VIRGINIA CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS in 1974: the YEAR of the DEMOCRATS by LARRY SABATO
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VOL. 51, NO.8 THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA VIRGINIA CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS IN 1974: THE YEAR OF THE DEMOCRATS By LARRY SABATO Mr. Sabato is a graduate student in the percent over two other cand id ates, but The Fourth 0 istrict provided one of Woodrow Wilson School of Public and only 8.1 percent of the registered voters the most interesting contests, although International Affairs at Princeton and a former participated in the election. Joseph L. Republican Robert Daniel won a second Research Aide at the Institute of Government. Fisher won a spirited four-way battle for term with a 47 percent plurality that the Democratic nomination in the Tenth INTRODUCTION mi rrored the 1972 resu It. The opposition District with 42.2 percent of the total, The lingering effects of the Watergate to him was effectively split between the but voter participation (11.1 percent of scandals and a worsening economy Democratic candidate, Delegate Lester E. registered voters) was also minimal. All combined to produce a major Democratic Schlitz of Portsmouth, and a black other Democratic candidates and all victory throughout the nation and in Independent, Reverend Curtis Harris of Republican candidates were chosen in Virginia in the 1974 congressional Hopewell. After a brief unsuccessful bid party nominating conventions. elections. The long-ailing Virginia for the Democratic nomination, Harris Democratic party was at least temporarily resolved to run as an Independent despite GENERAL ELECTION rejuvenated by a turnover of two repeated pleas from Democratic officials Results of the Virginia congressional Republican seats in the Eighth and Tenth and most black political leaders in the election by districts can be fou nd in district who believed that no black could districts, giving it a total of five of the Table 1. Two incumbent conservative win the Fourth in either a two- or state's ten congressional districts. Too, Democrats-Thomas N. Downing of the three-way race and that a black candidacy the vote percentages of every incumbent First 0 istrict and W. C. "Dan" Daniel of would irreparably damage Democratic Republican congressman but one were the Fifth District-were unopposed, as chances of victory. reduced from 1972 levels (a pattern they have been in several previous Schlitz, a liberal Democrat strongly generally characteristic of congressional elections. A third incumbent Democrat, backed by former Lieutenant Governor elections following presidential contests). conservative David E. Satterfield III of Henry Howell, ran a consumer-oriented, Though the total vote cast in 1974 for the Third 0 istrict, was opposed by a populist-styled campaign in a district \ndependent and for minor party Socialist Labor party candidate but no Howell carried with 58 percent of the candidates increased slightly over Republican. votes in 1973. The Schlitz nomination, previous congressional elections, such In the urban-suburban Second District, however, was considerably slowed by the candidates had much less influence on the incumbent Republican G. William Harris candidacy; much time and congressional outcomes than in recent Whitehurst defeated Democrat Robert organizational effort was expended in a elections for state offices. Only three Richards by the largest margin (60 fratricidal battle with Harris for black independent cand idates plus one from the percent) in any of the seriously contested votes. The result, of course, was a American Independent party and one Virginia congressional races. Incumbency from the Socialist Labor party were on plurality of 47.2 percent for Daniel, with and effective political organization built the congressional ballot, and only two of 35.9 percent for Schl itz and 16.9 percent up through three terms enabled the five (Curtis Harris in the Fourth for Harris. Schlitz and Harris together Whitehurst to dispose handily of his District and Warren Saunders in the Sixth polled almost 53 percent of the votes, relatively unknown and underfinanced District) proved to have noteworthy and it is probable that Schl itz would have Democratic opponent. The Republican impact on the outcome. defeated the incumbent Republican in a candidate fared much better in suburban two-way race. NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES Virginia Beach (with 65.9 percent of the Schlitz's base was primarily urban, and Reflecting the continuing decline of vote) than in central city Norfolk (where he secured 43.6 percent of these urban the Democratic party primary in he secured only 55.8 percent). votes, while Harris polled 11.2 percent. candidate selection, only two districts Whitehurst, then, easily survived the Daniel and Harris fared better in the more held primaries in 1974. In the Eighth nation al issues of Watergate and the rural areas of the Fourth, however. The District, Herbert E. Harris won the economy as well as a local bank scandal Republican candidate won an absolute Democratic nomination with 52.5 which touched him marginally. majority (51. 1 percent) of ruraI votes, INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT / UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA / CHARLOTTESVILLE / APRIL 1975 30 with 28.0 percent for Harris and a miserly Another Republican incumbent won Saunders of the American Independent 20.9 percent for Democrat Schlitz. re-election by a plurality in the Sixth party, was responsible for the poor Significantly, however, urban cities and District, but his victory could not be showing of the candidates of the two counties accounted for two-thirds of the attributed to Democratic in-fighting. major parties. With a Wallace-style 1974 total vote in the newly-constituted Caldwell Butler, whose pro-impeachment "plague on both your houses" campaign, Fourth District. This urban presence, stand as a member of the House Judiciary Saunders benefited from Republican combined with a large increase in rural Committee brought him both national disaffection with Butler's black voter registration, minimizes the attention and Republican backlash, pro-impeachment vote and the importance of the once omnipotent secured a second term with 45.1 percent. "anti-politics" sentiment which Watergate Southside vote in Fourth District politics. In a heavily Republican district which had aroused. Saunders won 26.1 percent Overall in 1974, though, a spl it in had not elected a Democratic of the district vote, and ran well in both Democratic ranks allowed Daniel to carry congressman since 1950, Butler's urban and rural areas. Significantly, the by plurality or majority thirteen of electoral performance was poor. Butler American Independent carried the three sixteen municipalities in the Fourth. was not seriously threatened by the Sixth District localities won by George Schlitz won only Chesapeake and Democratic candidate, Paul Puckett, who Wallace in 1968 (Bedford city and Portsmouth, and Harris placed first in a garnered on Iy 27 percent of the vote. county, and Amherst). Of the remaining single county-rural and black Surry. Rather, a third candidate, Warren D. sixteen localities in the district, Butler carried fourteen and Puckett only two. Table 1 General Elections in Virginia for U.S. House of Representatives, 1974 While Butler was penalized for his Number Percent impeachment vote by some conservative Candidates of Votes of Votes First 0 istrict: Republicans, he gained the support of Thomas N. Downing* (D) 58,338 99.8 some Democratic voters for his actions. Write-ins 136 .2 Thus he partially neutralized the effects TOTALS 58,474 100.0 of Watergate which had produced a Second 0 istrict: Democratic trend in other districts. This Robert Richards (D) 32,923 40.0 underlying Democratic surge, however, G. William Whitehurst* (R) 49,369 60.0 Write-ins 7 was evident even in Butler's congressional district, as simultaneous elections to fill TOTALS 82,299 100.0 vacancies in the state Senate and House Third District: David E. Satterfield 111* (D) 64,627 88.5 of Delegates produced unexpected Alan R. Ogden (Soc. Labol 7,574 10.4 Democratic victories for two traditionally Write-ins 795 1.1 Republican seats. TOTALS 72,996 100.0 An intense contest developed in 1974 Fourth 0 istrict: for the Seventh District congressional seat Robert Daniel* (R) 48,032 47.2 Lester Schlitz (D) 36,489 35.9 between two-term Republican incumbent Curtis Harris (Indol 17,224 16.9 J. Kenneth Robins~n and a youthful Write-ins 3 Democratic challenger, George H. TOTALS 101,748 100.0 Gilliam. The issues were almost Fifth 0 istrict: exclusively national in focus, with W. C. "Dan" Daniel* (D) 52,459 99.4 Write-ins 292 .6 political moderate Gilliam forging a rare Democratic party unity around economic TOTALS 52,751 100.0 Sixth 0 istrict: conditions, the Republican's "negative" M. Caldwell Butler* (R) 45,805 45.1 voting record, and Robinson's strong Pau I Puckett (D) 27,350 27.0 support for former President Nixon. Warren D. Saunders (an Ind.) 26,466 26.1 Timothy McGay (Indol 1,832 1.8 Gilliam's ebullient and aggressive Write-ins 10 campaign style was in marked contrast to the subdued and low-keyed Robinson TOTALS 101,463 100.0 Seventh 0 istrict: effort, and the election resu Its suggested George Gilliam (D) 48,611 47.2 the relative effectiveness of the two Kenneth Robinson* (R) 54,267 52.6 methods. Robinson won a marginal Write-ins 222 .2 victory of 52.6 percent, despite the TOTALS 103,100 100.0 conservative and Republican nature of Eighth District: Herbert Harris (D) 53,074 57.6 the district. In the six urban corridor Stanford Parris* (R) 38,997 42.4 localities of the Seventh, Gilliam actually Write-ins \11 polled a majority (51.5 percent). It was in TOTALS 92,082 100.0 many rural areas-which comprise over Ninth District: three-fourths of the district-that Charles J. Horne (D) 65,783 49.1 Robinson won convincing victories, with William C. Wampler* (R) 68,183 50.9 Write-ins 3 54.