1997 Virginia gubernatorial election
The 1997 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1997. The incumbent Governor, George Allen, was barred from seeking a second term due to Virginia's unique term limits law. The Republican candidate was Jim Gilmore, the Attorney General of Virginia. The Democratic nominee was Don Beyer, the incumbent Lieutenant Governor.
General election
Polling
Results
| County | Gilmore | Votes | Beyer | Votes | DeBauche | Votes | Others | Votes |
| Accomack | 62.3% | 4,529 | 34.5% | 2,511 | 3.2% | 234 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Albemarle | 54.4% | 13,287 | 44.2% | 10,784 | 1.3% | 319 | 0.1% | 26 |
| Alexandria | 37.6% | 11,115 | 61.4% | 18,144 | 0.8% | 251 | 0.1% | 31 |
| Alleghany | 56.8% | 2,337 | 41.5% | 1,708 | 1.7% | 72 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Amelia | 62.3% | 1,947 | 35.3% | 1,101 | 2.4% | 75 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Amherst | 56.4% | 4,571 | 42.0% | 3,400 | 1.6% | 131 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Appomattox | 55.0% | 2,177 | 43.1% | 1,707 | 1.9% | 76 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Arlington | 36.8% | 18,252 | 62.0% | 30,736 | 1.1% | 568 | 0.0% | 24 |
| Augusta | 71.8% | 11,789 | 26.9% | 4,416 | 1.3% | 214 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Bath | 54.6% | 807 | 42.8% | 632 | 2.6% | 38 | 0.1% | 1 |
| Bedford County | 66.2% | 10,989 | 31.9% | 5,300 | 1.8% | 304 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Bedford | 50.2% | 833 | 47.2% | 784 | 2.6% | 44 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Bland | 66.3% | 1,180 | 31.7% | 564 | 2.0% | 35 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Botetourt | 66.0% | 6,378 | 32.5% | 3,136 | 1.5% | 148 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Bristol | 58.8% | 2,172 | 40.6% | 1,499 | 0.6% | 21 | 0.1% | 3 |
| Brunswick | 45.5% | 1,946 | 51.9% | 2,220 | 2.6% | 113 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Buchanan | 47.5% | 2,941 | 50.4% | 3,120 | 2.1% | 129 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Buckingham | 52.4% | 1,799 | 45.1% | 1,548 | 2.6% | 89 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Buena Vista | 57.0% | 846 | 42.0% | 623 | 1.0% | 15 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Campbell | 65.0% | 9,230 | 33.4% | 4,744 | 1.5% | 216 | 0.0% | 2 |
| Caroline | 47.7% | 2,600 | 50.1% | 2,731 | 2.1% | 115 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Carroll | 66.4% | 4,549 | 31.2% | 2,136 | 2.4% | 164 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Charles City | 35.5% | 743 | 62.6% | 1,311 | 1.9% | 40 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Charlotte | 61.4% | 2,184 | 36.1% | 1,285 | 2.5% | 88 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Charlottesville | 37.7% | 3,354 | 60.2% | 5,352 | 1.6% | 142 | 0.5% | 44 |
| Chesapeake | 57.0% | 25,636 | 41.2% | 18,509 | 1.3% | 571 | 0.5% | 221 |
| Chesterfield | 67.2% | 46,779 | 31.1% | 21,621 | 1.1% | 779 | 0.6% | 394 |
| Clarke | 56.3% | 1,800 | 42.1% | 1,347 | 1.6% | 50 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Clifton Forge | 43.5% | 589 | 54.9% | 744 | 1.6% | 21 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Colonial Heights | 75.1% | 4,622 | 23.5% | 1,446 | 1.3% | 83 | 0.1% | 7 |
| Covington | 47.0% | 857 | 51.3% | 935 | 1.6% | 30 | 0.1% | 1 |
| Craig | 59.8% | 1,180 | 37.3% | 736 | 2.8% | 56 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Culpeper | 64.5% | 5,095 | 34.3% | 2,708 | 1.2% | 97 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Cumberland | 62.1% | 1,549 | 35.9% | 896 | 2.0% | 50 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Danville | 59.1% | 7,165 | 39.8% | 4,828 | 1.1% | 134 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Dickenson | 48.5% | 2,326 | 49.6% | 2,379 | 2.0% | 94 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Dinwiddie | 58.6% | 3,554 | 38.3% | 2,321 | 3.1% | 190 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Emporia | 57.5% | 855 | 38.5% | 573 | 4.0% | 60 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Essex | 56.8% | 1,499 | 40.9% | 1,079 | 2.3% | 62 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Fairfax County | 52.5% | 129,038 | 46.7% | 114,697 | 0.8% | 1,922 | 0.0% | 121 |
| Fairfax | 52.5% | 3,451 | 46.4% | 3,047 | 1.0% | 66 | 0.1% | 4 |
| Falls Church | 34.2% | 1,396 | 65.1% | 2,655 | 0.6% | 26 | 0.0% | 2 |
| Fauquier | 65.2% | 9,293 | 33.6% | 4,792 | 1.1% | 160 | 0.1% | 14 |
| Floyd | 61.0% | 2,288 | 36.0% | 1,350 | 3.0% | 111 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Fluvanna | 64.0% | 3,337 | 34.3% | 1,790 | 1.6% | 84 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Franklin County | 58.5% | 7,134 | 39.0% | 4,760 | 2.5% | 299 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Franklin | 47.3% | 1,134 | 50.3% | 1,207 | 2.5% | 59 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Frederick | 68.8% | 9,672 | 30.2% | 4,246 | 1.0% | 146 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Fredericksburg | 44.1% | 1,952 | 54.0% | 2,394 | 1.5% | 66 | 0.4% | 19 |
| Galax | 58.4% | 853 | 40.2% | 588 | 1.4% | 20 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Giles | 55.9% | 2,582 | 42.3% | 1,951 | 1.8% | 83 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Gloucester | 62.3% | 5,513 | 34.8% | 3,074 | 2.9% | 255 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Goochland | 60.8% | 3,929 | 37.1% | 2,395 | 2.1% | 136 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Grayson | 60.6% | 2,803 | 36.7% | 1,696 | 2.7% | 125 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Greene | 68.9% | 2,233 | 28.7% | 930 | 2.3% | 75 | 0.1% | 2 |
| Greensville | 44.0% | 1,201 | 54.4% | 1,483 | 1.6% | 43 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Halifax | 62.0% | 5,756 | 35.8% | 3,328 | 2.2% | 206 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Hampton | 47.1% | 15,432 | 51.5% | 16,850 | 1.3% | 435 | 0.1% | 28 |
| Hanover | 70.5% | 19,187 | 28.2% | 7,679 | 1.3% | 354 | 0.0% | 7 |
| Harrisonburg | 60.3% | 3,793 | 38.6% | 2,429 | 1.0% | 66 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Henrico | 59.2% | 46,367 | 39.1% | 30,661 | 1.2% | 912 | 0.5% | 424 |
| Henry | 54.4% | 8,014 | 42.3% | 6,233 | 3.2% | 477 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Highland | 64.9% | 630 | 33.4% | 324 | 1.6% | 16 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Hopewell | 63.0% | 3,100 | 35.0% | 1,723 | 2.0% | 97 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Isle of Wight | 56.9% | 4,647 | 41.8% | 3,411 | 1.2% | 100 | 0.1% | 9 |
| James City | 58.3% | 8,984 | 40.4% | 6,218 | 1.2% | 180 | 0.1% | 16 |
| King and Queen | 49.8% | 1,032 | 47.7% | 988 | 2.5% | 51 | 0.0% | 0 |
| King George | 56.9% | 2,063 | 41.4% | 1,502 | 1.5% | 55 | 0.1% | 5 |
| King William | 60.4% | 2,277 | 38.0% | 1,430 | 1.6% | 59 | 0.1% | 2 |
| Lancaster | 62.0% | 2,523 | 36.0% | 1,464 | 1.8% | 74 | 0.1% | 6 |
| Lee | 60.1% | 4,460 | 36.1% | 2,676 | 3.8% | 282 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Lexington | 46.0% | 703 | 52.8% | 808 | 1.1% | 17 | 0.1% | 1 |
| Loudoun | 59.7% | 20,997 | 39.0% | 13,697 | 1.2% | 407 | 0.1% | 44 |
| Louisa | 56.0% | 3,832 | 41.0% | 2,806 | 2.9% | 200 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Lunenburg | 58.8% | 2,230 | 39.6% | 1,502 | 1.5% | 58 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Lynchburg | 55.5% | 9,724 | 43.6% | 7,634 | 0.8% | 144 | 0.1% | 15 |
| Madison | 63.1% | 2,386 | 34.7% | 1,312 | 2.2% | 84 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Manassas | 61.3% | 4,277 | 37.4% | 2,611 | 1.2% | 87 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Manassas Park | 70.1% | 754 | 28.1% | 302 | 1.8% | 19 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Martinsville | 46.7% | 2,206 | 50.4% | 2,377 | 2.8% | 133 | 0.1% | 3 |
| Mathews | 61.9% | 2,184 | 35.0% | 1,236 | 3.1% | 110 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Mecklenburg | 61.7% | 4,226 | 35.1% | 2,408 | 3.2% | 217 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Middlesex | 59.9% | 2,279 | 36.8% | 1,401 | 3.2% | 122 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Montgomery | 53.5% | 9,445 | 44.7% | 7,882 | 1.7% | 308 | 0.0% | 3 |
| Nelson | 47.5% | 2,014 | 49.9% | 2,113 | 2.6% | 110 | 0.0% | 1 |
| New Kent | 62.7% | 2,856 | 35.1% | 1,599 | 1.7% | 78 | 0.5% | 21 |
| Newport News | 52.7% | 20,033 | 45.4% | 17,237 | 1.9% | 732 | 0.0% | 4 |
| Norfolk | 40.1% | 17,101 | 57.9% | 24,679 | 1.7% | 736 | 0.3% | 126 |
| Northampton | 48.9% | 1,755 | 48.7% | 1,747 | 2.3% | 84 | 0.1% | 4 |
| Northumberland | 63.1% | 2,409 | 35.0% | 1,337 | 1.6% | 62 | 0.2% | 7 |
| Norton | 44.3% | 647 | 53.2% | 777 | 2.5% | 36 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Nottoway | 54.8% | 2,201 | 43.7% | 1,754 | 1.5% | 60 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Orange | 61.8% | 4,124 | 36.6% | 2,443 | 1.7% | 111 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Page | 62.3% | 3,220 | 36.6% | 1,890 | 0.7% | 38 | 0.4% | 19 |
| Patrick | 60.2% | 2,726 | 37.1% | 1,679 | 2.7% | 123 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Petersburg | 30.3% | 2,460 | 67.4% | 5,475 | 2.4% | 192 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Pittsylvania | 67.8% | 10,445 | 30.6% | 4,720 | 1.6% | 243 | 0.0% | 2 |
| Poquoson | 70.5% | 2,592 | 28.6% | 1,053 | 0.8% | 31 | 0.1% | 3 |
| Portsmouth | 41.5% | 10,641 | 57.0% | 14,613 | 1.4% | 363 | 0.1% | 32 |
| Powhatan | 71.4% | 4,186 | 26.7% | 1,567 | 1.9% | 109 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Prince Edward | 52.1% | 2,476 | 46.0% | 2,186 | 1.8% | 86 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Prince George | 65.1% | 4,461 | 33.6% | 2,305 | 1.2% | 79 | 0.1% | 7 |
| Prince William | 63.1% | 32,049 | 35.6% | 18,110 | 1.3% | 651 | 0.0% | 10 |
| Pulaski | 58.4% | 5,162 | 39.8% | 3,522 | 1.8% | 159 | 0.0% | 3 |
| Radford | 49.0% | 1,466 | 49.2% | 1,471 | 1.7% | 52 | 0.1% | 2 |
| Rappahannock | 56.2% | 1,301 | 42.4% | 982 | 1.3% | 30 | 0.1% | 2 |
| Richmond County | 63.3% | 1,211 | 34.0% | 651 | 2.6% | 50 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Richmond | 35.7% | 17,544 | 62.3% | 30,643 | 2.0% | 967 | 0.0% | 17 |
| Roanoke County | 62.5% | 18,384 | 36.0% | 10,576 | 1.5% | 439 | 0.0% | 4 |
| Roanoke | 48.3% | 11,628 | 49.2% | 11,857 | 2.5% | 598 | 0.0% | 5 |
| Rockbridge | 62.4% | 3,339 | 36.2% | 1,937 | 1.5% | 78 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Rockingham | 73.1% | 12,074 | 25.6% | 4,224 | 1.3% | 214 | 0.0% | 3 |
| Russell | 49.1% | 3,675 | 49.2% | 3,687 | 1.7% | 125 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Salem | 59.1% | 4,445 | 39.0% | 2,934 | 1.8% | 139 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Scott | 64.7% | 4,050 | 33.3% | 2,087 | 2.0% | 125 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Shenandoah | 71.2% | 7,069 | 27.4% | 2,718 | 1.2% | 122 | 0.1% | 14 |
| Smyth | 59.3% | 5,366 | 38.8% | 3,510 | 1.9% | 175 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Southampton | 51.0% | 2,345 | 45.8% | 2,105 | 3.3% | 151 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Spotsylvania | 60.1% | 10,747 | 38.4% | 6,872 | 1.5% | 276 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Stafford | 60.2% | 11,416 | 38.1% | 7,224 | 1.6% | 295 | 0.1% | 18 |
| Staunton | 60.3% | 3,707 | 38.3% | 2,352 | 1.4% | 85 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Suffolk | 53.8% | 8,398 | 44.6% | 6,959 | 1.6% | 257 | 0.0% | 3 |
| Surry | 42.5% | 944 | 55.3% | 1,229 | 2.2% | 50 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Sussex | 46.3% | 1,371 | 51.1% | 1,512 | 2.6% | 77 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Tazewell | 55.4% | 5,515 | 42.6% | 4,235 | 2.0% | 194 | 0.0% | 3 |
| Virginia Beach | 59.1% | 51,945 | 38.7% | 34,036 | 1.7% | 1,511 | 0.5% | 475 |
| Warren | 60.5% | 4,139 | 38.4% | 2,628 | 1.0% | 70 | 0.1% | 4 |
| Washington | 60.3% | 7,528 | 38.1% | 4,761 | 1.6% | 198 | 0.1% | 7 |
| Waynesboro | 63.6% | 3,188 | 35.1% | 1,758 | 1.3% | 67 | 0.0% | 2 |
| Westmoreland | 53.4% | 2,148 | 44.8% | 1,801 | 1.8% | 74 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Williamsburg | 44.7% | 1,206 | 53.8% | 1,451 | 1.4% | 39 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Winchester | 58.7% | 3,114 | 40.2% | 2,131 | 1.1% | 59 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Wise | 52.2% | 4,834 | 46.3% | 4,292 | 1.5% | 142 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Wythe | 62.1% | 4,401 | 35.5% | 2,512 | 2.1% | 149 | 0.3% | 22 |
| York | 62.9% | 9,628 | 35.7% | 5,469 | 1.3% | 200 | 0.1% | 14 |