Story highlights In Virginia, Republicans and Democrats are using Trump's first few weeks in office to distinguish themselves

Trump won last year's Virginia Republican primary, but lost the state in the general election

(CNN) President Donald Trump won't have to face voters for several more years, but his policies will be on the ballot in just a few months.

Candidates for Virginia governor must pass through a rigorous primary in early June before entering the general election. Already, both Republicans and Democrats are using Trump's first few weeks in office to distinguish themselves against their primary opponents.

There are three candidates on the Republican side. Two -- Corey Stewart and Denver Riggleman -- are hoping to ride Trump's anti-establishment wave to their party's nomination and eventually the governor's mansion. The third candidate, former George W. Bush aide Ed Gillespie, embodies the GOP establishment and is seeking to consolidate the many factions of the state party to give Republicans their first statewide win since 2009.

The GOP candidates have vastly different backgrounds in the state. Stewart is the chair of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors and has previously run for statewide office. Riggleman is a businessman who is virtually unknown in Virginia. Gillespie is fresh off a narrow loss to popular Democratic Sen. Mark Warner in 2014 and is running a solid, risk-averse campaign.

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