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| Elections in Virginia |
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The Virginia gubernatorial election of 1776 was the first gubernatorial election of the newly independent Commonwealth of Virginia. It was held on June 29, 1776, forty-five days after the adoption of the Lee Resolution by the Fifth Virginia Convention asserting the independence of the United Colonies from Great Britain. The election was conducted under the provisions of the Constitution of Virginia, which had been adopted by the convention the same day and went into effect immediately. Patrick Henry, a leading advocate for independence who had served as a delegate to the First Continental Congress, was elected governor by a majority vote, defeating Thomas Nelson Jr. and John Page.
The new Constitution called for the Governor of Virginia to be elected by the votes of the Virginia General Assembly meeting in joint session. The Virginia Convention, as the provisional legislature of the commonwealth, performed this function in the election of 1776. Prior to 1830, the governor served a term of one year, renewable no more than three times in a seven-year period. Henry was reelected four times: twice consecutively in 1777 and 1778, and again in 1784 and 1785, to serve a total of five consecutive terms in office.[1]
- ^ "Patrick Henry (1736–1799)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2019.