This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Virginia’s lieutenant governor, Ralph Northam, won the Democratic nomination in the closely watched race for governor Tuesday, defeating a more liberal insurgent challenger in a contest to be one of the party’s standard-bearers against Donald Trump.

Northam will face Ed Gillespie in the general election. The former Republican National Committee chairman eked out an uncomfortably close victory against an outspoken Trump supporter who made preserving Virginia’s Confederate history a top campaign issue.

Although the Democratic contest garnered the most pre-election attention, Gillespie’s narrow victory against Corey Stewart, the former Trump state campaign chairman, provided the night’s biggest surprise. Gillespie was expected to win easily, and the close contest shows Trump’s enduring appeal among GOP voters in Virginia and a potentially rocky path forward for Republicans in a state where Democrats have won every statewide election since 2009.

Northam wound up handily defeating the former US congressman Tom Perriello, a more liberal insurgent challenger supported by prominent national Democrats such as senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren as the best candidate to take on Trump.

The general election is expected to be an early referendum on the president and a preview of what the 2018 midterm elections will look like.



Northam, a pediatric neurologist, ran as a pragmatist with the state’s Democratic establishment’s firm support. He has also vowed to fight Trump, but with pledges to work with state Republican lawmakers on issues like a tax overhaul.

“It is time for us to get back on offense and stop playing so much defense,” Northam said.



Virginia is one of only two states electing governors this year, and the swing-state contest is likely to draw intense national scrutiny for signs of how voters are reacting to Trump’s first year in office.

Frank Von Richter said he voted for Northam because he liked that the lieutenant governor was more “middle of the road” than Perriello and thought he would work better with a Republican-controlled general assembly. The retired Richmond resident said Northam was strong on issues such as education and healthcare and will continue Governor Terry McAuliffe’s efforts to bring more jobs to Virginia.

“I think he has the ability to move Virginia forward like McAuliffe has,” the 80-year-old said.

McAuliffe, who, like the US senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia, backed Northam, is barred from seeking a consecutive term.

Perriello made a surprise entrance into the race in January and faced an uphill climb from the beginning. He energized many new-to-politics voters who oppose Trump and promised to support a grab-bag of progressive policies, such as raising taxes on the wealthy, using public funds for political campaigns or mandating union membership.

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Although he received a large amount of attention and praise from prominent national Democrats, Perriello was ultimately unable to expand the universe of Democratic primary voters enough to counter Northam’s advantages.

Northam had been essentially campaigning for years, making key contacts with influential power brokers, including prominent African American politicians and religious leaders, and building up a large cash advantage that let him outspend Perriello on TV advertising in the closing weeks of the race.

Northam’s campaign ran a more traditional campaign focused heavily on his biography – rural upbringing, army veteran, pediatric neurologist – as well as his endorsements from key progressive groups that make up the Democratic base such as teachers and abortion-rights groups.