Richard Joseph Davis Jr. (August 7, 1921 – March 4, 1999) was the 34th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986 serving under Governor

Chuck Robb Charles Spittal Robb (born June 26, 1939) is an American politician from Virginia and former officer in the United States Marine Corps. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 64th governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986 and a United ...

. A former mayor of Portsmouth, Virginia, Davis' 1981 election as Lieutenant Governor saw him win 8 of the 10 Congressional Districts composing Virginia in 1981; his statewide margin of victory over Republican state senator

Nathan H. Miller Nathan Huff Miller (born July 4, 1943) is an American lawyer and political figure from the Commonwealth of Virginia. A Republican, he served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly. He is currently the managing partner of Harrisonbur ...

was 150,000 votes. In 1982, Davis ran for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

, but lost to Republican candidate Paul S. Trible Jr. Davis had the distinction of being the first Catholic elected to a statewide office in Virginia history. Davis would remain the only statewide Catholic elected in Virginia history until the 2001 Virginia General Elections, when

Tim Kaine Timothy Michael Kaine (; born February 26, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Virginia since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 38th lieutenant governor of Virgi ...

was elected lieutenant governor, the same office Davis once held. Four years later, in the 2005 Virginia General elections, history was made again when Kaine won the governor's race and

Bob McDonnell Robert Francis McDonnell (born June 15, 1954) is an American attorney, businessman, politician, and former military officer who served as the 71st governor of Virginia from 2010 to 2014. His career ended after his corruption scandal and convic ...

won the attorney general's race. The elections of Kaine and McDonnell created a new record in Virginia history at that time: two Catholics elected to statewide offices. While Lieutenant Governor, Davis served in the executive branch with two fellow Democrats: Attorney General

Gerald Baliles Gerald Lee Baliles (July 8, 1940 – October 29, 2019) was a Virginia lawyer and Democratic politician whose career spanned great social and technological changes in his native state. The 65th Governor of Virginia (from 1986 to 1990), the na ...

, who would be elected governor in 1985; and Governor

, who had preceded Davis as lieutenant governor. Davis owned the

Tidewater Sharks The Tidewater Sharks were a minor league professional ice hockey team, based in Norfolk, Virginia, and members of the Southern Hockey League from 1975 to 1977. The Sharks played home games at the Norfolk Scope, and shared the Hampton Roads area wi ...

in the Southern Hockey League from 1975 to 1977.

References

, - 1921 births 1999 deaths 20th-century American politicians Democratic Party of Virginia chairs Lieutenant Governors of Virginia Politicians from Portsmouth, Virginia Southern Hockey League (1973–1977) Virginia Democrats Candidates in the 1982 United States elections {{Virginia-mayor-stub