The Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2013, following a Democratic primary election on June 11, 2013 and a Republican statewide convention on May 17-18, 2013.

Incumbent Bob McDonnell (R) was term limited from running for re-election in 2013.

Democratic businessman Terry McAuliffe won the Virginia gubernatorial election, defeating Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.^[1]

Results

Virginia Gubernatorial General Election, 2013
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Terry McAuliffe	47.8%	1,069,789
	Republican	Ken Cuccinelli	45.2%	1,013,354
	Libertarian	Robert Sarvis	6.5%	146,084
	N/A	Write-in	0.5%	11,087
Total Votes				2,240,314
Election Results via Virginia State Board of Elections.

Race background

Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell (R) was ineligible to run for re-election in 2013 because of term limits. Term limits for governors in Virginia are stricter than in any other state in the country. Under the commonwealth's constitution, governors are prohibited from serving consecutive terms. As a result, Governor Bob McDonnell, despite being in his first term, was ineligible to seek re-election.

Virginia does not impose term limits on the office of attorney general, which made Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's (R) decision to run for governor, rather than seek re-election, unexpected. Had Cuccinelli not entered the race, outgoing Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling would have been considered the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to succeed Governor Bob McDonnell.^[2] Following the state Republican Party's decision to switch from an open primary election to a closed nominating convention beginning in 2013, and with Cuccinelli entering the race, outgoing Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling withdrew his bid for the Republican nomination in November 2012.^[3]^[4] Regarding the option of seeking re-election as lieutenant governor, Bill Bolling stated that, “Under normal circumstances, I would be open to the possibility of running for another term as lieutenant governor, but I would not be interested in running on a statewide ticket with Mr. Cuccinelli.”^[5] He later said he regretted dropping out of the race as early as he did.^[6]

McDonnell had previously pledged his support for Bolling's candidacy, in part because Bolling refrained from challenging McDonnell for governor in 2009. After Bolling left the race, Governor Bob McDonnell endorsed fellow Republican Ken Cuccinelli as his preferred successor, despite Cuccinelli’s public opposition to McDonnell’s Transportation Initiative, which was widely viewed as a key part of the governor’s legacy. Interestingly, Cuccinelli’s general election opponent, former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe, was also vocal on the transportation funding issue, but in support of Governor McDonnell’s approach to amending the state’s transportation funding policy.^[7]^[8]

In response to the major party picks, the Libertarian Party held a special convention and nominated Robert Sarvis as the party's official gubernatorial candidate.^[9]

Like Cuccinelli and Sarvis, McAuliffe faced no primary opponent. In the days leading up to the election, Terry McAuliffe maintained a comfortable lead in both polling and fundraising over Ken Cuccinelli and Robert Sarvis. Aggregated polling data showed McAuliffe holding an average advantage of about seven percentage points over Cuccinelli. This lead was largely driven by a preference for McAuliffe among female voters, who favored him 58–34 percent, while support among male voters was nearly even between the two candidates.^[10]^[11] In the final campaign finance reporting period ending October 28, Terry McAuliffe reported raising $8.1 million, compared to Ken Cuccinelli’s $2.9 million. McAuliffe also held $1.6 million in cash on hand, roughly twice the amount Cuccinelli had available. Libertarian candidate Robert Sarvis trailed both major-party candidates, reporting $81,595 raised and $58,584 in cash on hand.^[12]^[13]^[14] Hillary Clinton's endorsement of Terry McAuliffe on October 19—her first campaign event appearance since leaving the position of U.S. Secretary of State—further enhanced McAuliffe’s status as the frontrunner.^[15] Former President Bill Clinton threw in his support soon thereafter, followed by President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, who joined the McAuliffe campaign effort in the final week of the election season.^[16]

The three candidates faced off in the general election on November 5, 2013. McAuliffe won by a 2.6 percent margin.^[17]

Impact of US government shutdown on governor's race

The 2013 federal government shutdown occurred during the final weeks of the Virginia gubernatorial race, adding a significant backdrop to the contest between major party nominees Terry McAuliffe (D) and Ken Cuccinelli (R).^[18] Each campaign released an ad during the aftermath of the shutdown.^[19]

Seeking to build on his 5.3% polling lead, McAuliffe’s campaign released an advertisement linking Cuccinelli to Republican members of Congress, highlighting Cuccinelli’s association with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).^[20] The ad referenced Cuccinelli's previous effort to defund Planned Parenthood, suggesting that these actions contributed to delays in passing other legislation. The ad also claimed that Cuccinelli had been sufficiently opposed to Mark Warner's 2004 budget to call for a shutdown of the state government.^[21]

Cuccinelli's campaign released an ad citing articles from The Washington Post and the Richmond-Times Dispatch that criticized McAuliffe’s proposed budget plan and claimed McAuliffe had threatened a government shutdown if the plan was not approved. The radio spot also accused McAuliffe of being "against compromise, against working together to find solutions,” pointing to McAuliffe's support for Democratic members of Congress who had supported the government shutdown.^[22]^[23]

The shutdown was also referenced by Libertarian candidate Robert Sarvis, who argued that it had soured voters on the major parties. "People are looking for other options they don't like what they have to see from those two parties and we're trying to fill that void with principled advocacy for more freedom in our economic sphere and personal lives," stated Sarvis.^[24]^[25]

Key dates

	2014 → ← 2012
	2013; State Executive Official Elections
	New Jersey • Virginia • Wisconsin
	Candidates • News • Calendar

Deadline	Event
March 28	Last day to file candidacy for primary election
May 17-18	Republican primary convention
May 20	Voter registration deadline for primary election
June 11	Primary election, last day for non-party candidates to file candidacy
June 17	Last day for Independent candidates to file for general election
Oct. 15	Voter registration deadline for general election
Nov. 5	General election

Candidates

General election

Primary election candidates - Click "show"

Democratic primary election

Terry McAuliffe - Former Democratic National Committee Chairman and businessman.^[26]^[27]

Republican primary convention

Ken Cuccinelli - Attorney General of Virginia - Cuccinelli cemented his party's nomination for governor on January 13, 2013, being the only Republican to file the necessary paperwork by the convention's deadline.^[28]

Libertarian candidates

Robert Sarvis - entrepreneur and Fellow of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University^[29]

On April 21, 2013, the Libertarian Party of Virginia held a special convention, and nominated Robert Sarvis as the party's official gubernatorial candidate.^[30]^[31]

Independent candidates

Declined

~~Bill Bolling~~- The Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and one-time GOP front-runner announced on March 12, 2013, that he had decided against running as an independent candidate, an alternative he had considered following his withdrawal from the Republican gubernatorial race on November 28, 2012. His decision to opt out of a Republican bid was a consequence of the Republican Party of Virginia's reintroduction of a closed nominating convention in 2013. Bolling believed that this format provided conservative attorney general Ken Cuccinelli, his "intraparty rival," a categorical advantage.^[36]^[37]^[36]^[38]
~~Chap Peterson~~ - state Senator^[39]
~~Mark Warner~~^[40]
~~Tom Perriello~~

Nominating conventions

The candidate selection process in Virginia differs between the political parties. According to the Code of Virginia:^[41]

“The duly constituted authorities of the state political party shall have the right to determine the method by which a party nomination for a member of the United States Senate or for any statewide office shall be made. The duly constituted authorities of the political party for the district, county, city, or town in which any other office is to be filled shall have the right to determine the method by which a party nomination for that office shall be made.”

Democratic Party

The Democratic Party of Virginia used conventions to nominate candidates for statewide offices from 1981 through 2001, after which it returned to using primaries. The switch to conventions in 1981 was intended to moderate the party after independent candidate Henry Howell won the 1977 primary. The convention format proved successful for Virginia Democrats during the 1980s, contributing to the election of Chuck Robb in 1981, Gerald Baliles in 1985, and Douglas Wilder in 1989. However, following significant losses in the 1993 and 1997 state elections, the Democratic Party of Virginia reverted to using primaries beginning with the 2001 election cycle. The Democratic Party did not hold a gubernatorial primary in the 2001 and 2005 election cycles as Mark Warner and Tim Kaine ran unopposed.^[42]

Republican Party

The Republican Party of Virginia has historically used conventions to select its nominees for statewide offices. Primaries have been used by the party for gubernatorial nominations only on a few occasions, specifically in 1949, 1989, 1997, and 2005.^[42] The convention process used in most elections draws from delegates selected by Republicans during municipal and county conventions. The number of delegates per county depends on the strength of the Republican Party in past elections.^[43]

Delegates cast their votes on separate ballots for each statewide office. Any uncontested candidates automatically receive the party’s nomination. Contested races start with a ballot to determine if a candidate can surpass the 50% threshold. A candidate who wins more than 50% of first-round ballots receives the nomination for that office. If the first round of ballots does not clear this threshold, the two candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated. The balloting process cuts candidates in each round until three candidates remain. A ballot is taken to eliminate a third-place finisher, and a final ballot is taken between the two remaining candidates.^[44]

Polls

February-May 2013

All candidates

Governor of Virginia: All candidates
Poll	Terry McAuliffe (D)	Ken Cuccinelli (R)	Robert Sarvis (L)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size

Emerson College Poll (October 25-20, 2013)	42%	40%	13%	5%	+/-3.24	874
Christopher Newport University Poll of Likely Voters (October 25-30, 2013)	45%	38%	10%	7%	+/-3.0	1,038
AVERAGES	43.5%	39%	11.5%	6%	+/-3.12	956
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Governor of Virginia: All candidates
Poll	Terry McAuliffe (D)	Ken Cuccinelli (R)	Robert Sarvis (L)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size

Quinnipiac University Poll (October 30, 2013)	45%	41%	9%	4%	+/-2.9	1,182
Washington Post/Abt-SRBI Poll (October 24-27, 2013)	51%	39%	8%	1%	+/-4.5	762
Public Policy Poll (Early voters) (October 19-20, 26-27, 2013)	55%	40%	3%	2%	+/--	1,433
Old Dominion University Poll	44%	37%	7%	9%	+/-5.0	670
Wenzel Strategies (October 21-22, 2013)	41%	40%	10%	9%	+/-3.85	640
Quinnipiac University Poll (October 15-21, 2013)	46%	39%	10%	4%	+/-3.0	1,085
Rasmussen Reports Poll (October 20, 2013)	50%	33%	8%	5%	+/-3.0	1,000
NBC4/NBC News/Marist Poll (October 13-15, 2013)	46%	38%	9%	7%	+/-4.0	596
Quinnipiac University Poll (October 2-8, 2013)	47%	39%	8%	6%	+/-2.9	1,180
Public Policy Poll/Harper (October 5-6, 2013)	44%	35%	12%	9%	+/-2.9	1,150
AVERAGES	46.9%	38.1%	8.4%	5.6%	+/-2.31	969.8
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Governor of Virginia: All candidates
Poll	Terry McAuliffe (D)	Ken Cuccinelli (R)	Robert Sarvis (L)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size

Christopher Newport Poll (October 1-6, 2013)	47%	38%	9%	11%	+/-3.1	886
Rasmussen Reports Poll (September 23, 2013)	44%	38%	6%	11%	+/-3.0	1,050
NBC News/Marist Poll (September 17-19, 2013)	43%	38%	8%	11%	+/-4.2	546
Washington Post-Abt SRBI poll (September 19-22, 2013)	47%	39%	10%	3%	+/-4.5	562
Harper Polling/Conservative Intel (September 15-16, 2013)	42%	37%	10%	11%	+/-3.51	779
Quinnipiac University Poll (September 9-15, 2013)	44%	41%	7%	6%	+/-3.1	1,005
League of Women Voters/Public Policy Polling (August 27-28, 2013)	44%	37%	9%	9%	+/--	500
Emerson College Poll (August 23-28, 2013)	45%	35%	10%	11%	+/-3.8	653
Public Policy Polling (July 11-14, 2013)	41%	37%	7%	5%	+/-4.0	601
Roanoke University Poll (July 8-14, 2013)	31%	37%	5%	27%	+/-4.3	525
AVERAGES	42.8%	37.7%	8.1%	10.5%	+/-2.73	710.7
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

McAuliffe vs. Cuccinelli only

Governor of Virginia: Cuccinelli v. McAuliffe (June 2013 - present)
Poll	Terry McAuliffe (D)	Ken Cuccinelli (R)	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size

Public Policy Poll/Harper (October 5-6, 2013)	52%	42%	6%	+/-2.9
Washington Post-Abt SRBI poll (September 19-22, 2013)	49%	44%	7%	+/-4.5	562
Purple Strategies Poll (September 6-10, 2013)	43%	38%	19%	+/-3.5	800
Rasmussen Reports (September 3-4, 2013)	45%	38%	10%	+/-3.0	998
Internal Poll (August 13-18, 2013)	48%	44%	8%	+/-4.0	600
Quinnipiac University Poll (August 14-19, 2013)	48%	42%	9%	+/-2.9	1,129
Quinnipiac University Poll (July 11-15, 2013)	43%	39%	16%	+/-3.1	1,030
Rasmussen Reports Poll (June 5-6, 2013)	44%	41%	12%	+/-3.0	1,000
AVERAGES	46.5%	41%	10.88%	+/-3.36	764.88
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Governor of Virginia: Cuccinelli v. McAuliffe (February 2013 - May 2013)
Poll	Terry McAuliffe (D)	Ken Cuccinelli (R)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size

Public Policy Polling (May 24-26, 2013)	42%	37%	21%	+/-3.8	672
Quinnipiac University (May 8-13, 2013)	43%	38%	17%	+/-2.7	1,286
NBC News/Marist Poll (April 28-May 2, 2013)	43%	41%	16%	+/-3.0	1,095
Washington Post (Likely Voters) (April 29-May 2, 2013)	41%	51%	8%	+/-5.0	663
Washington Post (Registered Voters) (April 29-May 2, 2013)	41%	46%	13%	+/-4.0	887
Roanoke College Poll (April 8-14, 2013)	29%	34%	38%	+/-3.9	629
Quinnipiac University (Feb. 14-18, 2013)	38%	38%	21%	+/-2.0	1,112
AVERAGES	39.57%	40.71%	19.14%	+/-3.49	906.29
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Three way hypothetical match-up poll

Governor of Virginia: Three-way race (with Bolling)
Poll	Terry McAuliffe (D)	Ken Cuccinelli (R)	Bill Bolling (I)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size

Quinnipiac University (Feb. 14-18, 2013)	34%	31%	13%	21%	+/-2.9	1,112
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

June 2012

Governor of Virginia (Republican): Bolling v. Cuccinelli
Poll	Bill Bolling	Ken Cuccinelli	Someone else	Wouldn't vote	Don't know	Margin of error	Sample size

Quinnipiac University May 30 - June 4, 2012	15%	51%	2%	1%	31%	+/-2.7	1,282
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign sites & media

Terry McAuliffe

Terry McAuliffe - Official campaign site

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

McAuliffe Campaign Ads

"Too Important" - released May 22, 2013

"Ken" - released July 30, 2013

"Paul" - released August 22, 2013

"Interfering" - released September 4, 2013

"As Governor" - released September 6, 2013

"Twisting Facts" - released September 7, 2013

"Questioned" - released by The NextGen Climate Action Committee - released September 13, 2013

"Not For Us" - released September 19, 2013

"Honored" - released September 22, 2013

"The Pill" disputes Cuccinelli's claim that he has not tried to ban the birth control pill, citing his past sponsorship of a bill aiming to do just that. Released October 1, 2013

Republican former VA Del. Vince Callahan discusses his decision to endorse McAuliffe in the 2013 governor race in "Callahan" - Released October 21, 2013

Former President Bill Clinton encourages voters to support McAuliffe for VA governor in "President Clinton: Vote on November 5" - Released October 30, 2013

Ken Cuccinelli

Ken Cuccinelli - Official campaign website

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Cuccinelli Campaign Ads

Cuccinelli releases first TV spot entitled "All About" introducing himself as gubernatorial candidate - April 26, 2013

Cuccinelli prescribes tax cuts for small businesses and middle-class families and closing tax loopholes in second ad, "Your Side" - May 13, 2013

"Garbarino," the family of VA police officer killed in line of duty in 2006 reflects on the support then-state Sen. Cuccinelli provided - May 17, 2013

"Opportunity" - released August 13, 2013

"DealMaker" - released September 2013

"Serious" - released September 19, 2013

"Obamacare" Cuccinelli ad touting his opposition to the federal health-care reform bill - released September 26, 2013

"Prosecutor" - released September 27, 2013

In "Tichi," Democratic school board member Tichi Pinkney Eppes praises Cuccinelli's plan to create jobs, calls claims he has an anti-women agenda "ridiculous." Released October 1, 2013

"Big Differences" - Released October 29, 2013

Robert Sarvis

Robert Sarvis - Official campaign website

Facebook

Twitter

Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Endorsements

Terry McAuliffe:
McAuliffe's 2013 gubernatorial campaign was endorsed by the following individuals and organizations:^[45]^[46]

President Barack Obama^[47]
First Lady Michelle Obama^[48]
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton^[49]
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton^[50]
Republican mayor of Virginia Beach Will Sessoms^[51]
Republican former Virginia Del. Vince Callahan
Republican mayor of Virginia Beach Will Sessoms^[52]
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine
Former Independent Delegate Katherine Waddell
U.S. Senator Mark Warner
Former Independent Delegate Watkins Abbitt^[53]
Former Virginia House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong
Former Republican Governor of Virginia Linwood Holton*
- Holton decided to endorse McAuliffe over his party's nominee, Ken Cuccinelli, because he said he believed McAuliffe, "will put partisan politics aside and work every day to move Virginia forward."^[54]^[55]
Human Rights Campaign
League of Conversation Voters
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia
Virginia Professional Firefighters
NARAL
Virginia Education Association
Equality VA

Ken Cuccinelli:
Cuccinelli's 2013 gubernatorial campaign was endorsed by outgoing incumbent Gov. Bob McDonnell. Other supporters included, but were not limited to, the following individuals and organizations:^[56]^[57]

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee^[58]
Dave “Mudcat” Saunders, Roanoke-based Democratic* strategist
- Saunders decided to endorse Cuccinelli over his party's nominee, Terry McAuliffe, because, "he and Cuccinelli agree 'on matters of economic fairness' and share concerns about the middle class."^[59]
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal^[60]
Steve Smith, CEO of Food City, Bluefield
Delegate Chris Head, 17th District
David Nygaard, Founder and CEO of David Nygaard Fine Jewelers, Virginia Beach
Delegate John Cox, 55th District, Chairman, Cox Transportations Services, Inc., Ashland
Delegate Michael Webert, 18th District
Henry Lucas, President, ECS Ltd, Chantilly

Robert Sarvis:

Sarvis was endorsed by Former Governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson, who was also the 2012 Libertarian Party presidential nominee.^[61]