1979Final results
1979 election for Virginia Senate District 36
Virginia State Senate · Virginia
Joseph V. Gartlan Jr. (D) won with 56.4% of the vote, defeating John B. Watkins (R) by 12.9 points.
Joseph V. Gartlan Jr.Democrat · winner · incumbent
56.4%10,156
John B. WatkinsRepublican
43.6%7,843
17,999 votes
Source: Harvard Dataverse / Carl KlarnerUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:29 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1979
Races before and after
Source: Harvard Dataverse / Carl KlarnerUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:29 AM ET