1794 Virginia gubernatorial election
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A gubernatorial election was held in Virginia on November 20, 1794.[1] The Democratic-Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Spotsylvania County Robert Brooke defeated the Federalist member of the Council of State James Wood.[2]
The Federalist incumbent governor Henry Lee III was ineligible for re-election due to term limits established by the Constitution of Virginia.[3] Lee courted controversy near the end of his term when he accepted command of United States troops during the Whiskey Rebellion, an action unpopular with Democratic-Republicans and farmers in Western Virginia. On November 21, the House of Delegates found Lee had forfeited his office by accepting a lucrative U.S. commission and declared the governorship vacant, nine days before Lee was due to leave office on December 1.[4]
The election was conducted by the Virginia General Assembly in joint session.[3] Brooke defeated Wood on the first ballot.[2]
General election
| Party | Candidate | First ballot | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | Percent | |||
| Democratic-Republican | Robert Brooke | 90 | 60.00 | |
| Federalist | James Wood | 60 | 40.00 | |
Total
|
150
|
100.00
| ||
Notes
- ^ Swem & Williams 1918, p. ix.
- ^ a b c Lampi 2012.
- ^ a b Sobel & Raimo 1978, p. 1624.
- ^ Abernethy 1961, p. 224.
Bibliography
- Abernethy, Thomas P. (1961). The South in the New Nation: 1789–1819. n.p.: Louisiana State University Press.
- Lampi, Philip J. (2012). "Virginia 1794 Governor". A New Nation Votes. American Antiquarian Society. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
- Sobel, Robert; Raimo, John (1978). Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States 1789–1978. Vol. 4. Westport, CT: Meckler Books.
- Swem, Earl G.; Williams, John W. (1918). A Register of the General Assembly of Virginia, 1776–1918. Richmond: Superintendent of Public Printing.