Who won Virginia in the 1840 presidential election?

VanBuren (Democratic) carried Virginia in 1840, winning its 23 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did Virginia have in 1840?

Virginia cast 23 electoral votes in the 1840 presidential election.

Did Virginia vote for the national winner in 1840?

No. Virginia backed VanBuren, while William Henry Harrison won the presidency nationally.

Second Party SystemVA · 23 EV

1840

Virginia: VanBuren carries 23 EV.

Virginia cast its 23 electoral votes for VanBuren (Democratic). National winner: William Henry Harrison (Whig) — Virginia voted against the national winner this cycle.

What happened in Virginia, 1840

In 1840, Virginia awarded its 23 electoral votes to VanBuren of the Democratic party. Nationally the result broke the other way — William Henry Harrison (Whig) won the presidency, leaving Virginia among the states he did not carry.

It marked the 4th consecutive election in which Virginia backed the Democratic party, a streak reaching back to 1828. The region divided — North Carolina joined Virginia for the Democratic ticket, while Tennessee, Kentucky, and 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 Second Party System — Jackson, Whigs, and the rise of mass politics.

In the national count, William Henry Harrison took 234 of the 294 electoral votes, against Martin Van Buren's 60. William Henry Harrison led the national popular vote with 52.87% of the ballots cast.

The 1840 national map

Virginia full history →