Virginia Candidates for Governor 2016

In the Virginia governor election for 2016, Public polls show Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Ken Cuccinelli in a tie to succeed Republican Bob McDonnell, who is term-limited.

Both of the major candidates have significant vulnerabilities, however. Terry McAuliffe, despite living in the Washington suburbs of Virginia for years, made his name in politics as a national fundraiser and party official. Many Virginia voters consider him a carpetbagger. McAuliffe was defeated badly in the 2009 Democratic primary for governor by a state senator who went on to lose in the fall by a lopsided margin.

Cuccinelli, the state attorney general, is one of the more aggressive conservative Republicans to emerge in Virginia -- if not nationally -- in recent years.

An independent 3rd party run by Bolling would greatly benefit McAuliffe’s chances to take the Virginia governorship away from the GOP, according to a statewide opinion survey released last week.

The Quinnipiac University poll showed McAuliffe with 34%, Cuccinelli with 31% and Bolling with 13%. In a two-way race, the contest was a 38%-38% dead heat. In the same survey, Bolling received a better job approval rating from Virginia voters -- 36% to 18% -- than Cuccinelli -- 41% to 32%.

Bolling could run as a 3rd party spoiler. Bolling withdrew from the GOP governor’s race last year after Virginia Republicans decided to nominate their candidate in a convention, instead of a primary -- an
activist-heavy process that gave Cuccinelli a lopsided advantage for the governors race.

Since then, Bolling has been moving to the left of center -- he recently came out in favor of expanding Medicaid in Virginia under President Obama’s healthcare law -- and indicated he was strongly considering an independent candidacy.

In an email Thursday to supporters, the lieutenant governor described himself as a mainstream politician who could work with leaders of both parties. Among the questions facing Bolling is whether he can raise enough money to become a serious contender or whether he would merely be a spoiler who would hand the governorship to a Democrat.

Bill Bolling wrote that "quite frankly, this is a challenging time for our party and I’m concerned that our party is headed in the wrong direction." He added, "It is clear to me that there is a great deal of uneasiness about the candidates the two major political parties appear poised to nominate, and a lot of people in our state are looking for a better option." This appears to be a ploy to help the Democrats elect a governor.

History of Virginia. Information that every Virginia Election Candidates for US Senate Should Know:

One of the 13 original colonies, Virginia was the first part of the country permanently settled by the English, who established Jamestown on the banks of the James River in 1607. The home state of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers, Virginia played an important role in the American Revolution (1775-83). During the Civil War (1861-65), the city of Richmond, Virginia, became the capital of the Confederacy, and more than half of the conflict’s battles were fought in the state. Today, many government institutions are headquartered in Virginia, particularly in Arlington, located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. In addition to eight presidents, famous Virginians include singer Ella Fitzgerald, tennis star Arthur Ashe, actress Shirley MacLaine and authors Willa Cather and Tom Wolfe.

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