Republican Ed Gillespie and Democrat Ralph Northam are virtually tied in the race for Virginia governor, but with signs that Gillespie may have come from behind to take the edge in the campaign’s final days.
Both candidates are focusing on issues that drive their respective party bases in a test of whether the Old Dominion has swung to the left, or can return to its center-right balance.
For much of the campaign, Gillespie has focused on bread-and-butter issues that Republicans typically use to persuade swing voters, talking about job creation, economic growth, reducing regulations, and improving education and health care. He was also running behind Northam for much of the campaign, despite the fact that Gillespie is a very seasoned and capable political strategist and campaigner.
Once a reliably red state, Virginia has trended sharply left in recent years, going for Barack Obama twice, and for Tim Kaine as governor and then as senator. The state also went for Hillary Clinton over President Donald Trump. Northam’s lead over Gillespie seemed due to this strong leftward current, given that Gillespie is a better candidate and his stand on swing-voter issues did better in the polls.
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