Checking in on Virginia’s Gubernatorial Election
The heated race between Ralph Northam and Ed Gillespie
By Lincoln Dow
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
LAST WEEK, Lt. GOV. RALPH NORTHAM AND MR. ED GILLESPIE SECURED THEIR ROLES as Democratic and Republican nominee for the Governor of Virginia, respectively. Although both parties will now be banding together to support their candidate, the primary process was hotly contested.
In the Democratic campaign, Northam faced a challenge from Congressman Tom Perriello, who has previously represented Virginia’s 5th District in the House of Representatives. Perriello received numerous endorsements from progressive leaders in the Democratic Party, including Senator Elizabeth Warren. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders and former Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta also blessed Periello with their endorsements. Northam, however, earned the support of incumbent Governor Terry McAuliffe and both US Senators from Virginia, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. Northam secured a total of 55.92% of votes cast compared to Perriello’s 44.08%.
When compared to Virginia’s 2016 Democratic primary, Northam’s margin of victory over Perriello was far smaller than that of Sec. Hillary Clinton over Sen. Bernie Sanders. Although this could be a result of many different factors, including the disparities between statewide and national campaigns, it does indicate that Virginia Democratic voters did not view this election as a determination of the party’s ideology in the way that many voters did in 2016.
On the Republican side of the aisle, a three-way primary developed between Ed Gillespie, a former RNC Chairman and Counselor to President George W. Bush, Corey Stewart, Chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, and Frank Wagner, a State Senator.
While Wagner’s campaign received less attention, Stewart and Gillespie both touted several high-profile endorsements. The far-right and members of the Tea Party supported Stewart, while numerous state and federal elected officials and the National Right to Life Committee carried Gillespie to a +1.2% victory.
Moving towards the November general election, the Virginia Governorship is rated by Governing Magazine as a valuable district for Democrats and the office has regularly seen Republicans elected, most recently from 2010–2014 with Governor Bob McDonnell. During the 2016 presidential election, however, Clinton carried the state by just over 5%. With this in mind, the national Democratic Party should plan to invest whole-heartedly in the election to ensure a victory for Lt. Gov. Northam.
The most recent poll conducted by Quinnipiac University shows Northam up 8 points over Gillespie, but hypothetical polling from before the primary indicated a potential victory by Gillespie in the matchup. The former RNC Chairman has requested ten debates with the Lieutenant Governor allowing voters ample opportunities to vet the candidates for themselves, although it’s unclear if these debates will actually occur. Either way, journalist Alan Suderman with AP recently wrote that Virginia’s gubernatorial election will be “an early referendum on the president and a preview of what the 2018 midterm elections will look like,” so this campaign will be one to watch.
