In what turned out to be a surprisingly close election after a wide polling gap, Democratic businessman and fundraiser Terry McAuliffe narrowly edged ahead of Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in the race to be the next governor of Virginia.
McAuliffe nudged into the lead after votes in several Northern Virginia counties started flowing in, further tipping the state’s balance of power toward the Washington suburbs, and flipping a trend of the governor’s mansion going to the party that does not hold the White House.
McAuliffe is best known for his stint running the Democratic National Committee and as a close political confidant of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Most polls taken in the last week of the campaign had him six or seven percentage points ahead of Cuccinelli. But with the votes counted, McAuliffe less than two points ahead.
Rob Sarvis, a libertarian who polled much stronger than past third-party candidates, pulled in 6.7 percent of the vote.
The race between McAuliffe and Cuccinelli was quite nasty, with McAuliffe scrutinized for his shaky tenure running an electric-car company in Mississippi, and Cuccinelli hit for his ardent social conservatism in an increasingly purple state. As the campaign dragged on, both candidates’ unfavorability ratings with voters ticked upward; a survey released Monday by Public Policy Polling showed that 52 percent of voters held unfavorable views of both men.
As the campaign drew to a close, McAuliffe was tagged with dissatisfaction over the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, while Cuccinelli became a surrogate for last month’s government shutdown instigated by his fellow Tea Party types.
Down the ballot, Democrats also picked up the lieutenant governor’s seat, with State Senator Ralph Northam beating the bile-spewing, watermelon-smashing pastor E.W. Jackson.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Terry McAuliffe Elected Governor of Virginia
The longtime Democratic money man eked ahead of Republican Ken Cuccinelli.
In what turned out to be a surprisingly close election after a wide polling gap, Democratic businessman and fundraiser Terry McAuliffe narrowly edged ahead of Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in the race to be the next governor of Virginia.
McAuliffe nudged into the lead after votes in several Northern Virginia counties started flowing in, further tipping the state’s balance of power toward the Washington suburbs, and flipping a trend of the governor’s mansion going to the party that does not hold the White House.
McAuliffe is best known for his stint running the Democratic National Committee and as a close political confidant of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Most polls taken in the last week of the campaign had him six or seven percentage points ahead of Cuccinelli. But with the votes counted, McAuliffe less than two points ahead.
Rob Sarvis, a libertarian who polled much stronger than past third-party candidates, pulled in 6.7 percent of the vote.
The race between McAuliffe and Cuccinelli was quite nasty, with McAuliffe scrutinized for his shaky tenure running an electric-car company in Mississippi, and Cuccinelli hit for his ardent social conservatism in an increasingly purple state. As the campaign dragged on, both candidates’ unfavorability ratings with voters ticked upward; a survey released Monday by Public Policy Polling showed that 52 percent of voters held unfavorable views of both men.
As the campaign drew to a close, McAuliffe was tagged with dissatisfaction over the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, while Cuccinelli became a surrogate for last month’s government shutdown instigated by his fellow Tea Party types.
Down the ballot, Democrats also picked up the lieutenant governor’s seat, with State Senator Ralph Northam beating the bile-spewing, watermelon-smashing pastor E.W. Jackson.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Trump Hotel Employees Reveal What It Was Really Like Catering to the Right Wing Elite
March 4 Isn’t the Only Date on the QAnon Calendar
Report Claims NFL Investigation Recommends Dan Snyder Be Forced to Sell
Washington’s Most Influential People
The Bulwark Was Founded to Oppose Trump. Now What?
Washingtonian Magazine
March 2021: The Influencers
View IssueSubscribe
Get Us on Social
Get Us on Social
Related
Where Does Abby Phillip Go From Here?
These Are the Most Influential Operatives on the Biden Campaign
Video From Fall Real Estate Market Update With Local Leaders
Washingtonian Real Estate Virtual Happy Hour
More from News & Politics
A New DC Program Lets Housebound Seniors Sign Up for Zoom Sessions with Rescue Animals
Axios Political Reporter Alexi McCammond is Teen Vogue’s New Editor
Report Claims NFL Investigation Recommends Dan Snyder Be Forced to Sell
Today’s Vaccine Signup Was Messy Again. Next Week Doesn’t Look Promising.
A DC Experiment in Direct Cash Transfers to Fight Poverty
The Capitol Police’s Request to Retain the National Guard Took DC Officials by Surprise
DC’s Covid Vaccine Appointments Were Filled in Under 10 Minutes This Morning
Chasten Buttigieg and Doug Emhoff Hung Out on Capitol Hill Yesterday