why did Virginia always have such a conservative democrat party?

[smoltchanov]

I had always thought that being the northernmost democrat state, that Virginia would have the most "national" democratic party of any of the southern states. But looking at old voting records and such, I found that some of the most reactionary democrats came from Virginia. Even as late as 35 years ago you had guys like W.C. Daniel and David Satterfield who often had ACU ratings in the 80s or 90s. Going back further there were guys like Tuck (can't remember first name), A.W. Robertson (father of evangelist Pat Robertson) and Harry Byrd. One of the Rules chairman, Howard Smith, was notorious for bottling up any legislation he didn't like. Virginia also had some of the lowest turnout rates of any states.

So my question is, why did Virginia have such a conservative democratic party for so long? Was it because of its location in the tidewater and historic elite presence (guys like the cavaliers)? Was it a tradition in Jeffersonian democracy favoring the wealthy planters? Was it the military presence or the Byrd family's influence?

Virginia had famous "Byrd machine" (named after Senator Harry Byrd Sr.), which almost completely controlled state polirics for 35 years. And Harry Byrd Sr. himself was rather solid conservative (btw - he was racist too, a "Massive resistance" politics in Virginia was rather famous as well). Not surprisingly his "lieutenants" shared his very conservative views...

[smoltchanov]

It should be noted, that main "distinction" of Virginia's Byrd machine was an economic conservatism. In almost every other Southern state there was a lot of socially conservative, hawkish and frequently - racist Democrats at that time. But usually these Dmocrats were more populist and appreciative of government interference in economy. Not so in Virginia, where "leaders" were economically conservative as well..

[smoltchanov]

i've always wondered what ended the rule of the Byrd machine. Was William Spong (senator from 1967-1972) the first congressional democrat to win without much support of the Byrd machine?

Probably no. "The fighting ninth" district in western part of the state elected anti-Byrd Democrat to House in 50th, if i remember correctly... And generally, in the 60th rolls of voters in Virginia expanded greatly (partially, but only partially, with addition of black voters), which, as a rule, were not controllable by machine. Though (as you mentioned yourself) some very conservative (by present day standards - EXTREMELY conservative), Democrats in Virginia's House delegation like above mentioned Dan Daniel or David Satterfield managed to survive until 80th...

[smoltchanov]

It should be noted, that main "distinction" of Virginia's Byrd machine was an economic conservatism. In almost every other Southern state there was a lot of socially conservative, hawkish and frequently - racist Democrats at that time. But usually these Dmocrats were more populist and appreciative of government interference in economy. Not so in Virginia, where "leaders" were economically conservative as well..

VA Democrats always had a revolving door between politics and the business community in those days. I'd assume it's because Virginia was, along with the Carolinas, the only part of the South that had a noteworthy manufacturing and industrial sector. People in the Deep South scratching out a miserable living as cotton sharecroppers, and their landlords who often didn't fare much better, could have cared less about a "friendly business climate."

Agree. But even in Carolinas Democratic congressmen were, usually, less economically conservative  then in Virginia.