1978 United States Senate election in Virginia

1978 United States Senate election in Virginia

← 1972 November 7, 1978 1984 →

Nominee John Warner Andrew P. Miller Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 613,232 608,511 Percentage 50.17% 49.79%

County and independent city results Warner:      50–60%      60–70% Miller:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election William Lloyd Scott Republican Elected U.S. Senator John Warner Republican

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
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Virginia Beach Mayor 2008 2012 2016 2018 2020 City Council 2020
v t e

The 1978 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Senator William L. Scott did not run for re-election to a second term. Republican former Secretary of the Navy John Warner narrowly defeated Democratic Attorney General of Virginia Andrew P. Miller to succeed him. Originally, this election was a match between Republican Richard Obenshain and Miller, then Obenshain died in a plane crash, leaving the party in disarray. Warner was then nominated to run in Obenshain's place, and his victorious election thrust him into a thirty-year career in the United States Senate, which started with this election.