1978 United States Senate election in Virginia
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1978 United States Senate election in Virginia
| country = Virginia
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1972 United States Senate election in Virginia
| previous_year = 1972
| next_election = 1984 United States Senate election in Virginia
| next_year = 1984
| election_date = November 7, 1978
| image_size = x150px
| image1 = John W Warner Sec of Navy (cropped).jpg
| nominee1 = John Warner
| party1 = Republican Party (United States)
| popular_vote1 = 613,232
| percentage1 = 50.17%
| image2 = 3x4.svg
| nominee2 = Andrew P. Miller
| party2 = Democratic Party (United States)
| popular_vote2 = 608,511
| percentage2 = 49.79%
| map_image = 1978 United States Senate election in Virginia results map by county.svg
| map_size = 300px
| map_caption = County and independent city results
Warner: {{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}}
Miller: {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}}
| title = U.S. Senator
| before_election = William Lloyd Scott
| before_party = Republican Party (United States)
| after_election = John Warner
| after_party = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{ElectionsVA}}
The 1978 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Senator William L. Scott did not run for re-election to a second term. Republican former Secretary of the Navy John Warner narrowly defeated Democratic Attorney General of Virginia Andrew P. Miller to succeed him. Originally, this election was a match between Republican Richard Obenshain and Miller, then Obenshain died in a plane crash, leaving the party in disarray. Warner was then nominated to run in Obenshain's place, and his victorious election thrust him into a thirty-year career in the United States Senate, which started with this election.
Republican nomination
=Candidates=
- Linwood Holton, former Governor of Virginia (1970–1974) and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs (1974–1975)
- Nathan H. Miller, State Senator from Harrisonburg
- Richard D. Obenshain, Chairman of the Virginia Republican Party since 1972 and nominee for Attorney General in 1969
- John W. Warner, former United States Secretary of the Navy
=Convention=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;" | ||||||
| colspan="7" | 1978 Virginia Republican Convention{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=776609|title = Our Campaigns - VA US Senate - R Convention Race - Jun 03, 1978}} | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| align=left| Obenshain | style="background:#faa;"| 1,192 | style="background:#faa;"| 1,261 | style="background:#faa;"| 1,338 | style="background:#faa;"| 1,521 | style="background:#faa;"| 1,516 | style="background:#faa;"| 1,580 |
| align=left| Warner | style="background:#fbb;"| 853 | style="background:#fbb;"| 908 | style="background:#fbb;"| 996 | style="background:#fbb;"| 1,338 | style="background:#fbb;"| 1,393 | style="background:#fbb;"| 1,474 |
| align=left| Holton | style="background:#fdd;"| 780 | style="background:#fdd;"| 751 | style="background:#fdd;"| 620 | style="background:#d3d3d3;"| 0 | style="background:#d3d3d3;"| 0 | style="background:#d3d3d3;"| 0 |
| align=left| Miller | 262 | 160 | 122 | style="background:#fdd;"| 201 | style="background:#fdd;"| 166 | style="background:#d3d3d3;"| 0 |
Obenshain's victory set up the general election as a rematch of the 1969 Attorney General race between him and Andrew P. Miller, the Democratic nominee who defeated Obenshain in 1969.
=Aftermath=
On August 2, Obenshain died in a twin-engine plane crash, effectively shaking up this election. He was then replaced by Warner after other recruits turned down the chance to be nominated in respect for Obenshain.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/08/04/crash-kills-obenshain/3e42abe9-7a4a-4fb1-ac0f-338fd0815715/|title=Crash Kills Obenshain|author=Ken Ringle|date=4 August 1978|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=8 May 2016}}{{Cite news|last=Harden |first=Blaine |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/08/04/pilot-of-obenshain-plane-called-very-cautious/fbadce7d-062d-4f46-8e70-04f6118ae205/ |title=Pilot of Obenshain Plane Called 'Very Cautious' |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=August 4, 1978 |access-date=8 May 2016}}
General election
= Candidates =
- Andrew P. Miller, Attorney General of Virginia (Democratic)
- John Warner, former United States Secretary of the Navy (Republican)
= Results =
{{Election box begin | title=United States Senate election in Virginia, 1978{{Cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=5329|title = Our Campaigns - VA US Senate Race - Nov 07, 1978}}{{Cite web | url= http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1978election.pdf | title=Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1978 | author=Clerk of the United States House of Representatives | publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office | year=1979}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = John Warner
|votes = 613,232
|percentage = 50.17%
|change = -1.28%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Andrew P. Miller
|votes = 608,511
|percentage = 49.79%
|change = +3.67%
}}
{{Election box candidate
|party = Write-ins
|candidate =
|votes = 513
|percentage = 0.04%
|change = +0.04%
}}
{{Election box majority
|votes = 4,721
|percentage = 0.39%
|change = +0.39%
}}
{{Election box turnout
|votes = 1,222,256
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link without swing
|winner = Republican Party (United States)
|loser = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{United States elections, 1978}}
Category:1978 Virginia elections
{{Virginia-election-stub}}