1996 United States presidential election in Virginia

1996 United States presidential election in Virginia
Dole 40-50% 50-60% 60-70%	Clinton 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80%
President before election; Bill Clinton; Democratic	Elected President ; Bill Clinton; Democratic

The 1996 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 5, 1996, as part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Virginia was won by Senator Bob Dole (R-KS), 47.10 percent to 45.15 percent over incumbent President Bill Clinton (D-AR) producing a margin of 1.95 percentage points.^[1] Billionaire businessman Ross Perot (Reform-TX) finished in third, with 6.62% of the popular vote.

Virginia was also the only state Bill Clinton lost twice but Hillary Clinton won, as she managed a 5 percentage point victory in the state in 2016. As of the 2020 presidential election^[update], this was also the last time Bath, Allegheny, Giles, Smyth, Tazewell, Lee, Wise, Dinwiddie, Accomack Counties, and the independent cities of Galax and Buena Vista voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.^[2] The election was, however, the first time the Democratic presidential nominee had carried Prince Edward County – famous for its Civil Rights-era school desegregation cases – since Harry S. Truman in 1948,^[a] and the first time since 1968 that Essex County had voted Democratic.^[3]

In this election, Virginia voted 10.47 points to the right of the nation at-large.^[4] This election remains the only time in history that a Democratic president has won re-election without carrying Virginia. As of 2020^[update], this also marked the last time a Democrat was elected without winning Virginia, and the last occasion Virginia would vote to the right of Georgia.

^ Dave Leip. "1996 Presidential General Election Results – Virginia". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas.
^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
^ Menendez, Albert J. (2005). The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004. pp. 327–331. ISBN 0786422173.
^ "1996 Presidential General Election Data — National". uselectionatlas.org. Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved May 25, 2023.

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[Leip-1] Dave Leip. "1996 Presidential General Election Results – Virginia". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas.

[how-2] Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016

[4] Menendez, Albert J. (2005). The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004. pp. 327–331. ISBN 0786422173.

[5] "1996 Presidential General Election Data — National". uselectionatlas.org. Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved May 25, 2023.

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