.gov. Virginia Department of Elections. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  6. ^ "Virginia Elections Database – 2001 Governor General Election". Virginia Department of Elections. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
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