VA: 1989 Gubernatorial General Election Result

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[WalterMitty]

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

[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.