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 County and independent city results Holton: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Battle: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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In the 1969 Virginia gubernatorial election, incumbent Governor Mills E. Godwin, Jr., a Democrat, was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. A. Linwood Holton, Jr., an attorney from Roanoke, was nominated again by the Republican Party to run against former United States Ambassador to Australia, Democratic candidate William C. Battle.
The Democrats had held the governor's mansion for 84 years since 1885, and Holton's victory was considered a historic upset at the time. This was the first election in which Republicans won a gubernatorial election in the state. As of 2022 [update], this was the most recent Virginia gubernatorial election in which a Republican won the city of Alexandria.[ original research?]
Candidates
- William C. Battle, former United States Ambassador to Australia and son of former Governor John S. Battle (D), who defeated Henry Howell and Fred G. Pollard.
- A. Linwood Holton, Jr., attorney from Roanoke (R)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | A. Linwood Holton, Jr. | 480,869 | 52.51% | +14.80% | |
| Democratic | William C. Battle | 415,695 | 45.39% | -2.50% | |
| Conservative Party of Virginia (1965) | Beverly McDowell | 10,596 | 1.16% | -12.22% | |
| American Independent | William Pennington | 7,382 | 0.81% | +0.81% | |
| Independent | George Walker | 1,182 | 0.13% | ||
| Write-ins | 317 | <0.01% | |||
| Majority | 65,174 | 7.12% | -7.86% | ||
| Turnout | 915,764 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | ||||
References
 | This Virginia elections-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1969 Virginia elections
- Virginia gubernatorial elections
- 1969 United States gubernatorial elections
- November 1969 events in the United States
- 1969 in Virginia
- 1960s in Virginia
- 1960s Virginia elections
- Government of Virginia
- United States gubernatorial elections in the 1960s
- 1969 elections
- 1969 elections in North America
- 1969 elections in the United States
- Virginia election stubs