VA: 1989 Gubernatorial General Election Result

[bgwah]

New Election: 1989 Virginia Gubernatorial General Election Results
   
   

[Adlai Stevenson]

New Election: 1989 Virginia Gubernatorial General Election Results
   
   

Isn't this the famous election where Wilder led by big margins in the polls and then ended up winning by 50%-49%.  Poor J. Marshall Coleman, he's seemed to be Virginia's generic Republican who lost elections.  Didn't he run as an Independent in 1994, denying Oliver North the chance of beating Chuck Robb?

[Kevin]

It's interesting that Wilder carried Loudoun County which was still mainly rural and overwhelmingly Republican at the time.   

[WalterMitty]

this is probably the first statewide race i remember in any detail.

my parents and grandparents were big time marshall coleman supporters.  i remember the recount that came afterwards.  ('im still partial to marshall' bumperstickers)

another interesting race that year was the lt. governor's race.  eddy dalton, daughter of former governor john dalton, led little known car salesman don beyer by a huge margin right up iuntil election day.  beyer won.

[WalterMitty]

another note:


1989 was the year of the united mine workers strike in the coal fields.  some one associated with the umw ran a write in campaign for the state house, and im pretty sure he won.  anyway, turnout was very high in the coalfields because of that race, which probably benifited wilder.

i

[WalterMitty]

one thing really jumps out at me...

how the hell did wilder manage to lose halifax county and the independent city of danville...yet win giles county.  odd, to say the least.

[Nym90]

Well, this at least proves that the western Virginia coalfield is not averse to voting for a black candidate. Should hopefully put to rest the whole "McCain will win Buchanan county" talk.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Well, this at least proves that the western Virginia coalfield is not averse to voting for a black candidate. Should hopefully put to rest the whole "McCain will win Buchanan county" talk.

Not really; Doug Wilder was a much better fit for Virginia than Obama is.

[WalterMitty]

Well, this at least proves that the western Virginia coalfield is not averse to voting for a black candidate. Should hopefully put to rest the whole "McCain will win Buchanan county" talk.

i agree and disagree.

first of all doug wilder is much different than barack obama.  in fact, wilder is a rather conservative fellow.

while not in the coal fields, im shocked to see that wilder carried giles county.  it's very white, and fairly republican friendly.  and there is no union base in giles county.

coleman really under performed in nova, his home base.

[Nym90]

Well, this at least proves that the western Virginia coalfield is not averse to voting for a black candidate. Should hopefully put to rest the whole "McCain will win Buchanan county" talk.

Not really; Doug Wilder was a much better fit for Virginia than Obama is.

That's true, but least we can stop degrading these fine folks as racists.

[WalterMitty]

Well, this at least proves that the western Virginia coalfield is not averse to voting for a black candidate. Should hopefully put to rest the whole "McCain will win Buchanan county" talk.

Not really; Doug Wilder was a much better fit for Virginia than Obama is.

That's true, but least we can stop degrading these fine folks as racists.

your fellow obama supporters will be doing just that on tuesday night.

[Nym90]

Well, this at least proves that the western Virginia coalfield is not averse to voting for a black candidate. Should hopefully put to rest the whole "McCain will win Buchanan county" talk.

Not really; Doug Wilder was a much better fit for Virginia than Obama is.

That's true, but least we can stop degrading these fine folks as racists.

your fellow obama supporters will be doing just that on tuesday night.

Unfortunately many will. That's not exactly a good way to win over these voters who we need in the general. Obama needs to go to these areas in the campaign.....if people get to actually see him speak and not just get forcefed a caricature of him it'll make a big difference.

Of course don't forget that Republicans gleefully pounce on the supposed racism of these areas as well, since it suits their political purposes to try to dissuade us from nominating Obama.

[bgwah]

Well, this at least proves that the western Virginia coalfield is not averse to voting for a black candidate. Should hopefully put to rest the whole "McCain will win Buchanan county" talk.

Not really; Doug Wilder was a much better fit for Virginia than Obama is.

That's true, but least we can stop degrading these fine folks as racists.

your fellow obama supporters will be doing just that on tuesday night.

Unfortunately many will. That's not exactly a good way to win over these voters who we need in the general. Obama needs to go to these areas in the campaign.....if people get to actually see him speak and not just get forcefed a caricature of him it'll make a big difference.

Of course don't forget that Republicans gleefully pounce on the supposed racism of these areas as well, since it suits their political purposes to try to dissuade us from nominating Obama.

I was hoping to upload the Democratic primary for this race as well---particularly because I was interested in seeing how Wilder did in the primary compared to the general in the western part of the state---but unfortunately the results for it aren't online. Oh well...

[WalterMitty]

there was no democratic primary in 1989.  wilder was nominated at the state convention.  so far as i know he had no major opposition.

then attorney general mary sue terry threatened to challenge wilder for the nomination, but she later deferred to wilder.  that would have been interesting to see if the coalfields would have voted for the lesbian or the black.

[Verily]

Well, this at least proves that the western Virginia coalfield is not averse to voting for a black candidate. Should hopefully put to rest the whole "McCain will win Buchanan county" talk.

Not really; Doug Wilder was a much better fit for Virginia than Obama is.

That's true, but least we can stop degrading these fine folks as racists.

Insofar as that may be true, the argument doesn't hold water. Dukakis won Buchanan County by 18 points in 1988 while getting creamed nationwide (26 points more Democratic than the nation as a whole); Kerry won it by only eight points while losing narrowly nationwide in 2004 (eleven points more Democratic than the nation as a whole). Buchanan County and environs are substantially less Democratic today than they were in 1989.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Also, 1989 was before the DLC ruined the Democrats.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Also, 1989 was before the DLC ruined the Democrats.

Quite the opposite.

[jokerman]

Also, 1989 was before the DLC ruined the Democrats.

Doug Wilder's almost the epitome of a DLC candidate.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Also, 1989 was before the DLC ruined the Democrats.

Doug Wilder's almost the epitome of a DLC candidate.

For his time, he was. But compared to the nonsense we have to put up with from the DLC today, he wasn't too bad.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Also, 1989 was before the DLC ruined the Democrats.

Doug Wilder's almost the epitome of a DLC candidate.

For his time, he was. But compared to the nonsense we have to put up with from the DLC today, he wasn't too bad.

The DLC is fine.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

The DLC is fine.

The DLC is stinky.

[WalterMitty]

bandit, wilder (or warner or kaine) never would have won in the va if not for dlc type democrats.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

bandit, wilder (or warner or kaine) never would have won in the va if not for dlc type democrats.

Wilder was long before Warner and Kaine.

Did the DLC even exist yet in 1989?

[WalterMitty]

bandit, wilder (or warner or kaine) never would have won in the va if not for dlc type democrats.

Wilder was long before Warner and Kaine.

Did the DLC even exist yet in 1989?

yes. im pretty sure the dlc formed in 1985, in the wake of the mondale massacre.

my statement wasnt about dlc members, but rather, democrats who share the same ideology as the dlc.  wilder, warner and kaine never would have been elected in va without those types of voters.