PolitiFinder

1989 Virginia Gubernatorial Election

Virginia · 2 candidates · See every 1989 Governor race

Who won the 1989 Virginia Gubernatorial Election?

L. Douglas Wilder won the 1989 Virginia Gubernatorial Election. L. Douglas Wilder received 896,936 popular votes (50.13%). The main challenger was J. Marshall Coleman (49.76%).

See the full head-to-head between Wilder and Coleman

Wilder +0.4 pts · won by 6,741 votes
L. Douglas WilderDemocraticWINNER50.13%
896,936 votes
J. Marshall ColemanRepublican49.76%
890,195 votes
Popular-vote totals for governor elections are compiled from official state results (via Wikipedia); Louisiana shows the decisive round of its jungle primary.

Data last verified July 28, 2026.