1812 Virginia gubernatorial special election
January 3, 1812
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| Elections in Virginia |
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A gubernatorial special election was held in Virginia on January 3, 1812. The speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates James Barbour was elected without opposition.
The previous governor of Virginia George W. Smith died on December 26, 1811. Peyton Randolph succeeded to office in his capacity as president of the Council of State and acted as governor until the election of a successor. Barbour had narrowly lost the preceding election to Smith and now emerged as the consensus candidate among the members of the legislature.
The election was conducted by the Virginia General Assembly in joint session. Barbour was elected with a majority on the first ballot.