Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Bato rakagadzwa muna 1854 nevanopikisa uranda uye kuparadzana muCommonwealth, nechitsauko chenyika ichangobva kunyorwa chekutanga kutumira chayo pakati pevamiriri vanopfuura mazana matanhatu ku
1856 Republican National Convention. Zvisinei, vamiriri veVirginia pakupedzisira vakaramba kuvhotera mutungamiri wenyika, pachinzvimbo chekuvhotera William L. Dayton kuti ave mutevedzeri wemutungamiri wenyika; vaviri vakakwikwidza vakakundwa muvanhu vose neDemocrats James Buchanan naJohn C. Breckinridge. Vamiriri veVirginia kumusangano wa1860 vakatanga vapatsanurwa pakati pevazhinji vaAbraham Lincoln uye vashoma vaSimon Cameron muvhoti yekutanga neyechipiri, nevamiriri vakagara paLincoln pavhoti yechitatu yemutungamiri wenyika, uye vakavhotera Cassius M. Clay semutevedzeri wemutungamiri wenyika pavhoti yekutanga neyechipiri (naClay achikundwa musangano naHannibal Hamlin). Nepo John Bell naEdward Everett veConstitutional Union Party, bato revaichimbova maWhigs vaitsigira uranda asi vaipikisa kuparadzana, vakatora Virginia, Tennessee neKentucky, Lincoln naHamlin pakupedzisira vakakunda sarudzo dzemutungamiri wenyika.