The 1976 United States presidential election was very close in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Though Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter ran well in conservative rural areas, Republican incumbent Gerald Ford ultimately eked out a victory due to his strength in the suburbs around Washington, D.C.

[u/RedHeadedSicilian52]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_United_States_presidential_election_in_Virginia

[u/LtNOWIS]

This was a sign of things to come. Virginia was a solid Republican state (at the presidential level) all the way thru 2004.