1977 Virginia gubernatorial election

{{Short description|none}}

{{for|related races|1977 United States gubernatorial elections}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1977 Virginia gubernatorial election

| country = Virginia

| type = presidential

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1973 Virginia gubernatorial election

| previous_year = 1973

| turnout = 62.7% (voting eligible){{cite web |url= http://elections.virginia.gov/resultsreports/registration-statistics/registrationturnout-statistics/ |title= Registration/Turnout Statistics |publisher= The Commonwealth of Virginia |author= Virginia Department of Elections |date= 2016 |access-date= July 25, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160816110827/http://elections.virginia.gov/resultsreports/registration-statistics/registrationturnout-statistics/ |archive-date= August 16, 2016 |url-status= dead }}

| next_election = 1981 Virginia gubernatorial election

| next_year = 1981

| election_date = November 8, 1977

| image1 = File:John Dalton 1976.jpg

| image_size = 150x150px

| nominee1 = John N. Dalton

| party1 = Republican Party (United States)

| popular_vote1 = 699,302

| percentage1 = 55.9%

| image2 = File:Henry Howell 1972.jpg

| nominee2 = Henry Howell

| party2 = Democratic Party (United States)

| popular_vote2 = 541,319

| percentage2 = 43.3%

| map_image = 1977 Virginia gubernatorial election results map by county.svg

| map_size = 300px

| map_caption = County and independent city results
Dalton: {{legend0|#ffb2b2|40–50%}} {{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}} {{legend0|#d72f30|70–80%}}
Howell: {{legend0|#a5b0ff|40–50%}} {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}}

| title = Governor

| before_election = Mills E. Godwin, Jr.

| before_party = Republican Party (United States)

| after_election = John N. Dalton

| after_party = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{ElectionsVA}}

In the 1977 Virginia gubernatorial election, incumbent Governor Mills E. Godwin, Jr., a Republican, was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. John N. Dalton, the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, was nominated by the Republican Party to run against the Democratic nominee, former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Henry Howell.{{Cite web |url=http://www.coopercenter.org/sites/default/files/autoVANLPubs/Virginia%20News%20Letter%201978%20Vol.%2054%20No.%206.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-07-17 |archive-date=2014-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724130322/http://www.coopercenter.org/sites/default/files/autoVANLPubs/Virginia%20News%20Letter%201978%20Vol.%2054%20No.%206.pdf |url-status=dead}}

This was the only instance in Virginia's history in which the Republican Party won the gubernatorial election for a third time consecutively.