# 2008 United States presidential election in Virginia

"none" is preferred when the title is already sufficiently detailed; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
The 2008 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 4, 2008, which was part of the 2008 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Virginia was won by Democratic nominee Barack Obama by a 6.3% margin of victory. Prior to the election, 16 of 17 news organizations considered this a state Obama would win, or otherwise a likely blue state, despite the fact that Virginia had not voted for a Democratic presidential nominee since Lyndon B. Johnson's 44-state landslide in 1964. The financial meltdown, changing demographics, and population increases in voter-rich Northern Virginia helped make the state more competitive for Obama. His victory marked a powerful shift in the political climate in Virginia, as the state would go on to vote for the Democratic presidential nominee in every election thereafter.
This also marked the first presidential election since 1924 in which Virginia voted for the Democratic presidential candidate while neighboring West Virginia voted for the Republican candidate; in every election since, both states have voted for those respective parties. Despite Obama's victory, Virginia's margin was 0.97% more Republican than the national average, the most recent time Virginia has voted further to the right than the nation at-large. As of the 2024 presidential election, this is the last election in which King and Queen County voted for the Democratic candidate.

## Primaries

* 2008 Virginia Democratic presidential primary
* 2008 Virginia Republican presidential primary

## Campaign

Elections in Virginia :
Federal government
U.S. President
1788–89
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
Dem
2004
2008
Dem
GOP
2012
2016
Dem
2020
Dem
2024
Dem
GOP
U.S. Senate
1788
1790 (sp)
1791
1792 (sp)
1793
1794 (sp)
1796
1798
1799 (sp)
1803
1803 (sp)
1804
1804 (sp)
1808
1809
1811
1814
1814 (sp)
1815 (sp)
1816
1816 (sp)
1819 (sp)
1821
1822 (sp)
1823
1824
1824 (sp)
1827
1829
1832 (sp)
1833
1834 (sp)
1835
1836 (sp)
1837
1837 (sp)
1839
1840
1841 (sp)
1845
1845 (sp)
1846
1847 (sp)
1850
1852
1856
1858
1861 (sp)
1863
1865
1865 (sp)
1870
1871
1875
1877
1881
1883
1887
1889
1893
1893 (sp)
1894
1899
1899
1904
1906
1910
1911
1912
1912 (sp)
1916
1918
1920 (sp)
1922
1924
1928
1930
1933 (sp)
1934
1936
1940
1942
1946
1946 (sp)
1948
1952
1954
1958
1960
1964
1966
1966 (sp)
1970
1972
1976
1978
1982
1984
1988
1990
1994
1996
2000
2002
2006
2008
2012
2014
2018
2020
2024
2026
U.S. House
1789
1790
9th sp
1793
1795
1797
1798 (9th sp)
1799
1800 (13th sp)
1801
1803
1804
5th sp
13th sp
1805
13th sp
1807
17th sp
1809
21st sp
1st sp
1811
1813
1814 (11th sp)
1815
15th sp
1816
18th sp
23rd sp
1817
1818 (19th sp)
1819
1820
1st sp
10th sp
17th sp
20th sp
1821
1822 (2nd sp)
1823
1824 (13th sp)
1825
1826 (5th sp)
1827
1829
10th sp
1831
1833
1835
1837
1839
1841
1843
1845
1847
1849
1851
1853
1855
1857
1859
4th sp
1861
11th sp
1862 (1st sp)
1869
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
7th sp
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
7th sp
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1st sp
1920
4th sp
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
2nd sp
1946
5th sp
6th sp
7th sp
1948
4th sp
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
6th sp
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
5th sp
1990
1991 (7th sp)
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2001 (4th sp)
2002
8th
2004
2006
2007 (1st sp)
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
10th
2020
2022
2023 (4th sp)
2024 :
State government
Governor
1776
1851
1855
1859
1863
C
U
1869
1873
1877
1881
1885
1889
1893
1897
1901
1905
1909
1913
1917
1921
1925
1929
1933
1937
1941
1945
1949
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
Lieutenant Governor
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
Attorney General
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
Senate
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
2027
House of Delegates
1975
1977
1979
1981
1982
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
2025
State elections
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2023
2025 :
Ballot measures
Statewide
1970
1972
1974
1976
1977
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1987
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
Fairfax County
2016 :
Alexandria
Mayor
2012
2015
2018
2021
2024
(List) :
Henrico County
Commonwealth's Attorney
2011
2015
2019 :
Norfolk
Mayor
2006
2010
2014
2016
2020
2024 :
Richmond
Mayor
2016
2020
2024 :
Virginia Beach
Mayor
2008
2012
2016
2018
2020
City Council
2020 :
vte :
Virginia was one of the first Southern states to break away from its traditional Democratic roots. It voted for Dwight Eisenhower by a convincing margin in 1952, and voted for every Republican nominee since then save for Johnson's massive landslide in 1964.
However, the Democrats had made big gains in recent years by winning two gubernatorial races in a row, regaining control of the Virginia Senate, and electing Democrat Jim Webb to the U.S. Senate over incumbent Republican George Allen in 2006. Democrats made such gains in part due to the ever-expanding Northern Virginia, particularly the suburbs surrounding Washington, D.C. Historically, this area was strongly Republican. However, in recent years it has been dominated by white liberals who tend to vote Democratic. It was, ultimately, this rapid demographic change that provided a huge new influx of Democratic voters to Virginia.
Both presidential campaigns and the mainstream media treated Virginia as a swing state for most of the campaign. Obama campaigned extensively in Virginia and counted on the booming northern parts of the state for a Democratic victory. Victory in the presidential election for McCain would have been extremely difficult without Virginia; he would have had to win every swing state as well as at least one Democratic-leaning state.

### Predictions

There were 16 news organizations that made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day:
| Source | Ranking |
| D.C. Political Report | Lean D (flip) |
| Cook Political Report | Lean D (flip) |
| The Takeaway | Lean D (flip) |
| Electoral-vote.com | Lean D (flip) |
| Washington Post | Lean D (flip) |
| Politico | Lean D (flip) |
| RealClearPolitics | Toss-up |
| FiveThirtyEight | Lean D (flip) |
| CQ Politics | Lean D (flip) |
| The New York Times | Lean D (flip) |
| CNN | Lean D (flip) |
| NPR | Lean D (flip) |
| MSNBC | Lean D (flip) |
| Fox News | Likely D (flip) |
| Associated Press | Likely D (flip) |
| Rasmussen Reports | Lean D (flip) |

### Polling

After McCain clinched the Republican Party nomination in early March, he took a wide lead in polls against Obama, averaging almost 50%. But through the summer, polling was nearly dead even, with McCain only slightly leading Obama. After the Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, Obama took a wide lead in the polls. In October, Obama won every single poll taken but one, and reached over 50% in most of them. The final three polls averaged Obama leading 51% to 46%.

### Fundraising

Obama raised $17,035,784. McCain raised $16,130,194.

### Spending and visits

Obama spent over $26 million to McCain spending just $14 million. The Obama-Biden ticket visited the state 19 times compared to just 10 times for McCain-Palin.

## Analysis

On Election Day, early returns showed McCain ahead. This was due in large part to the fact that many of the rural areas began to report first. However, Obama swamped McCain by scoring a near-sweep in Northern Virginia, which reported its returns last.
Obama did exceptionally well throughout the most populous regions of the state. Northern Virginia overwhelmingly supported Obama. In Arlington County and the independent city of Alexandria, the most traditionally Democratic jurisdictions in the region, Obama got over 70% of the vote, improving on Kerry by between 4% and 5% in both. In Fairfax County (the largest county in the state, and a then-traditionally Republican county that Kerry had become the first Democrat in 40 years to carry in 2004) Obama exceeded 60%, improving on Kerry's percentage by just shy of 7%. Just beyond Fairfax, to its south and west, Obama flipped the large counties of Loudoun and Prince William, becoming the first Democrat to carry either since 1964. He also won the independent cities of Harrisonburg for the first time since 1940, Hopewell since 1952, Manassas Park since 1976, Staunton since 1944, and Winchester since 1964.
The two other major metropolitan areas in the eastern part of the state, Richmond and Hampton Roads, are somewhat less Democratic than Northern Virginia. In both areas, Obama improved significantly on John Kerry's performance. While Obama easily won Richmond itself (which is 57% African American), he also made significant inroads into Richmond's traditionally heavily Republican suburbs. He carried Henrico County with 57% of the vote; that county last supported a Democrat with Harry S. Truman in 1948. In Chesterfield County, Obama did almost 20 points better than Kerry. Both counties had historically been strongly Republican at the national level; Chesterfield had given George W. Bush his largest raw vote margin in Virginia in both 2000 and 2004.
Obama also did very well in Hampton Roads. The four Democratic-leaning cities along the harbor - Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, and Portsmouth - gave him margins exceeding 60%. Obama also split the Republican-leaning cities of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach; he barely won the former and barely lost the latter. Obama's strong performance in the area likely contributed to Democrat Glenn Nye unseating two-term Republican incumbent Thelma Drake in the 2nd Congressional District, a heavy military district which includes all of Virginia Beach and large portions of Norfolk and Hampton. Outside Virginia's three major metropolitan areas, Obama also significantly outperformed Kerry in Albemarle and Montgomery Counties and in a series of independent cities around the state, most significantly Roanoke. Albemarle County surrounds Charlottesville, home to the University of Virginia, and Montgomery County is home to Virginia Tech.
Elsewhere in rural Virginia, however, McCain did well. In the Shenandoah Valley and Southside Virginia, both traditional bases for the Republican Party in Virginia, Obama ran roughly evenly with Kerry; but in southwestern Virginia—at the time one of the more traditionally Democratic regions of the state—McCain outperformed Bush in 2004, even flipping two counties (Buchanan and Dickenson), both of which last voted Republican in 1972; Obama thus became the first Democrat to win the White House without carrying the aforementioned two counties since Woodrow Wilson in 1916. However, without the support of suburban voters in the eastern metropolitan areas of the commonwealth, McCain was ultimately unable to hold Virginia.
During the same election, former Democratic Governor Mark Warner solidly defeated former Governor (and his predecessor) Republican Jim Gilmore by a two-to-one margin for the open U.S. Senate seat vacated by incumbent Republican John Warner (no relation to Mark Warner). Warner received 65.03% of the vote while Gilmore took in 33.73%. Warner won all but five counties in the state. Democrats also picked up three seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. At the state level, Democrats picked up one seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.

## Results

United States presidential election in Virginia, 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes |
| | Democratic | Barack Obama | Joe Biden | 1,959,532 | 52.63% | 13 |
| | Republican | John McCain | Sarah Palin | 1,725,005 | 46.33% | 0 |
| | Independent | Ralph Nader | Matt Gonzalez | 11,483 | 0.31% | 0 |
| | Libertarian | Bob Barr | Wayne Allyn Root | 11,067 | 0.30% | 0 |
| | Constitution | Chuck Baldwin | Darrell Castle | 7,474 | 0.20% | 0 |
| | Green | Cynthia McKinney | Rosa Clemente | 2,344 | 0.06% | 0 |
| | Write-ins | Write-ins | Write-ins | 6,355 | 0.17% | 0 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | 3,723,260 | 100.00% | 13 |
| Voter turnout (Voting age population) | Voter turnout (Voting age population) | Voter turnout (Voting age population) | Voter turnout (Voting age population) | Voter turnout (Voting age population) | Voter turnout (Voting age population) | 65.1% |

### By city and county

| County/City | Barack Obama Democratic | Barack Obama Democratic | John McCain Republican | John McCain Republican | Various candidates Other parties | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Margin | Total |
| County/City | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total |
| Accomack | 7,607 | 48.69% | 7,833 | 50.14% | 183 | 1.17% | -226 | -1.45% | 15,623 |
| Albemarle | 29,792 | 58.43% | 20,576 | 40.36% | 616 | 1.21% | 9,216 | 18.07% | 50,984 |
| Alexandria | 50,473 | 71.73% | 19,181 | 27.26% | 710 | 1.01% | 31,292 | 44.47% | 70,364 |
| Alleghany | 3,553 | 48.22% | 3,715 | 50.41% | 101 | 1.37% | -162 | -2.19% | 7,369 |
| Amelia | 2,488 | 38.11% | 3,970 | 60.81% | 71 | 1.08% | -1,482 | -22.70% | 6,529 |
| Amherst | 6,094 | 41.46% | 8,470 | 57.62% | 136 | 0.92% | -2,376 | -16.16% | 14,700 |
| Appomattox | 2,641 | 34.61% | 4,903 | 64.26% | 86 | 1.13% | -2,262 | -29.65% | 7,630 |
| Arlington | 78,994 | 71.71% | 29,876 | 27.12% | 1,283 | 1.17% | 49,118 | 44.59% | 110,153 |
| Augusta | 9,825 | 29.47% | 23,120 | 69.35% | 393 | 1.18% | -13,295 | -39.88% | 33,338 |
| Bath | 1,043 | 42.89% | 1,349 | 55.47% | 40 | 1.64% | -306 | -12.58% | 2,432 |
| Bedford | 11,017 | 30.75% | 24,420 | 68.16% | 393 | 1.09% | -13,403 | -37.41% | 35,830 |
| Bedford City | 1,208 | 44.18% | 1,497 | 54.75% | 29 | 1.07% | -289 | -10.57% | 2,734 |
| Bland | 864 | 29.20% | 2,031 | 68.64% | 64 | 2.16% | -1,167 | -39.44% | 2,959 |
| Botetourt | 5,693 | 32.71% | 11,471 | 65.90% | 242 | 1.39% | -5,778 | -33.19% | 17,406 |
| Bristol | 2,665 | 36.21% | 4,579 | 62.22% | 115 | 1.57% | -1,914 | -26.01% | 7,359 |
| Brunswick | 4,973 | 62.84% | 2,877 | 36.35% | 64 | 0.81% | 2,096 | 26.49% | 7,914 |
| Buchanan | 4,063 | 46.52% | 4,541 | 51.99% | 130 | 1.49% | -478 | -5.47% | 8,734 |
| Buckingham | 3,489 | 49.89% | 3,428 | 49.01% | 77 | 1.10% | 61 | 0.88% | 6,994 |
| Buena Vista | 1,108 | 45.73% | 1,282 | 52.91% | 33 | 1.36% | -174 | -7.18% | 2,423 |
| Campbell | 8,091 | 31.34% | 17,444 | 67.58% | 279 | 1.08% | -9,353 | -36.24% | 25,814 |
| Caroline | 7,163 | 55.45% | 5,617 | 43.48% | 139 | 1.07% | 1,546 | 11.97% | 12,919 |
| Carroll | 4,109 | 32.67% | 8,187 | 65.08% | 283 | 2.25% | -4,078 | -32.41% | 12,579 |
| Charles City | 2,838 | 68.34% | 1,288 | 31.01% | 27 | 0.65% | 1,550 | 37.33% | 4,153 |
| Charlotte | 2,705 | 43.93% | 3,372 | 54.77% | 80 | 1.30% | -667 | -10.84% | 6,157 |
| Charlottesville | 15,705 | 78.35% | 4,078 | 20.35% | 261 | 1.30% | 11,627 | 58.00% | 20,044 |
| Chesapeake | 53,994 | 50.22% | 52,625 | 48.94% | 902 | 0.84% | 1,369 | 1.28% | 107,521 |
| Chesterfield | 74,310 | 45.85% | 86,413 | 53.31% | 1,365 | 0.84% | -12,103 | -7.46% | 162,088 |
| Clarke | 3,457 | 46.52% | 3,840 | 51.68% | 134 | 1.80% | -383 | -5.16% | 7,431 |
| Colonial Heights | 2,562 | 28.95% | 6,161 | 69.62% | 126 | 1.43% | -3,599 | -40.67% | 8,849 |
| Covington | 1,304 | 55.40% | 1,020 | 43.33% | 30 | 1.27% | 284 | 12.07% | 2,354 |
| Craig | 877 | 33.46% | 1,695 | 64.67% | 49 | 1.87% | -818 | -31.21% | 2,621 |
| Culpeper | 8,802 | 44.59% | 10,711 | 54.26% | 228 | 1.15% | -1,909 | -9.67% | 19,741 |
| Cumberland | 2,255 | 47.73% | 2,418 | 51.19% | 51 | 1.08% | -163 | -3.46% | 4,724 |
| Danville | 12,352 | 59.13% | 8,361 | 40.02% | 177 | 0.85% | 3,991 | 19.11% | 20,890 |
| Dickenson | 3,278 | 48.54% | 3,324 | 49.22% | 151 | 2.24% | -46 | -0.68% | 6,753 |
| Dinwiddie | 6,246 | 48.45% | 6,526 | 50.62% | 120 | 0.93% | -280 | -2.17% | 12,892 |
| Emporia | 1,702 | 65.04% | 897 | 34.28% | 18 | 0.68% | 805 | 30.76% | 2,617 |
| Essex | 2,934 | 54.70% | 2,379 | 44.35% | 51 | 0.95% | 555 | 10.35% | 5,364 |
| Fairfax | 310,359 | 60.12% | 200,994 | 38.93% | 4,901 | 0.95% | 109,365 | 21.19% | 516,254 |
| Fairfax City | 6,575 | 57.69% | 4,691 | 41.16% | 132 | 1.15% | 1,884 | 16.53% | 11,398 |
| Falls Church | 4,695 | 69.56% | 1,970 | 29.19% | 85 | 1.25% | 2,725 | 40.37% | 6,750 |
| Fauquier | 14,616 | 42.71% | 19,227 | 56.19% | 376 | 1.10% | -4,611 | -13.48% | 34,219 |
| Floyd | 2,937 | 39.08% | 4,441 | 59.09% | 138 | 1.83% | -1,504 | -20.01% | 7,516 |
| Fluvanna | 6,185 | 48.57% | 6,420 | 50.41% | 130 | 1.02% | -235 | -1.84% | 12,735 |
| Franklin | 9,618 | 37.86% | 15,414 | 60.68% | 369 | 1.46% | -5,796 | -22.82% | 25,401 |
| Franklin City | 2,819 | 63.68% | 1,576 | 35.60% | 32 | 0.72% | 1,243 | 28.08% | 4,427 |
| Frederick | 12,961 | 38.56% | 20,149 | 59.95% | 502 | 1.49% | -7,188 | -21.39% | 33,612 |
| Fredericksburg | 6,155 | 63.60% | 3,413 | 35.27% | 109 | 1.13% | 2,742 | 28.33% | 9,677 |
| Galax | 1,052 | 43.80% | 1,317 | 54.83% | 33 | 1.37% | -265 | -11.03% | 2,402 |
| Giles | 3,192 | 40.95% | 4,462 | 57.24% | 141 | 1.81% | -1,270 | -16.29% | 7,795 |
| Gloucester | 6,916 | 35.98% | 12,089 | 62.89% | 217 | 1.13% | -5,173 | -26.91% | 19,222 |
| Goochland | 4,813 | 38.31% | 7,643 | 60.84% | 106 | 0.85% | -2,830 | -22.53% | 12,562 |
| Grayson | 2,480 | 34.35% | 4,540 | 62.88% | 200 | 2.77% | -2,060 | -28.53% | 7,220 |
| Greene | 3,174 | 38.43% | 4,980 | 60.29% | 106 | 1.28% | -1,806 | -21.86% | 8,260 |
| Greensville | 3,122 | 63.88% | 1,729 | 35.38% | 36 | 0.74% | 1,393 | 28.50% | 4,887 |
| Halifax | 8,126 | 48.23% | 8,600 | 51.04% | 124 | 0.73% | -474 | -2.81% | 16,850 |
| Hampton | 46,917 | 69.05% | 20,476 | 30.14% | 550 | 0.81% | 26,441 | 38.91% | 67,943 |
| Hanover | 18,447 | 32.80% | 37,344 | 66.39% | 457 | 0.81% | -18,897 | -33.59% | 56,248 |
| Harrisonburg | 8,444 | 57.54% | 6,048 | 41.21% | 183 | 1.25% | 2,396 | 16.33% | 14,675 |
| Henrico | 86,323 | 55.70% | 67,381 | 43.48% | 1,262 | 0.82% | 18,942 | 12.22% | 154,966 |
| Henry | 11,118 | 44.09% | 13,758 | 54.56% | 339 | 1.35% | -2,640 | -10.47% | 25,215 |
| Highland | 590 | 37.97% | 930 | 59.85% | 34 | 2.18% | -340 | -21.88% | 1,554 |
| Hopewell | 5,285 | 55.49% | 4,149 | 43.56% | 90 | 0.95% | 1,136 | 11.93% | 9,524 |
| Isle of Wight | 8,573 | 42.87% | 11,258 | 56.30% | 166 | 0.83% | -2,685 | -13.43% | 19,997 |
| James City | 17,352 | 44.95% | 20,912 | 54.17% | 339 | 0.88% | -3,560 | -9.22% | 38,603 |
| King and Queen | 1,918 | 51.77% | 1,763 | 47.58% | 24 | 0.65% | 155 | 4.19% | 3,705 |
| King George | 4,473 | 42.71% | 5,888 | 56.22% | 113 | 1.07% | -1,415 | -13.51% | 10,474 |
| King William | 3,344 | 39.87% | 4,966 | 59.20% | 78 | 0.93% | -1,622 | -19.33% | 8,388 |
| Lancaster | 3,235 | 46.63% | 3,647 | 52.57% | 56 | 0.80% | -412 | -5.94% | 6,938 |
| Lee | 3,219 | 34.89% | 5,825 | 63.13% | 183 | 1.98% | -2,606 | -28.24% | 9,227 |
| Lexington | 1,543 | 62.24% | 914 | 36.87% | 22 | 0.89% | 629 | 25.37% | 2,479 |
| Loudoun | 74,845 | 53.67% | 63,336 | 45.42% | 1,278 | 0.91% | 11,509 | 8.25% | 139,459 |
| Louisa | 6,978 | 45.45% | 8,182 | 53.29% | 193 | 1.26% | -1,204 | -7.84% | 15,353 |
| Lunenburg | 2,703 | 47.84% | 2,900 | 51.33% | 47 | 0.83% | -197 | -3.49% | 5,650 |
| Lynchburg | 16,269 | 47.37% | 17,638 | 51.36% | 434 | 1.27% | -1,369 | -3.99% | 34,341 |
| Madison | 2,862 | 42.72% | 3,758 | 56.10% | 79 | 1.18% | -896 | -13.38% | 6,699 |
| Manassas | 7,518 | 55.17% | 5,975 | 43.85% | 134 | 0.98% | 1,543 | 11.32% | 13,627 |
| Manassas Park | 2,463 | 59.49% | 1,634 | 39.47% | 43 | 1.04% | 829 | 20.02% | 4,140 |
| Martinsville | 4,139 | 63.48% | 2,311 | 35.44% | 70 | 1.08% | 1,828 | 28.04% | 6,520 |
| Mathews | 1,934 | 35.55% | 3,456 | 63.53% | 50 | 0.92% | -1,522 | -27.98% | 5,440 |
| Mecklenburg | 7,127 | 47.26% | 7,817 | 51.83% | 138 | 0.91% | -690 | -4.57% | 15,082 |
| Middlesex | 2,391 | 39.81% | 3,545 | 59.02% | 70 | 1.17% | -1,154 | -19.21% | 6,006 |
| Montgomery | 21,031 | 51.73% | 19,028 | 46.81% | 594 | 1.46% | 2,003 | 4.92% | 40,653 |
| Nelson | 4,391 | 53.99% | 3,647 | 44.84% | 95 | 1.17% | 744 | 9.15% | 8,133 |
| New Kent | 3,493 | 34.96% | 6,385 | 63.91% | 113 | 1.13% | -2,892 | -28.95% | 9,991 |
| Newport News | 51,972 | 63.93% | 28,667 | 35.26% | 656 | 0.81% | 23,305 | 28.67% | 81,295 |
| Norfolk | 62,819 | 71.03% | 24,814 | 28.06% | 813 | 0.91% | 38,005 | 42.97% | 88,446 |
| Northampton | 3,800 | 57.70% | 2,713 | 41.19% | 73 | 1.11% | 1,087 | 16.51% | 6,586 |
| Northumberland | 3,312 | 44.72% | 4,041 | 54.56% | 53 | 0.72% | -729 | -9.84% | 7,406 |
| Norton | 743 | 49.14% | 744 | 49.21% | 25 | 1.65% | -1 | -0.07% | 1,512 |
| Nottoway | 3,413 | 48.84% | 3,499 | 50.07% | 76 | 1.09% | -86 | -1.23% | 6,988 |
| Orange | 7,107 | 44.98% | 8,506 | 53.83% | 188 | 1.19% | -1,399 | -8.85% | 15,801 |
| Page | 4,235 | 40.76% | 6,041 | 58.15% | 113 | 1.09% | -1,806 | -17.39% | 10,389 |
| Patrick | 2,879 | 33.75% | 5,491 | 64.37% | 161 | 1.88% | -2,612 | -30.62% | 8,531 |
| Petersburg | 13,774 | 88.64% | 1,583 | 10.19% | 183 | 1.17% | 12,191 | 78.45% | 15,540 |
| Pittsylvania | 11,415 | 37.51% | 18,730 | 61.55% | 288 | 0.94% | -7,315 | -24.04% | 30,433 |
| Poquoson | 1,748 | 24.74% | 5,229 | 74.01% | 88 | 1.25% | -3,481 | -49.27% | 7,065 |
| Portsmouth | 32,327 | 69.27% | 13,984 | 29.97% | 354 | 0.76% | 18,343 | 39.30% | 46,665 |
| Powhatan | 4,237 | 29.31% | 10,088 | 69.78% | 131 | 0.91% | -5,851 | -40.47% | 14,456 |
| Prince Edward | 5,101 | 54.34% | 4,174 | 44.46% | 113 | 1.20% | 927 | 9.88% | 9,388 |
| Prince George | 7,130 | 44.55% | 8,752 | 54.68% | 124 | 0.77% | -1,622 | -10.13% | 16,006 |
| Prince William | 93,435 | 57.52% | 67,621 | 41.63% | 1,390 | 0.85% | 25,814 | 15.89% | 162,446 |
| Pulaski | 5,918 | 39.32% | 8,857 | 58.85% | 275 | 1.83% | -2,939 | -19.53% | 15,050 |
| Radford | 2,930 | 53.97% | 2,418 | 44.54% | 81 | 1.49% | 512 | 9.43% | 5,429 |
| Rappahannock | 2,105 | 47.79% | 2,227 | 50.56% | 73 | 1.65% | -122 | -2.77% | 4,405 |
| Richmond | 1,618 | 43.20% | 2,092 | 55.86% | 35 | 0.94% | -474 | -12.66% | 3,745 |
| Richmond City | 73,623 | 79.09% | 18,649 | 20.03% | 813 | 0.88% | 54,974 | 59.06% | 93,085 |
| Roanoke | 19,812 | 38.87% | 30,571 | 59.97% | 592 | 1.16% | -10,759 | -21.10% | 50,975 |
| Roanoke City | 24,934 | 61.15% | 15,394 | 37.76% | 444 | 1.09% | 9,540 | 23.39% | 40,772 |
| Rockbridge | 4,347 | 42.64% | 5,732 | 56.22% | 116 | 1.14% | -1,385 | -13.58% | 10,195 |
| Rockingham | 10,453 | 31.36% | 22,468 | 67.40% | 413 | 1.24% | -12,015 | -36.04% | 33,334 |
| Russell | 4,932 | 42.91% | 6,389 | 55.59% | 173 | 1.50% | -1,457 | -12.68% | 11,494 |
| Salem | 5,164 | 41.63% | 7,088 | 57.13% | 154 | 1.24% | -1,924 | -15.50% | 12,406 |
| Scott | 2,725 | 27.59% | 6,980 | 70.68% | 170 | 1.73% | -4,255 | -43.09% | 9,875 |
| Shenandoah | 6,912 | 35.96% | 12,005 | 62.45% | 306 | 1.59% | -5,093 | -26.49% | 19,223 |
| Smyth | 4,239 | 34.46% | 7,817 | 63.54% | 246 | 2.00% | -3,578 | -29.08% | 12,302 |
| Southampton | 4,402 | 48.55% | 4,583 | 50.55% | 82 | 0.90% | -181 | -2.00% | 9,067 |
| Spotsylvania | 24,897 | 46.05% | 28,610 | 52.91% | 562 | 1.04% | -3,713 | -6.86% | 54,069 |
| Stafford | 25,716 | 46.37% | 29,221 | 52.69% | 518 | 0.94% | -3,505 | -6.32% | 55,455 |
| Staunton | 5,569 | 50.56% | 5,330 | 48.39% | 116 | 1.05% | 239 | 2.17% | 11,015 |
| Suffolk | 22,446 | 56.24% | 17,165 | 43.01% | 297 | 0.75% | 5,281 | 13.23% | 39,908 |
| Surry | 2,626 | 60.72% | 1,663 | 38.45% | 36 | 0.83% | 963 | 22.27% | 4,325 |
| Sussex | 3,301 | 61.55% | 2,026 | 37.78% | 36 | 0.67% | 1,275 | 23.77% | 5,363 |
| Tazewell | 5,596 | 32.80% | 11,201 | 65.65% | 264 | 1.55% | -5,605 | -32.85% | 17,061 |
| Virginia Beach | 98,885 | 49.14% | 100,319 | 49.85% | 2,045 | 1.01% | -1,434 | -0.71% | 201,249 |
| Warren | 6,997 | 43.39% | 8,879 | 55.06% | 250 | 1.55% | -1,882 | -11.67% | 16,126 |
| Washington | 8,063 | 32.91% | 16,077 | 65.62% | 360 | 1.47% | -8,014 | -32.71% | 24,500 |
| Waynesboro | 3,906 | 44.09% | 4,815 | 54.35% | 139 | 1.56% | -909 | -10.26% | 8,860 |
| Westmoreland | 4,577 | 54.64% | 3,719 | 44.40% | 81 | 0.96% | 858 | 10.24% | 8,377 |
| Williamsburg | 4,328 | 63.77% | 2,353 | 34.67% | 106 | 0.95% | 1,975 | 29.10% | 6,787 |
| Winchester | 5,268 | 52.02% | 4,725 | 46.66% | 133 | 1.32% | 543 | 5.36% | 10,126 |
| Wise | 4,995 | 35.33% | 8,914 | 63.05% | 229 | 1.62% | -3,919 | -27.72% | 14,138 |
| Wythe | 4,107 | 32.88% | 8,207 | 65.70% | 177 | 1.42% | -4,100 | -32.82% | 12,491 |
| York | 13,700 | 40.42% | 19,833 | 58.51% | 364 | 1.07% | -6,133 | -18.09% | 33,897 |
| Totals | 1,959,532 | 52.63% | 1,725,005 | 46.33% | 38,723 | 1.04% | 234,527 | 6.30% | 3,723,260 |

#### Counties and independent cities that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Buchanan (largest city: Grundy)
* Dickenson (largest borough: Clintwood)

#### Counties and independent cities that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Buckingham (largest borough: Buckingham)
* Caroline (largest borough: Bowling Green)
* Chesapeake (independent city)
* Essex (largest borough: Tappahannock)
* Harrisonburg (independent city)
* Henrico (largest borough: Richmond)
* Hopewell (independent city)
* King and Queen (largest borough: King and Queen Courthouse)
* Loudoun (largest borough: Leesburg)
* Manassas (independent city)
* Manassas Park (independent city)
* Montgomery (largest borough: Blacksburg)
* Prince William (largest borough: Manassas)
* Radford (independent city)
* Staunton (independent city)
* Suffolk (independent city)
* Westmoreland (largest borough: Montross)
* Winchester (independent city)

### By congressional district

Barack Obama carried 6 of the state's 11 congressional districts. Both candidates carried two districts won by the other party.
| District | McCain | Obama | Representative |
| 1st | 51.35% | 47.67% | Jo Ann Davis (110th Congress) |
| 1st | 51.35% | 47.67% | Rob Wittman (111th Congress) |
| 2nd | 48.48% | 50.45% | Thelma Drake (110th Congress) |
| 2nd | 48.48% | 50.45% | Glenn Nye (111th Congress) |
| 3rd | 23.74% | 75.52% | Bobby Scott |
| 4th | 48.80% | 50.33% | Randy Forbes |
| 5th | 50.59% | 48.29% | Virgil Goode (110th Congress) |
| 5th | 50.59% | 48.29% | Tom Perriello (111th Congress) |
| 6th | 56.93% | 41.85% | Bob Goodlatte |
| 7th | 53.16% | 45.89% | Eric Cantor |
| 8th | 29.65% | 69.28% | Jim Moran |
| 9th | 58.71% | 39.60% | Rick Boucher |
| 10th | 46.06% | 52.90% | Frank Wolf |
| 11th | 42.06% | 57.01% | Thomas M. Davis (110th Congress) |
| 11th | 42.06% | 57.01% | Gerry Connolly (111th Congress) |

## Electors

Technically the voters of Virginia cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Virginia is allocated 13 electors because it has 11 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 13 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 13 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 15, 2008, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 13 were pledged to Barack Obama and Joe Biden:
* Christia Rey
* Sandra Brandt
* Betty Squire
* Susan Johnston Rowland
* Marc Finney
* Dorothy Blackwell
* James Harold Allen Boyd
* Marian Van Landingham
* Robert Edgar Childress
* Rolland Winter
* Janet Carver
* Michael Jon
* Sophie Ann Salley