Virginia state executive official elections, 2017
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Governor • Lt. governor • Attorney general Down ballot None |
March 30, 2017 |
June 13, 2017 |
June 13, 2017 |
November 7, 2017 |
TBD |
January 13, 2018 |
Three state executive office were up for election in 2017:
Context of the 2017 elections
Primary elections
During a primary election, voters select the candidate they believe should represent a political party in a general election. Primaries usually take place several months before a general election. Virginia utilizes a hybrid primary process in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[1] In the past, the Virginia Republican Party had selected candidates for statewide races at a convention; however, in August 2016, the State Central Committee voted 41-40 to select candidates via primary elections instead.[2]
Virginia's primary election was held on June 13, 2017.
Party control in Virginia
At the time of the 2017 election,Virginia had had a divided government since Governor Terry McAuliffe was elected in 2013, ending a two-year Republican trifecta: Democrats held the governorship while Republicans held a three-seat majority in the State Senate and a 32-seat majority in the House.
The state had been represented in the United States Senate by Democrats since 2009, though its class 2 Senate seat was held by Republicans from 1973 to 2009. Virginians also elected Republican George F. Allen to the class 1 seat in 2001; he served until 2007. Though the state's electoral votes went to Democrat Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, Virginia voters had previously selected the Republican candidate in every presidential election since 1968.[3] The office of governor in Virginia had tended to alternate party control over the past five decades, with no single party controlling the seat for longer than 12 years since 1969, when the election of Linwood Holton (R) ended an 84-year period of Democratic governors.
2017 elections
Races we were watching
Governor
The winner in this race was Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam (D). Click here to view vote totals for this election. Virginia held an election for governor on November 7, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam (D), former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie (R), and patent attorney Cliff Hyra (L) ran for the open seat. The most recent overall race rating from five separate outlets was Lean Democrat.[4] Virginia law requires that voters register 22 days in advance of an election, meaning that the final day to register to vote in this election was October 16, 2017.
On this page, you will find an overview of the three candidates that were running for governor and their stances on the major issues facing the state, as well as the endorsements they earned. This is followed by information on polling, campaign finance, and race ratings. At the bottom of the page, information on past elections and Virginia's political climate are provided to contextualize the election.
As winner of the election, Northam will preside over the state's redistricting following the 2020 census and will have the ability to veto proposed district maps.[5] To see information about the June 13 primary election in this race, click here.
- See also: Virginia gubernatorial election, 2017
Virginia held an election for governor on November 7, 2017. Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election to a consecutive term.
The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election was held on June 13, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in the primary election was March 30, 2017.
Ralph Northam (D) defeated Ed Gillespie (R) and Cliff Hyra (Libertarian) in the election for Governor of Virginia.[6]
| Virginia Gubernatorial Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Ralph Northam |
53.93% | 1,409,175 | |
| Republican | Ed Gillespie | 45.00% | 1,175,731 | |
| Libertarian | Cliff Hyra | 1.07% | 27,987 | |
| Total Votes | 2,612,893 | |||
| Source: Virginia Department of Elections | ||||
Ralph Northam defeated Tom Perriello in the Democratic primary for Governor of Virginia.[7]
| Virginia Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Ralph Northam |
55.90% | 303,541 |
| Tom Perriello | 44.10% | 239,505 |
| Total Votes | 543,046 | |
| Source: The New York Times | ||
Ed Gillespie defeated Corey Stewart and Frank Wagner in the Republican primary for Governor of Virginia.[7]
| Virginia Republican Gubernatorial Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Ed Gillespie |
43.71% | 160,100 |
| Corey Stewart | 42.53% | 155,780 |
| Frank Wagner | 13.76% | 50,394 |
| Total Votes | 366,274 | |
| Source: The New York Times | ||
Lieutenant governor
Virginia held an election for lieutenant governor on November 7, 2017. The primary election was held on June 13, 2017. The winner of this race was Justin Fairfax (D). Click here to view vote totals for this election.
Virginia held an election for lieutenant governor on November 7, 2017. Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam (D) was running for governor, leaving the lieutenant governor election an open race.
The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election was held on June 13, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in the primary election was March 30, 2017.
Justin Fairfax (D) defeated Jill Holtzman Vogel (R) in the election for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.[8]
| Virginia Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Justin Fairfax |
52.77% | 1,368,261 | |
| Republican | Jill Holtzman Vogel | 47.23% | 1,224,519 | |
| Total Votes | 2,592,780 | |||
| Source: Virginia Department of Elections | ||||
Justin Fairfax defeated Susan Platt and Gene Rossi in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.[7]
| Virginia Democratic Lieutenant Gubernatorial Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Justin Fairfax |
49.13% | 252,400 |
| Susan Platt | 39.19% | 201,316 |
| Gene Rossi | 11.69% | 60,041 |
| Total Votes | 513,757 | |
| Source: The New York Times | ||
Jill Holtzman Vogel defeated Bryce Reeves and Glenn Davis in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.[7]
| Virginia Republican Lieutenant Gubernatorial Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Jill Holtzman Vogel |
42.73% | 151,998 |
| Bryce Reeves | 39.98% | 142,218 |
| Glenn Davis | 17.29% | 61,517 |
| Total Votes | 355,733 | |
| Source: The New York Times | ||
Attorney General
Virginia held an election for attorney general on November 7, 2017. The winner of this race was Mark Herring (D). Click here to view vote totals for this election.
- See also: Virginia attorney general election, 2017
Incumbent Mark Herring (D) defeated John Adams (R) in the election for Attorney General of Virginia.[9]
| Virginia Attorney General Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Mark Herring Incumbent |
53.39% | 1,385,389 | |
| Republican | John Adams | 46.61% | 1,209,339 | |
| Total Votes | 2,594,728 | |||
| Source: Virginia Department of Elections | ||||
Elections by office
Governor
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Lieutenant governor
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Attorney general
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Past elections
2013
Three state executive offices were up for election including governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
- Virginia gubernatorial election, 2013
- Virginia Attorney General election, 2013
- Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2013
- Virginia state executive official elections, 2013
Voter registration
| Candidate ballot access |
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| Find detailed information on ballot access requirements in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. |
For full information about voting in Virginia, contact the state election agency.
Registration
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Virginia utilizes an open primary process in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[14][15]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
To register to vote in Virginia, an individual must be a citizen of the United States and at least 18 years old at the time of the next general election. Individuals under the age of 18 are permitted to vote in primary or special elections as long as they fulfill the aforementioned age requirement. The voter must also be a resident of Virginia, must not have been declared mentally incompetent by a court, and may not be registered to vote in another state. Individuals who have been convicted of a felony may not vote unless his or her right to vote has been restored.[16]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
New Jersey has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Virginia state executive election 2017. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
State profile
| Demographic data for Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 8,367,587 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 39,490 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 69% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 19.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 6% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 3.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 8.6% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 88.3% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 36.3% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $65,015 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 13% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Virginia. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Virginia
Virginia voted for the Democratic candidate in five out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in Virginia, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[17]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Virginia had five Retained Pivot Counties, 2.76 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Virginia coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Virginia
- United States congressional delegations from Virginia
- Public policy in Virginia
- Endorsers in Virginia
- Virginia fact checks
- More...
See also
| Virginia | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Code of Virginia, "Title 24.2, Section 530," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑ Culpepper Star-Advocate, "Virginia GOP votes 41-40 to switch and nominate 2017 statewide candidates in a primary," August 27, 2016
- ↑ National Archives and Records Administration, "Historical election results," accessed September 4, 2016
- ↑ Ratings are based on projections found in Governing, Larry Sabato, The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, Decision Desk HQ, and The Cook Political Report. These ratings are updated periodically throughout the election season.
- ↑ Loyola Law School, "All About Redistricting - Virginia," accessed August 22, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Statewide Candidates," October 17, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 Primary Filing," accessed May 12, 2017 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "filing" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "filing" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "filing" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Statewide Candidates," October 17, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Statewide Candidates," October 17, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Statewide Candidates," October 17, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Statewide Candidates," October 17, 2017
- ↑ The Washington Post, "GOP race for Va. attorney general heats up," February 1, 2016
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Statewide Candidates," October 17, 2017
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections,"Casting a Ballot," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "How to Register" accessed September 4, 2016
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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