1948 United States presidential election in Virginia

Despite the failure of local federal officeholders to endorse him, Thurmond campaigned extensively in Virginia during October, arguing that Truman, Dewey and Progressive candidate Henry A. Wallace all had platforms that would destroy the existing “American way of life”. The Item argued that Byrd did support Thurmond and that his tour was helping the South Carolina Governor, although other polls did not imply this. Neither Dewey nor Truman campaigned in Virginia, and despite the fact that all federal representatives supported the incumbent president, local party officials of the Byrd Organization did little to work for Truman and running mate Alben W. Barkley. Despite all polls expecting Dewey to carry the state, Truman would win quite comfortably, although the Democratic margin fell by more than seventeen points vis-à-vis the 1944 election. Thurmond won 11% of white voters. 's editorial cartoon of October 19, 1948. One of the cards says that, according to a poll, Dewey would succeed in Virginia. Polls ==Results==

Results by county or independent city Counties and independent cities that flipped from Democratic to Republican • Augusta • Bath • Bland • Botetourt • King George • Lee • Mathews • Northumberland • Pulaski • Radford City • Richmond • Roanoke • Roanoke City • Rockbridge • Staunton City • Tazewell • Washington • Westmoreland • Williamsburg City Counties that flipped from Democratic to Dixiecrat • Halifax ==Analysis==

Ultimately, Virginia was won by Truman with 47.89 percent of the vote to Dewey's 41.04 percent and Thurmond's 10.35 percent. This contradicted polls that expected Dewey to carry the state with around 47 percent of the vote to Truman's 45 percent and 7 to 8 percent for Thurmond. This election nonetheless accelerated the major losses Franklin D. Roosevelt experienced in the Washington D.C. suburbs and the Shenandoah Valley at the previous election — losses which would pave the way for Virginia voting Republican in thirteen of the next fourteen presidential elections. , this is the last election in which the Fifth Congressional District has supported a Democratic presidential candidate. It is also the last election when Hanover County, King William County, Lancaster County, Middlesex County and Orange County have supported a Democratic presidential nominee. Chesterfield County and Lynchburg City would not vote Democratic again at a presidential level until 2020, Henrico County not until 2008, Albemarle County and Danville City not until 2004, Prince Edward County not until 1996 and Amelia County not until 1976. This remains the last occasion Virginia voted to the left of Delaware, and was also the last time until 2012 that Virginia voted for a different candidate than Indiana. ==See also==