Who won Virginia in the 1796 presidential election?

Jefferson (Democratic-Republican) carried Virginia in 1796, winning its 20 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did Virginia have in 1796?

Virginia cast 20 electoral votes in the 1796 presidential election.

Did Virginia vote for the national winner in 1796?

No. Virginia backed Jefferson, while John Adams won the presidency nationally.

First Party SystemVA · 20 EV

1796

Virginia: Jefferson carries 20 EV.

Virginia cast its 20 electoral votes for Jefferson (Democratic-Republican). National winner: John Adams (Federalist) — Virginia voted against the national winner this cycle.

Reading the 1796 result in Virginia

Virginia backed Jefferson (Democratic-Republican) in the 1796 presidential election, casting 20 electoral votes for the ticket. Nationally the result broke the other way — John Adams (Federalist) won the presidency, leaving Virginia among the states he did not carry.

Jefferson's win closed out Virginia's 2-election run of voting Independent. The region divided — North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky joined Virginia for the Democratic-Republican ticket, while Maryland did not. Across the 58 presidential elections Virginia has taken part in, it has most often sided with the Democratic party (33 times). The vote fell within the First Party System — Federalists vs Democratic-Republicans.

In the national count, John Adams took 71 of the 138 electoral votes, against Thomas Jefferson's 68.

The 1796 national map

Virginia full history →