Virginia gubernatorial election, 2013

The Virginia gubernatorial election of 2013 will take place on November 5, 2013. The incumbent governor, Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

Bob McDonnell

Robert Francis "Bob" McDonnell is an American politician who has been the 71st Governor of Virginia since January 2010. A former lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, McDonnell served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1993 to 2006 and served as Attorney General of Virginia from 2006...

, will not be eligible to run due to term limits

Term limits in the United States

Term limits in the United States apply to many offices at both the federal and state level, and date back to the American Revolution.-Pre-constitution:...

established by the Virginia Constitution. Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

is the only state that prohibits its governor from serving immediate successive terms.

Former Democratic National Committee

Democratic National Committee

The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...

Chairman Terry McAuliffe

Terry McAuliffe

Terence Richard "Terry" McAuliffe is a longtime leader and political advisor for the United States Democratic Party. He served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005. He served as Co-Chairman of President William Jefferson Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign and also...

, who ran and lost in the Democratic primary in 2009, is reportedly interested in running again.

On the Republican side, it was reported in November 2011 that state Attorney General

Attorney General of Virginia

The Attorney General of Virginia is an executive office in the Government of Virginia. Attorneys General are elected for a four-year term in the year following a presidential election . There are no term limits restricting the number of terms someone can serve as Attorney General...

Ken Cuccinelli

Kenneth Thomas 'Ken' Cuccinelli II is a U.S. politician and the Attorney General of Virginia. From 2002 until January 16, 2010 he was a Republican member of the Senate of Virginia, representing the 37th district in Fairfax County...

is likely to announce in December 2011 that he is running for the Republican nomination. Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling

Bill Bolling

William T. "Bill" Bolling is the current Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Running as a Republican, he was elected twice to the position by defeating his Democratic opponent in both the 2005 and 2009 general elections. He is the first Lieutenant Governor in the Commonwealth of Virginia to serve two...

has reportedly formed a campaign committee, and has the pledged support of Governor McDonnell.

Republican Primary

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Bill Bolling	Ken Cuccinelli	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling (report)	July 21-24, 2011	400	± 4.9%	21%	45%	—	34%

With Bolling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Bill Bolling	Terry McAuliffe	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling (report)	July 21-24, 2011	500	± 4.4%	38%	33%	—	29%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Bill Bolling	Tom Perriello	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling (report)	July 21-24, 2011	500	± 4.4%	39%	32%	—	29%

With Cuccinelli

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Ken Cuccinelli	Terry McAuliffe	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling (report)	July 21-24, 2011	500	± 4.4%	41%	38%	—	22%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Ken Cuccinelli	Tom Perriello	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling (report)	July 21-24, 2011	500	± 4.4%	41%	36%	—	23%

Lieutenant governor race

After Republicans took two seats in the state Senate in the 2011 elections

Virginia state elections, 2011

The 2011 Virginia state elections took place on November 8, 2011. All 140 seats in the Virginia General Assembly were up for re-election, as were many local offices.-Virginia Senate:...

to bring the Senate to a 20-20 tie, Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor and Attorney General. The office is currently held by Republican William T. Bolling. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected...

Bolling gained significant power as the tiebreaking vote. The Washington Post reported in November 2011 that this led to increased interest and speculation in who will run for the post in 2011, assuming Bolling vacates it. On the Republican side, Oakton

Oakton, Virginia

Oakton is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the United States. The population was 29,348 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 22124.-Geography:Oakton is located at...

businessman Keith Fimian

Keith Fimian

Keith Shawn Fimian is a businessman and politician in Virginia. He was the 2008 and 2010 Republican nominee for . Fimian lost both elections, the first by 12%, and the second by 0.4%.- Early life and education :...

, who ran for Congress

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

in the 11th District

Virginia's 11th congressional district

Virginia's Eleventh Congressional District is a U.S. congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It comprises most of Fairfax County, all of the city of Fairfax, and part of eastern Prince William County...

in 2010

Virginia's 11th congressional district election, 2010

Virginia's 11th congressional district election, 2010 was an election held to determine who would represent Virginia's 11th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives during the 112th Congress. The seat that was contested is located in Northern Virginia, and includes most...

and lost by 0.4%, and Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart

Corey Stewart (politician)

Corey Stewart is the current chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, having first been elected as chairman in 2006. He was first elected to the board in 2003, representing the Occoquan district.-External links:*...

have said they are considering a bid for the office. Other potential Republican candidates include state Sens. Mark Obenshain

Mark Obenshain

Mark D. Obenshain is a Republican member of the Senate of Virginia from Harrisonburg. Obenshain has accumulated a conservative voting record since his election to the Shenandoah Valley's 26th state senate district in 2003...

and Jeff McWaters

Jeff McWaters

Jeffrey L. McWaters is a Republican member of the Senate of Virginia. He represents the 8th district, which includes a portion of Virginia Beach...

. On the Democratic side, potential candidates include House of Delegates

Virginia House of Delegates

The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...

Minority Leader Ward Armstrong

Ward Armstrong

Ward Lynn Armstrong is an American trial lawyer and politician. He has been a Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 1992. He currently serves as the Minority leader.-Early life:...

, state Sen. Ralph Northam

Ralph Northam

Ralph S. Northam is an American politician and physician from Virginia. A Democrat, he currently serves in the Senate of Virginia, representing the 6th district. He was first elected in November 2007....

, Del. Kenneth Cooper Alexander

Kenneth Cooper Alexander

Kenneth Cooper "Kenny" Alexander is an American politician of the Democratic Party. Since 2002 he has been a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 89th District in Norfolk.-Early life:...

, and Aneesh Chopra, secretary of technology under Gov. Tim Kaine

Tim Kaine

Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...

Republican Primary

With Bolling

With Cuccinelli

Lieutenant governor race

See also