2017 Virginia gubernatorial election

For related races, see 2017 United States gubernatorial elections.

The 2017 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2017, to elect the next governor of Virginia. The election was concurrent with other elections for Virginia's statewide offices, the House of Delegates, and other local elections. Incumbent Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe was ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits its governors from serving consecutive terms. McAuliffe later unsuccessfully ran for a second non-consecutive term in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election.

2017 Virginia gubernatorial election

← 2013 November 7, 2017 2021 →
Turnout	47.6% 4.6[1]
Nominee Ralph Northam Ed Gillespie Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,409,175 1,175,731 Percentage 53.90% 44.97%
County and independent city results Congressional district results Precinct results Northam:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90 Gillespie:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Tie:      40–50%      No votes
Governor before election Terry McAuliffe Democratic Elected Governor Ralph Northam Democratic

Primary elections took place on June 13, 2017. Virginia utilizes an open primary, in which registered voters are allowed to vote in either party's primary election.^[2]Democrats nominated incumbent lieutenant governor Ralph Northam andRepublican nominated former RNC Chair Ed Gillespie.The Libertarian Party nominated Clifford Hyra by convention on May 6, 2017.^[3]

In the general election on November 7, 2017, Democrat Ralph Northam defeated Republican Ed Gillespie by 8.93% points — the largest gubernatorial margin for Democrats since 1985 until Abigail Spanberger won by 15.36% points in 2025. The election had the highest voter turnout percentage in the state's gubernatorial history since 1997 with 47.6% of registered voters casting their ballot.^[1] Chesterfield County voted Democratic for the first time since 1961. Northam assumed office as the 73rd Governor of Virginia on January 13, 2018.^[4]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Ralph Northam, lieutenant governor of Virginia^[5][6]

Eliminated in primary

• Tom Perriello, former U.S. representative^[7]

Declined

• Gerry Connolly, U.S. representative^[8][9]
• Mark Herring, Attorney General of Virginia (running for re-election)^[10]
• Brian Moran, Virginia Secretary of Public Safety, former state delegate and candidate for governor in 2009^[11]

Endorsements

Tom Perriello

Federal elected officials

• Rosa DeLauro, U.S. representative from Connecticut^[12]
• Russ Feingold, former U.S. senator from Wisconsin^[13]
• Bernie Sanders, U.S. senator from Vermont^[14]
• Elizabeth Warren, U.S. senator from Massachusetts^[15]

Local elected officials

• Ryan Sawyers, chairman of the Prince William County School Board; candidate for Virginia's 1st congressional district in 2018^[16]

Individuals

• LuAnn Bennett, Democratic candidate for Virginia's 10th congressional district in the 2016 election^[17]
• John W. Boyd Jr., president of the National Black Farmers Association^[18]
• Jon Carson, former White House director of the Office of Public Engagement for U.S. president Barack Obama^[19]
• Nancy-Ann DeParle, former White House deputy chief of staff to U.S. president Barack Obama^[19]
• Patrick Gaspard, former United States Ambassador to South Africa and former White House director of political affairs to U.S. president Barack Obama^[19]
• Teddy Goff, former Obama campaign digital director^[19]
• Larry Grisolano, former Obama campaign director of Paid Media^[19]
• Hannah Hart, internet personality^[20]
• Valerie Jarrett, former senior advisor to the president and former director of White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs for U.S. president Barack Obama^[19]
• Khizr and Ghazala Khan, gold star family^[21]
• Jon Lovett, former speechwriter for Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama; co-host of progressive political podcast Pod Save America^[22][23]
• Dave Matthews, musician^[24]
• Bill McKibben, environmental activist and founder of 350.org^[25]
• Cecilia Muñoz, former White House director of the Domestic Policy Council for U.S. president Barack Obama^[19]
• Jennifer Palmieri, former White House director of communications for U.S. president Barack Obama^[19]
• Daniel Pfeiffer, former senior advisor to U.S. president Barack Obama for strategy and communications; co-host of progressive political podcast Pod Save America^[19]
• David Plouffe, President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign manager^[19]
• John Podesta, columnist and former chairman of 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign^[26]
• Christina Reynolds, former White House director of media affairs for U.S. president Barack Obama^[19]
• Amy Rosenbaum, former White House director of legislative affairs for U.S. president Barack Obama^[19]
• Mark Ruffalo, actor^[27]
• Julianna Smoot, former White House social secretary to U.S. president Barack Obama^[19]
• Neera Tanden, domestic policy adviser and the president of the Center for American Progress^[28]
• Tina Tchen, former chief of staff for First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama^[19]

Organizations

• Climate Hawks Vote, a super-PAC that supports candidates who set climate change as a top priority on their agenda^[29]
• Friends of the Earth, an international network of environmental organizations in 74 countries^[30]
• Our Revolution, a progressive political action group spun off of the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, 2016
• People's Action, a progressive group that advocates for the representation of everyone^[31]
• Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a PAC which focuses on building progressive power through advocacy campaigns for "big ideas" and campaigning for "bold progressive" candidates^[32]

Newspapers

• Bristol Herald Courier^[33]
• The Roanoke Times^[34]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Ralph Northam	Tom Perriello	Other	Undecided
Change Research[35]	June 8–10, 2017	919	± 3.1%	46%	54%	—	—
Hampton University[36]	June 1–6, 2017	750	± 4.2%	21%	29%	—	50%
HaystaqDNA (D-Perriello)[37]	June 1–6, 2017	455	—	36%	37%	—	29%
Garin-Hart-Yang (D-Northam)[38]	May 15–17, 2017	601	± 4.0%	50%	33%	—	17%
Washington Post-Schar School[39]	May 9–14, 2017	351	± 6.0%	38%	40%	—	18%
Public Policy Polling (D)[40]	May 9–10, 2017	745	± 3.6%	45%	35%	—	21%
Public Policy Polling (D)[41]	April 13–14, 2017	586	± 4.1%	42%	28%	—	30%
Quinnipiac University[42]	April 6–10, 2017	483	± 4.5%	20%	25%	1%	51%
Christopher Newport University[43]	March 16–26, 2017	391	± 5.4%	26%	26%	3%	45%
Quinnipiac University[44]	February 10–15, 2017	462	± 4.6%	19%	19%	3%	61%
Christopher Newport University[45]	January 15–28, 2017	464	± 4.8%	15%	26%	1%	58%

Hypothetical polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Mark Herring	Ralph Northam	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[46]	July 13–15, 2015	409	± 4.9%	33%	9%	—	58%

Results

Results by county and independent city:

Northam

•   Northam—>90%
•   Northam—80–90%
•   Northam—70–80%
•   Northam—60–70%
•   Northam—50–60%

Tie

•   Tie

Perriello

•   Perriello—50–60%
•   Perriello—60–70%
•   Perriello—70–80%
•   Perriello—80–90%
•   Perriello—>90%

Democratic primary results^[47]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ralph Northam	303,846	55.9%
	Democratic	Tom Perriello	239,505	44.1%
Total votes			543,351	100

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the Republican National Committee; nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2014^[6][48]

Eliminated in primary

• Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2013^[49]
• Frank Wagner, state senator^[50]

Failed to qualify

• Emmanuel Peter, bishop^[51]

Withdrew

• Denver Riggleman, businessman^[52][53]
• Rob Wittman, U.S. representative^[54][55]

Declined

• Bill Bolling, former lieutenant governor of Virginia^[56]
• Eric Cantor, former Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives^[57][58]
• Ken Cuccinelli, former attorney general of Virginia; nominee for governor in 2013^[59]
• Randy Forbes, former U.S. representative^[60][61][62]
• Tom Garrett Jr., U.S. representative^[63]
• Shak Hill, financial consultant and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014^[59]
• Jeff McWaters, former state senator^[64][65][66]
• Mark Obenshain, state senator; nominee for attorney general in 2013^[67]
• Pete Snyder, technology executive and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2013^[64][68][69]

Endorsements

Corey Stewart

National figures

• Bay Buchanan, former United States Treasurer^[70]

Military figures

• LTC Louis E Dorfman III, Purple Heart recipient^[71]

State figures

• Cynthia Dunbar, committeewoman of the Republican National Committee for Virginia^[72]

Organizations

• Tea Party Nation, conservative group^[73]
• Virginia Citizens Defense League, pro-gun organization^[74]

Frank Wagner

Newspapers

• The Washington Post^[75]

Individuals

• Elwood Sanders, attorney, contributor to Virginia Right!^[76]
• John Watkins, former state senator^[77]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Ed Gillespie	Corey Stewart	Frank Wagner	Rob Wittman	Other	Undecided
Change Research[78]	June 8–10, 2017	919	± 3.1%	41%	42%	16%	—	—	—
Washington Post-Schar School[79]	May 9–14, 2017	264	± 7.0%	38%	18%	15%	—	—	24%
Quinnipiac University[42]	April 6–10, 2017	435	± 4.7%	28%	12%	7%	—	2%	51%
Christopher Newport University[43]	March 16–26, 2017	349	± 5.7%	38%	11%	10%	—	3%	38%
Quinnipiac University[44]	February 10–15, 2017	419	± 4.8%	24%	7%	2%	—	6%	59%
Christopher Newport University[45]	January 15–28, 2017	418	± 5.0%	33%	7%	9%	—	3%	48%
Quinnipiac University[80]	December 6–11, 2016	451	± 4.6%	24%	4%	4%	10%	—	57%
Public Opinion Strategies[81]	September 18–21, 2016	800	± 3.5%	38%	5%	4%	12%	—	40%
Public Policy Polling (D)[82]	June 13–15, 2016	1,032	± 3.1%	29%	13%	—	16%	—	41%

Hypothetical polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Bill Bolling	Eric Cantor	Ken Cuccinelli	Ed Gillespie	Mark Obenshain	Pete Snyder	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[46]	July 13–15, 2015	502	4.4%	8%	16%	37%	8%	7%	1%	23%

Results

Results by county and independent city:

Gillespie

•   Gillespie—60–70%
•   Gillespie—50–60%
•   Gillespie—40–50%
•   Gillespie—<40%

Stewart

•   Stewart—40–50%
•   Stewart—50–60%
•   Stewart—60–70%
•   Stewart—70–80%

Republican primary results^[47]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Ed Gillespie	160,100	43.7%
	Republican	Corey Stewart	155,780	42.5%
	Republican	Frank Wagner	50,394	13.8%
Total votes			366,274	100%

Libertarian convention

Candidates

Nominee

Cliff Hyra, the Libertarian nominee

• Cliff Hyra, attorney^[83]

Withdrawn

• Jason Carrier

General election

The race had been closely watched by national observers. For Republicans, National Review wrote that Gillespie's campaign was an important example of whether and how mainstream Republican politics can produce victories in a purple state in the "era of Trumpism" and said that the outcome would affect Republican strategies in future races.^[84] Many Democrats believed that the election was a test of whether the party could find its way after losing the 2016 presidential election and several subsequent special elections.^[85] NBC News reported that Northam was the "hand-picked" choice of outgoing governor Terry McAuliffe, and that McAuliffe's legacy and potential 2020 presidential aspirations depended on Northam winning the election.^{[citation needed]}

Debates

After the primaries, Gillespie challenged Northam to ten debates, but only three were held.^[86] The first debate was hosted by the Virginia Bar Association on July 22 in Hot Springs, Virginia.^[87] The second was held on September 19, hosted by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce in Tysons Corner, Virginia, and televised statewide by NBC-affiliated TV stations.^[88] The third and final debate was held on October 9 at University of Virginia's College at Wise in Wise, Virginia.^[89]

Dates	Location	Northam	Gillespie	Link
September 19, 2017	Tysons, Virginia	Participant	Participant	Full debate - C-SPAN
October 9, 2017	Wise, Virginia	Participant	Participant	Full debate - C-SPAN

Endorsements

Ed Gillespie (R)

Federal officials

• George W. Bush, 43rd president of the United States^[90][91][92]
• Mike Pence, 48th vice president of the United States^{[93][94][95][96]}
• Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States^{[97][98][99][100][101][102]}

U.S. cabinet and U.S. cabinet-level officials

• Steve Bannon, former White House Chief Strategist
• Nikki Haley, 29th U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former governor of South Carolina^[103]
• Condoleezza Rice, 66th United States secretary of state and former National Security Advisor^[104]

U.S. senators

• George Allen, former governor of Virginia and former U.S. senator (R-VA)^[105]
• Tom Cotton, U.S. senator (R-AR)^[105]
• Ted Cruz, U.S. senator (R-TX)^[103]
• Rob Portman, U.S. senator (R-OH)^[106]
• Marco Rubio, U.S. senator (R-FL)^[105]
• Tim Scott, U.S. senator (R-SC)^[107]
• John Warner, former U.S. senator (R-VA)^[108]

U.S. representatives

• Barbara Comstock, U.S. representative (R-VA)^[62]
• Randy Forbes, former U.S. representative (R-VA)^[62]
• Newt Gingrich (R-GA), former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives^[109]
• Bob Goodlatte, U.S. representative (R-VA)^[62]
• Morgan Griffith, U.S. representative (R-VA)^[110]
• Robert Hurt, former U.S. representative (R-VA)^[62]
• Frank Wolf, former U.S. representative (R-VA)^[111]

U.S. governors

• Matt Bevin, governor of Kentucky^[112]
• Doug Ducey, governor of Arizona^[105]
• Jim Gilmore, former governor of Virginia^[113]
• Eric Greitens, governor of Missouri^[114]
• Larry Hogan, governor of Maryland^[115]
• Susana Martinez, governor of New Mexico^[116]
• Bob McDonnell, former governor of Virginia^[105]
• Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts; Republican nominee for president of the United States in 2012^[117]
• Chris Sununu, governor of New Hampshire^[118]
• Scott Walker, governor of Wisconsin^[105]

Statewide politicians

• John H. Hager, former lieutenant governor of Virginia^[105]
• Jerry Kilgore, former attorney general; nominee for governor in 2005^[119]

Virginia state senators

• Dick Black, state senator^[111]
• Bill Carrico, state senator^[119]
• Ben Chafin, state senator^[119]
• Amanda Chase, state senator^[105]
• John Cosgrove, state senator^[119]
• Bill DeSteph, state senator^[105]
• Siobhan Dunnavant, state senator^[119]
• Emmett Hanger, state senator^[105]
• Ryan McDougle, state senator^[105]
• Jeff McWaters, state senator^[120]
• Stephen Newman, state senator^[105]
• Tommy Norment, majority leader of the Virginia Senate^[119]
• Mark Obenshain, state senator; nominee for attorney general in 2013^[119]
• Mark Peake, state senator^[105]
• Bryce Reeves, state senator^[105]
• Frank Ruff, state senator^[119]
• Ralph Smith, former state senator^[119]
• Bill Stanley, state senator^[105]
• Richard Stuart, state senator^[105]
• Glen Sturtevant, state senator^[119]
• David Suetterlein, state senator^[105]
• Jill Vogel, state senator, and 2017 Republican nominee for lieutenant governor^[119]
• Frank Wagner, state senator^[105]

Virginia state delegates

• Les Adams, state delegate^[105]
• Dave Albo, state delegate^[119]
• Rich Anderson, state delegate^[105]
• Terry Austin, state delegate^[119]
• Richard Bell, state delegate^[119]
• Kathy Byron, state delegate^[119]
• Jeff Campbell, state delegate^[119]
• Ben Cline, state delegate^[121]
• Mark Cole, state delegate^[105]
• Chris Collins, state delegate^[119]
• Kirk Cox, majority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates^[119]
• Glenn Davis, state delegate^[119]
• Mark Dudenhefer, state delegate^[119]
• James Edmunds, state delegate^[105]
• Matt Fariss, state delegate^[105]
• Peter Farrell, state delegate^[119]
• Buddy Fowler, state delegate^[105]
• Scott Garrett, state delegate^[119]
• Todd Gilbert, state delegate^[119]
• Tag Greason, state delegate^[119]
• Chris Head, state delegate^[119]
• Gordon Helsel, state delegate^[105]
• Keith Hodges, state delegate^[105]
• William Howell, Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates^[119]
• Tim Hugo, state delegate^[119]
• Riley Ingram, state delegate^[119]
• Chris Jones, state delegate^[119]
• Terry Kilgore, state delegate^[119]
• Barry Knight, state delegate^[105]
• Steve Landes, state delegate^[119]
• Dave LaRock, state delegate^[105]
• Jay Leftwich, state delegate^[119]
• James LeMunyon, state delegate^[119]
• Scott Lingamfelter, state delegate and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2013^[119]
• Manoli Loupassi, state delegate^[119]
• Danny Marshall, state delegate^[119]
• Jimmie Massie, state delegate^[105]
• Jackson Miller, state delegate^[105]
• Randy Minchew, state delegate^[119]
• Jason Miyares, state delegate^[119]
• Will Morefield, state delegate^[119]
• John O'Bannon, state delegate^[119]
• Israel O'Quinn, state delegate^[119]
• Bobby Orrock, state delegate^[105]
• Todd Pillion, state delegate^[119]
• Brenda Pogge, state delegate^[105]
• Charles Poindexter, state delegate^[119]
• David Ramadan, former state delegate^[119]
• Margaret Ransone, state delegate^[105]
• Roxann Robinson, state delegate^[119]
• Chris Stolle, state delegate^[119]
• Ron Villanueva, state delegate^[119]
• Lee Ware, state delegate^[105]
• Michael Webert, state delegate^[119]
• Tony Wilt, state delegate^[119]
• Joseph Yost, state delegate^[119]

Local officeholders

• Jessica Abbott, Virginia Beach councilwoman^[120]
• Preston Banks, Manassas Park city councilmember^[122]
• Sheryl Bass, Manassas city councilmember^[122]
• Sam Boone, Chesapeake School Board member^[120]
• Tony Buffington, Loudoun County supervisor^[122]
• David Bushey, Middlesex County sheriff^[123]
• Scott Cameron, Director of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board^[122]
• Thomas Cannella, Poquoson councilman^[120]
• Mike Chapman, Loudoun County sheriff^[122]
• Bill Cleveland, former Alexandria City mayor^[122]
• John Cook, Fairfax County supervisor^[124]
• Trevor Craddock, Craig County sheriff^[125]
• Christie Craig, Chesapeake School Board member^[120]
• Lonnie Craig, Chesapeake councilman^[120]
• David Decatur, Stafford County sheriff^[122]
• Robert Deeds, sheriff of Williamsburg & James City County^[120]
• Willie Deutsch, Prince William County School Board member^[122]
• Danny Diggs, sheriff of Poquoson & York County^[120]
• Bobby Dyer, Virginia Beach councilman^[120]
• Frank Fannon, former Alexandria city councilmember^[122]
• Jim Fisher, Fauquier County Commonwealth's Attorney^[122]
• Dave Foster, former Arlington County School Board member^[122]
• John Frey, Fairfax County Clerk of Court^[122]
• Michael Frey, former Fairfax County scupervisor^[124]
• Chip Harding, Albemarle County sheriff^[122]
• Roger Harris, Spotsylvania County sheriff^[122]
• Pat Herrity, Fairfax County supervisor^[124]
• Geary Higgins, Loudoun County supervisor^[122]
• Glendell Hill, Prince William County sheriff^[122]
• David Hines, Hanover County sheriff^[122]
• Jeanette Hough, Fairfax County School Board member^[122]
• Robert Ike, Chesapeake councilman^[120]
• Milton Johns, former Prince William County School Board chairman^[122]
• Frank Jones, former Manassas Park City mayor^[122]
• Alan Krasnoff, mayor of Chesapeake^[119]
• Colleen Leary, Chesapeake School Board member^[120]
• Karl Leonard, Chesterfield County sheriff^[122]
• Matthew Letourneau, Loudoun County supervisor^[122]
• Ian Lovejoy, Manassas city councilmember^[122]
• Wendy Maurer, Stafford County supervisor^[122]
• Ron Meyer, Loudoun County supervisor^[122]
• Bob Mosier, Fauquier County sheriff^[122]
• John Moss, Virginia Beach councilman^[120]
• Jim O'Sullivan, Chesapeake City sheriff^[122]
• Hal Parrish, mayor of Manassas^[126]
• Jim Plowman, Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney^[122]
• Victoria Proffitt, Chesapeake School Board member^[120]
• Patty Reed, former Fairfax County School Board member^[122]
• Debbie Ritter, Chesapeake councilwoman^[120]
• Sue Sadler, James City County supervisor^[120]
• Elizabeth Schultz, Fairfax County School Board member^[122]
• Will Sessoms, mayor of Virginia Beach^[127]
• Suzanne Sloane, Fauquier County School Board member^[122]
• Gary Snellings, Stafford County supervisor^[122]
• Colin Stolle, Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney^[120]
• Ken Stolle, Virginia Beach City sheriff^[122]
• Steve Stombres, former Fairfax City mayor^[122]
• Louis Tayon, Chesapeake School Board^[120]
• Bob Thomas, Stafford County supervisor^[122]
• Mike Wade, Henrico County sheriff^[122]
• Jonathan Way, former Manassas City vice mayor^[122]
• Rick West, vice mayor of Chesapeake^[120]
• Tom Wilson, Fairfax County School Board member^[122]
• Patrice Winter, former Fairfax city councilmember^[122]
• Pat Woodbury, Newport News councilwoman^[120]
• Sandra Young, James City County School Board member^[120]
• Benny Zhang, Williamsburg councilman^[120]

Party officials and individuals

• Susan Allen, former first lady of Virginia^[126]
• Ward Burton, conservation advocate and Daytona 500 winner^[128]
• Paris Dennard, politician strategist^{[129][full citation needed]}
• Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and Republican nominee in United States Senate election in California, 2010^[130]
• Hugh Hewitt, radio talk show host^[131]
• Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee^[132]
• Avery Pereira, entrepreneur^[133]
• Erich Reimer, financial host, conservative columnist, and television commentator^[134]
• Pete Snyder, entrepreneur^[69]
• Sean Spicer, former White House Press Secretary^[135]
• Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and former candidate^[136]
• Jo Thoburn, chair of the Virginia 10th Congressional District Republican Committee^[111]
• Donald Trump Jr., businessman, television personality and son of President Donald Trump^[137]
• Eric Trump, businessman, television personality and son of President Donald Trump^[138]

Organizations

• Associated Builders and Contractors^[139]
• Bikers for Trump^[136]
• Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions^[140]
• Michigan Republican Party^[141]
• National Federation of Independent Business^[142]
• National Right to Life Committee^[143]
• Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce^[144]
• Virginia Farm Bureau Federation^[145]
• Virginia Fraternal Order of Police^[146]
• Virginia Police Benevolent Association^[103][147]
• Virginia Retailers and Merchants Association^[148]

Newspapers

• Bluefield Daily Telegraph^[149]
• The Daily Progress^[150]
• The Free Lance–Star^[151]
• National Review^[152]
• Richmond Times-Dispatch^[153]
• Sun Gazette^[154]
• The Winchester Star^[155]

Cliff Hyra (L)

Organizations

• Constitution Party of Virginia^[156]

Individuals

• Wes Benedict, Libertarian Party activist and official, author of Introduction to the Libertarian Party^[157]
• Robert Sarvis, attorney, Libertarian nominee for governor in 2013, Libertarian nominee for United States Senate in 2014^[158]
• Bob Shannon, founder of the King William Tea Party^[159]

Ralph Northam (D)

Federal officials

• Joe Biden, 47th vice president of the United States^{[160][161][162]}
• Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States^{[163][164][165]}

U.S. cabinet and U.S. cabinet-level officials

• Hillary Clinton, former United States secretary of state and Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 2016^{[166][167][168]}
• Chris Lu, former United States Deputy Secretary of Labor^[169]

U.S. senators

• Cory Booker, U.S. senator (D-NJ)^[170]
• Al Franken, U.S. senator (D-MN)^[171]
• Kamala Harris, U.S. senator (D-CA)^[172]
• Tim Kaine, U.S. senator (D-VA), former governor, and Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States in 2016^[173]
• Catherine Cortez Masto, U.S. senator (D-NV)^[174]
• Mark Warner, U.S. senator (D-VA) and former governor^[173]

U.S. representatives

• Don Beyer, U.S. representative (D-VA) and former lieutenant governor^[175]
• Keith Ellison, U.S. representative (D-MN) and Deputy Chair of the Democratic National Committee^[170]
• Gabby Giffords, former U.S. representative (D-AZ)^[176]
• Donald McEachin, U.S. representative (D-VA)^[175]
• Bobby Scott, U.S. representative (D-VA)^[175]

U.S. governors

• Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont^[177]
• Terry McAuliffe, governor of Virginia^[173]

Statewide officeholders

• Alison Lundergan Grimes, Secretary of State of Kentucky^[178]
• Mark Herring, Attorney General of Virginia^[173]

Virginia state senators

• George Barker, state senator^[179]
• Rosalyn Dance, state senator^[179]
• Creigh Deeds, state senator, nominee for attorney general in 2005; nominee for governor in 2009^[180]
• Adam Ebbin, state senator^[181]
• John Edwards, state senator^[179]
• Barbara Favola, state senator^[182]
• Janet Howell, state senator^[181]
• Lynwood Lewis, state senator^[179]
• Mamie Locke, state senator^[179]
• Louise Lucas, state senator^[179]
• Granger MacFarlane, former state senator^[183]
• Dave Marsden, state senator^[179]
• Monty Mason, state senator^[179]
• Jennifer McClellan, state senator^[179]
• Jeremy McPike, state senator^[179]
• Chap Petersen, state senator^[182]
• Lionell Spruill, state senator^[179]
• Scott Surovell, state senator^[179]
• Jennifer Wexton, state senator^[179]
• Mary Margaret Whipple, former state senator^[181]

Virginia state delegates

• Lashrecse Aird, state delegate^[179]
• Lamont Bagby, state delegate^[179]
• John Bell, state delegate^[179]
• Jennifer Boysko, state delegate^[179]
• David Bulova, state delegate^[179]
• Betsy Carr, state delegate^[179]
• Richard Cranwell, former majority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates and former chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia^[183]
• Eileen Filler-Corn, state delegate^[179]
• Cliff Hayes Jr, state delegate^[179]
• Steve Heretick, state delegate^[179]
• Charniele Herring, state delegate^[179]
• Daun Hester, state delegate^[179]
• Patrick Hope, state delegate^[181]
• Matthew James, state delegate^[179]
• Mark Keam, state delegate^[182]
• Kaye Kory, state delegate^[179]
• Paul Krizek, state delegate^[179]
• Rob Krupicka, former state delegate^[184]
• Mark Levine, state delegate^[181]
• Joseph Lindsey, state delegate^[179]
• Alfonso Lopez, state delegate^[181]
• Delores McQuinn, state delegate^[179]
• Mike Mullin, state delegate^[179]
• Kathleen Murphy, state delegate^[179]
• Ken Plum, state delegate^[179]
• Marcia Price, state delegate^[179]
• Sam Rasoul, state delegate^[183]
• Dick Saslaw, Minority Leader of the Virginia Senate^[179]
• Mark Sickles, state delegate^[179]
• Marcus Simon, state delegate^[182]
• David Speck, former state delegate and former Alexandria city councilman^[184]
• Rip Sullivan, state delegate^[182]
• Luke Torian, state delegate^[179]
• David Toscano, Minority Leader of the Virginia House of Delegates^[180]
• Roslyn Tyler, state delegate^[179]
• Jeion Ward, state delegate^[179]
• Vivian Watts, state delegate^[179]

Local officeholders

• Tim Allen, Roanoke sheriff^[183]
• Willie Bailey Sr., Alexandria city councilman^[184]
• Wes Bellamy, vice mayor of Charlottesville^[180]
• Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington D.C.^[185]
• James Brown, Charlottesville sheriff^[180]
• John Chapman, Alexandria city councilman^[184]
• Wendy Davis, former Texas state senator; nominee for Governor of Texas in 2014^[186]
• Jane Dittmar, former chair of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors; nominee for VA-05 in 2016^[180]
• Todd Divers, Charlottesville Commissioner of Revenue^[180]
• Kerry Donley, former mayor of Alexandria and former chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia^[184]
• Bill Euille, former mayor of Alexandria^[184]
• Andrew Gillum, mayor of Tallahassee^[187]
• Karen Graf, Alexandria School Board member^[184]
• Nancy Horn, Roanoke County Commissioner of Revenue^[183]
• Dana Lawhorne, Alexandria sheriff^[184]
• Sherman Lea, mayor of Roanoke^[183]
• Tim Lovain, Alexandria city councilman^[184]
• Andria McClellan, Norfolk city councilwoman^[188]
• Steve McGraw, Roanoke County Clerk of Court^[183]
• Del Pepper, Alexandria city councilwoman^[184]
• Bryan Porter, Alexandria Commonwealth Attorney^[184]
• Anita Price, vice mayor of Roanoke^[183]
• Lonnie Rich, former Alexandria city councilman and former chair of the Alexandria Democratic Committee^[184]
• Ed Semonian, Alexandria Clerk of the Court^[184]
• Mike Signer, mayor of Charlottesville^[180]
• Allison Silberberg, mayor of Alexandria^[184]
• Paul Smedberg, Alexandria city councilman and former chair of the Alexandria Democratic Committee^[184]
• Levar Stoney, mayor of Richmond and former secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia^[189]
• Kristin Szakos, Charlottesville city councilwoman^[180]
• David Trinkle, Roanoke city councilman^[183]
• Justin Wilson, vice mayor of Alexandria^[184]

Party officials and individuals

• John W. Douglass, retired Air Force brigadier general, former Assistant Secretary of the Navy; nominee for VA-05 in 2012^[180]
• Joe Fitzgerald, former chair of the Virginia 6th Congressional District Democratic Committee^[183]
• Lori Haas, Virginia State Director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence^[190]
• Mike Hamlar, political activist and 2015 State Senate candidate^[183]
• Dak Hardwick, former chair of the Alexandria Democratic Committee^[184]
• Jaime Harrison, chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party^[191]
• Lisa Hystad, chairwoman of the Virginia 5th Congressional District Democratic Committee^[180]
• Susan Kellom, former chair of the Alexandria Democratic Committee^[184]
• Derek Kitts, nominee for VA-09 in 2016^[183]
• Greg Louganis, former Olympic swimmer and activist^[192]
• Clark Mercer, former chair of the Alexandria Democratic Committee^[184]
• Alyssa Milano, actress and activist^[193]
• Pat Mulloy, Democratic Party of Virginia Central Committee member^[184]
• Bill Ney, chair of the Virginia 6th Congressional District Democratic Committee^[183]
• Patton Oswalt, actor^[194]
• Adam Parkhomenko, political strategist^[195]
• Piper Perabo, actress^[196]
• Charles Price, executive director of the Harrison Museum of African American History^[183]
• Mark Ruffalo, actor^[197]
• Isaac Sarver, chair of the Virginia 9th Congressional District Democratic Committee^[183]
• Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY's List^[198]

Organizations

• American Federation of Teachers^[199]
• American Muslim Women PAC^[200]
• Americans for Responsible Solutions^[199]
• Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence^[199]
• CASA in Action^[199]
• Clean Water Action^[201]
• Coalition to Stop Gun Violence^[202]
• EmgagePAC^[200]
• Equality Virginia^[199]
• Human Rights Campaign^[203]
• Humane Dominion^[204]
• Laborers' International Union of North America^[200]
• LGBT Democrats of Virginia^[199]
• NARAL Pro-Choice America^[205]
• NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia^[205]
• National Black Farmers Association^[200]
• Newton Action Alliance^[199]
• NPE Action^[206]
• Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia^[199][207]
• Pride Fund to End Gun Violence^[199]
• Virginia AFL-CIO^[199]
• Virginia Credit Union League^[199]
• Virginia Education Association^[199]
• Virginia House Democratic Caucus^[200]
• Virginia League of Conservation Voters^[199]
• Virginia National Organization for Women^[199]
• Virginia Professional Fire Fighters^[199]
• Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus^[200]
• Virginia Sierra Club^[199]
• Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance^[200]
• VoteVets.org^[208]

Newspapers

• Daily Press^[209]
• Falls Church News-Press^[210]
• Richmond Free Press^[211]
• The Virginian-Pilot^[212]
• The Washington Post^[213]

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report[214]	Lean D	October 6, 2017
Rothenberg Political Report[215]	Tilt D	October 27, 2017
Sabato's Crystal Ball[216]	Lean D	October 13, 2017

Polling

Polls for the general election varied significantly, ranging from a 17-point lead for Ralph Northam on one end to an 8-point lead for Ed Gillespie on the other, with most polls showing the race within or close to the margin of error. Politico reported that the wide variation in polling numbers was likely due to differences in methodology among the polls.^[217] Polls tightened significantly in the last two weeks of the campaign with several showing the race tied or within the margin of error.^{[218][219][220]}

Aggregate polls

Source of poll aggregation	Dates administered	Dates updated	Ralph Northam (D)	Ed Gillespie (R)	Other/Undecided [a]	Margin
Real Clear Politics[221]	October 29 – November 5, 2017	November 5, 2017	47.7%	44.4%	7.9%	Northam +3.3%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Ralph Northam (D)	Ed Gillespie (R)	Cliff Hyra (L)	Other	Undecided
FOX News[222]	November 2–5, 2017	1,239 LV	± 2.5%	48%	43%	3%	1%	7%
		1,450 RV		45%	41%	3%	1%	9%
The Polling Company (R)[223]	November 2–5, 2017	800	± 3.5%	45%	44%	3%	–	4%
				47%	46%	–	–	4%
Monmouth University[224]	November 2–5, 2017	713	± 3.7%	47%	45%	3%	1%	5%
IMGE Insights (R)[225]	November 1–5, 2017	800	± 3.5%	48%	47%	—	—	—
Change Research[226]	November 1–5, 2017	3,648	± 2.8%	52%	46%	2%	–	0%
Quinnipiac University[227]	October 30 – November 5, 2017	1,056	± 3.9%	51%	42%	3%	–	4%
Emerson College[228]	November 2–4, 2017	810	± 3.4%	49%	46%	1%	–	4%
Christopher Newport University[229]	October 29 – November 4, 2017	839	± 3.5%	51%	45%	2%	–	2%
Rasmussen Reports[230]	October 31 – November 3, 2017	875	± 3.5%	45%	45%	2%	2%	6%
Gravis Marketing[231]	October 30 – November 3, 2017	1,143	± 2.9%	48%	43%	3%	–	6%
0ptimus (R)[232]	November 1–2, 2017	1,600	± 2.4%	37%	40%	–	–	23%
Trafalgar Group (R)[233]	October 31 – November 2, 2017	1,200	± 3.3%	49%	48%	1%	–	2%
The Polling Company (R)[234]	October 30 – November 2, 2017	800	± 3.5%	43%	45%	2%	–	7%
				43%	46%	–	–	7%
Upshot/Siena College[235]	October 29 – November 2, 2017	985	± 3.0%	43%	40%	2%	–	14%
Roanoke College[236]	October 29 – November 2, 2017	781	± 3.5%	47%	47%	3%	–	3%
Suffolk University[237]	October 30 – November 1, 2017	500	± 4.4%	47%	43%	2%	–	6%
Washington Post/Schar School[238]	October 26–29, 2017	921 LV	± 4.0%	49%	44%	4%	–	3%
		1,000 RV	± 3.5%	46%	39%	5%	–	5%
Quinnipiac University[239]	October 25–29, 2017	916	± 4.2%	53%	36%	3%	–	7%
The Polling Company (R)[240]	October 24–26, 2017	600 LV	± 4.0%	44%	44%	3%	–	7%
	October 23–26, 2017	800 LV	± 3.5%	43%	45%	–	–	9%
Christopher Newport University[241]	October 20–25, 2017	812	± 3.8%	50%	43%	3%	–	4%
Plural Vote[242]	October 15–25, 2017	397	± 4.9%	49%	46%	5%	–	–
Hampton University[243]	October 18–22, 2017	750	± 4.2%	33%	41%	–	–	27%
FOX News[244]	October 15–17, 2017	697 LV	± 3.5%	49%	42%	1%	2%	5%
		815 RV	± 3.0%	45%	42%	2%	2%	6%
Quinnipiac University[245]	October 12–17, 2017	1,088	± 3.7%	53%	39%	2%	–	5%
Monmouth University[246]	October 12–16, 2017	408	± 4.9%	47%	48%	3%	–	3%
Christopher Newport University[247]	October 9–13, 2017	642	± 4.2%	48%	44%	3%	–	5%
Roanoke College[248]	October 8–13, 2017	607	± 4.0%	50%	44%	2%	–	4%
Emerson College[249]	October 5–7, 2017	318	± 5.5%	49%	44%	2%	–	5%
Christopher Newport University[250]	October 2–6, 2017	928	± 4.3%	49%	42%	3%	–	6%
Washington Post/Schar School[251]	September 28 – October 2, 2017	720 LV	± 4.5%	53%	40%	4%	–	2%
		1,000 RV	± 3.5%	48%	38%	5%	–	5%
Victoria Research (D)[252]	September 24–28, 2017	631	± 4.2%	46%	44%	3%	–	–
Monmouth University[253]	September 21–25, 2017	499	± 4.4%	49%	44%	2%	<1%	4%
Public Policy Polling[254]	September 21–23, 2017	849	± 3.8%	43%	40%	4%	–	13%
Roanoke College[255]	September 16–23, 2017	596	± 4.0%	47%	43%	5%	–	5%
Christopher Newport University[256]	September 12–22, 2017	776	± 3.7%	47%	41%	4%	–	8%
FOX News[257]	September 17–18, 2017	500 LV	± 4.5%	42%	41%	2%	2%	12%
		507 RV	± 4.0%	42%	38%	2%	2%	13%
Quinnipiac University[258]	September 14–18, 2017	850	± 4.2%	51%	41%	3%	–	5%
IMGE Insights (R)[259]	September 12–18, 2017	1,000	± 3.8%	45%	41%	4%	–	10%
Suffolk University[260]	September 13–17, 2017	500	± 4.4%	42%	42%	3%	–	12%
Mason-Dixon[261]	September 10–15, 2017	625	± 4%	44%	43%	2%	–	11%
University of Mary Washington[262]	September 5–12, 2017	562 LV	± 5.2%	44%	39%	3%	1%	11%
		867 RV	± 4.1%	40%	35%	5%	–	16%
Roanoke College[263]	August 12–19, 2017	599	± 4.0%	43%	36%	4%	–	17%
Quinnipiac University[264]	August 3–8, 2017	1,082	± 3.8%	44%	38%	4%	1%	11%
Virginia Commonwealth University[265]	July 17–25, 2017	538 LV	± 5.1%	42%	37%	6%	–	13%
		707 RV	± 4.5%	39%	33%	8%	–	16%
Monmouth University[266]	July 20–23, 2017	502	± 4.4%	44%	44%	3%	<1%	9%
Quinnipiac University[267]	June 15–20, 2017	1,145	± 3.8%	47%	39%	–	2%	9%
Harper Polling[268]	June 14–16, 2017	500	± 4.4%	46%	46%	–	–	8%
Public Opinion Strategies (R)[269]	June 6–8, 2017	600	± 4.0%	45%	46%	–	–	9%
Washington Post/Schar School[270]	May 9–14, 2017	1,602	± 3.0%	49%	38%	–	–	9%
Quinnipiac University[42]	April 6–10, 2017	1,115	± 2.9%	44%	33%	–	1%	19%
Christopher Newport University[271]	March 16–26, 2017	831	± 3.7%	39%	40%	–	2%	19%
Gravis Marketing[272]	March 14–19, 2017	3,097	± 1.6%	40%	42%	–	–	18%
Quinnipiac University[44]	February 10–15, 2017	989	± 3.1%	41%	35%	–	3%	22%
Mason-Dixon[273]	January 5–10, 2017	625	± 4.0%	41%	44%	–	–	15%
Public Opinion Strategies (R)[274]	December 11–13, 2016	500	± 4.4%	43%	38%	–	–	17%
Quinnipiac University[80]	December 6–11, 2016	1,098	± 3.0%	38%	34%	–	1%	26%
University of Mary Washington[275]	September 6–12, 2016	685 LV	± 4.4%	36%	43%	–	1%	16%
		852 RV	± 3.9%	36%	41%	–	1%	18%
Public Policy Polling[276]	September 9–11, 2016	878	± 3.3%	37%	37%	–	–	26%
Public Policy Polling[277]	June 13–15, 2016	1,032	± 3.1%	36%	37%	–	–	28%
Gravis Marketing[278]	May 24, 2016	1,728	± 2.0%	38%	40%	–	–	22%
University of Mary Washington[275]	November 4–9, 2015	656 LV	± 4.3%	32%	44%	–	1%	16%
		814 RV	± 3.9%	33%	40%	–	1%	18%
Public Policy Polling[46]	July 13–15, 2015	1,170	± 2.9%	30%	40%	–	–	32%

Hypothetical polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Tom Perriello (D)	Ed Gillespie (R)	Other	Undecided
Washington Post/Schar School[279]	May 9–14, 2017	1,602	± 3.0%	50%	37%	–	9%
Quinnipiac University[42]	April 6–10, 2017	1,115	± 2.9%	46%	33%	1%	18%
Christopher Newport University[271]	March 16–26, 2017	831	± 3.7%	39%	39%	2%	20%
Gravis Marketing[280]	March 14–19, 2017	3,097	± 1.6%	42%	41%	–	18%
Quinnipiac University[44]	February 10–15, 2017	989	± 3.1%	43%	36%	1%	20%
Mason-Dixon[273]	January 5–10, 2017	625	± 4.0%	36%	45%	–	19%

with Corey Stewart

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Ralph Northam (D)	Corey Stewart (R)	Other	Undecided
Quinnipiac University[42]	April 6–10, 2017	1,115	± 2.9%	43%	30%	1%	23%
Christopher Newport University[271]	March 16–26, 2017	831	± 3.7%	41%	33%	2%	24%
Quinnipiac University[44]	February 10–15, 2017	989	± 3.1%	42%	31%	2%	24%
Mason-Dixon[273]	January 5–10, 2017	625	± 4.0%	45%	37%	–	18%
Public Opinion Strategies (R)[274]	December 11–13, 2016	500	± 4.4%	42%	35%	–	22%
Quinnipiac University[80]	December 6–11, 2016	1,098	± 3.0%	38%	29%	1%	30%
University of Mary Washington[275]	September 6–12, 2016	685 LV	± 4.4%	39%	39%	1%	18%
		852 RV	± 3.9%	39%	37%	1%	19%
Public Policy Polling[276]	September 9–11, 2016	878	± 3.3%	39%	31%	–	30%
Public Policy Polling[277]	June 13–15, 2016	1,032	± 3.1%	34%	32%	–	34%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Tom Perriello (D)	Corey Stewart (R)	Other	Undecided
Quinnipiac University[42]	April 6–10, 2017	1,115	± 2.9%	45%	31%	1%	20%
Christopher Newport University[271]	March 16–26, 2017	831	± 3.7%	40%	34%	2%	25%
Quinnipiac University[44]	February 10–15, 2017	989	± 3.1%	44%	31%	3%	22%
Mason-Dixon[273]	January 5–10, 2017	625	± 4.0%	40%	38%	–	22%

with Frank Wagner

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Ralph Northam (D)	Frank Wagner (R)	Other	Undecided
Quinnipiac University[42]	April 6–10, 2017	1,115	± 2.9%	43%	30%	1%	24%
Christopher Newport University[271]	March 16–26, 2017	831	± 3.7%	40%	34%	2%	25%
Quinnipiac University[44]	February 10–15, 2017	989	± 3.1%	41%	33%	3%	24%
Public Opinion Strategies (R)[274]	December 11–13, 2016	500	± 4.4%	43%	37%	–	19%
Quinnipiac University[80]	December 6–11, 2016	1,098	± 3.0%	39%	30%	1%	28%
University of Mary Washington[275]	September 6–12, 2016	685 LV	± 4.4%	39%	40%	1%	17%
		852 RV	± 3.9%	39%	39%	1%	18%
Public Policy Polling[276]	September 9–11, 2016	878	± 3.3%	37%	32%	–	32%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Tom Perriello (D)	Frank Wagner (R)	Other	Undecided
Quinnipiac University[42]	April 6–10, 2017	1,115	± 2.9%	43%	32%	1%	21%
Christopher Newport University[271]	March 16–26, 2017	831	± 3.7%	38%	35%	2%	25%
Quinnipiac University[44]	February 10–15, 2017	989	± 3.1%	43%	32%	2%	23%

with Denver Riggleman

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Ralph Northam (D)	Denver Riggleman (R)	Other	Undecided
Quinnipiac University[44]	February 10–15, 2017	989	± 3.1%	42%	31%	2%	25%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Tom Perriello (D)	Denver Riggleman (R)	Other	Undecided
Quinnipiac University[44]	February 10–15, 2017	989	± 3.1%	43%	30%	2%	24%

with Rob Wittman

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Ralph Northam (D)	Rob Wittman (R)	Other	Undecided
Quinnipiac University[80]	December 6–11, 2016	1,098	± 3.0%	39%	30%	1%	29%
University of Mary Washington[275]	September 6–12, 2016	685 LV	± 4.4%	38%	38%	1%	18%
		852 RV	± 3.9%	39%	37%	1%	19%
Public Policy Polling[276]	September 9–11, 2016	878	± 3.3%	38%	33%	–	29%
Public Policy Polling[277]	June 13–15, 2016	1,032	± 3.1%	34%	34%	–	32%

with Ken Cuccinelli

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Ralph Northam (D)	Ken Cuccinelli (R)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[46]	July 13–15, 2015	1,170	± 2.9%	35%	37%	–	28%

with Eric Cantor

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Ralph Northam (D)	Eric Cantor (R)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[46]	July 13–15, 2015	1,170	± 2.9%	33%	35%	–	32%

with Mark Herring

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Mark Herring (D)	Eric Cantor (R)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[46]	July 13–15, 2015	1,170	± 2.9%	36%	33%	–	31%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Mark Herring (D)	Ken Cuccinelli (R)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[46]	July 13–15, 2015	1,170	± 2.9%	38%	38%	–	24%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Mark Herring (D)	Ed Gillespie (R)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[46]	July 13–15, 2015	1,170	± 2.9%	34%	38%	–	28%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Mark Herring (D)	Mark Obenshain (R)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[46]	July 13–15, 2015	1,170	± 2.9%	34%	34%	–	31%

with Ralph Northam

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Ralph Northam (D)	Mark Obenshain (R)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[46]	July 13–15, 2015	1,170	± 2.9%	32%	36%	–	32%

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of November 30, 2017
Candidate	Amount raised
Ralph Northam	$36,708,929
Ed Gillespie	$29,344,226
Cliff Hyra	$77,370
Source: Virginia Public Access Project[281]

Virginia election laws allow for unlimited campaign contributions in state and local elections.

According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Northam's top five donors were the Democratic Governors Association's super PAC DGA Action; Michael Bloomberg's Everytown for Gun Safety group; the Virginia League of Conservation Voters; Michael D. Bills; and the Laborers' International Union of North America.^[282]

Gillespie's top five donors were the Republican Governors Association; A Stronger Virginia; Let's Grow Virginia; Marlene Ricketts; and Dwight Schar.^[283]

Hyra's top five donors were Michael Chastain; Hyra himself; the Libertarian Party of Virginia; Paradise Indian Restaurant; and nine donors who gave the same amount.^[284]

Results

Even though polls in the weeks before the election considered Northam to be the narrow favorite, Northam won by a larger margin than expected, about nine percent, and more than 200,000 votes. Gillespie was unable to come back from the large margins in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. and Virginia Beach, and he conceded to Northam at 8:56 pm EST.^[285] Northam's wider than expected margin of victory has often been attributed to Trump's unpopularity in Virginia.

2017 Virginia gubernatorial election^[286]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Ralph Northam	1,409,175	53.90%	+6.15%
	Republican	Ed Gillespie	1,175,731	44.97%	−0.26%
	Libertarian	Cliff Hyra	27,987	1.07%	−5.45%
	Write-in		1,389	0.05%	-0.44%
Total votes			2,614,282	100.00%	N/A
	Democratic hold

By county and city

County[286]	Northam	Votes	Gillespie	Votes	Hyra	Votes	Others	Votes
Accomack	45.7%	4,876	53.7%	5,736	0.5%	54	0.0%	0
Albemarle	63.8%	26,969	35.1%	14,857	1.1%	458	0.1%	24
Alexandria	78.4%	40,896	20.7%	10,822	0.8%	434	0.1%	37
Alleghany	33.6%	1,478	65.6%	2,888	0.8%	36	0.0%	1
Amelia	30.4%	1,403	68.7%	3,170	0.9%	40	0.0%	1
Amherst	35.7%	3,616	63.5%	6,431	0.8%	83	0.1%	14
Appomattox	23.7%	1,227	75.3%	3,894	1.0%	50	0.0%	1
Arlington	79.9%	68,093	19.1%	16,268	0.9%	801	0.1%	52
Augusta	25.6%	6,030	73.0%	17,217	1.3%	311	0.1%	16
Bath	30.4%	450	68.4%	1,013	1.1%	16	0.2%	3
Bedford	25.1%	6,985	74.0%	20,573	0.9%	243	0.0%	6
Bland	18.6%	388	80.4%	1,676	1.0%	20	0.0%	1
Botetourt	27.3%	3,409	71.7%	8,965	1.0%	122	0.0%	6
Bristol	28.9%	1,242	70.0%	3,006	1.0%	43	0.1%	3
Brunswick	57.3%	2,728	42.3%	2,010	0.4%	19	0.0%	0
Buchanan	23.4%	1,062	75.9%	3,449	0.6%	28	0.1%	3
Buckingham	41.8%	1,924	57.3%	2,638	0.8%	36	0.1%	4
Buena Vista	32.0%	529	65.9%	1,090	2.0%	33	0.2%	3
Campbell	25.4%	4,415	73.6%	12,791	0.9%	156	0.1%	11
Caroline	49.4%	4,126	49.5%	4,135	1.1%	96	0.0%	3
Carroll	22.2%	1,838	76.9%	6,363	0.9%	74	0.0%	2
Charles City	62.6%	1,699	36.8%	1,000	0.6%	17	0.0%	0
Charlotte	35.4%	1,419	63.8%	2,559	0.8%	31	0.1%	5
Charlottesville	84.8%	13,943	14.1%	2,315	1.0%	172	0.1%	18
Chesapeake	53.1%	38,459	45.7%	33,108	1.2%	849	0.0%	31
Chesterfield	49.7%	58,991	49.1%	58,297	1.1%	1,323	0.0%	58
Clarke	43.1%	2,400	55.7%	3,102	1.2%	65	0.1%	5
Colonial Heights	26.9%	1,389	71.8%	3,710	1.2%	63	0.0%	2
Covington	40.6%	545	58.4%	784	0.9%	12	0.1%	1
Craig	22.4%	413	75.9%	1,398	1.5%	28	0.1%	2
Culpeper	36.7%	4,990	62.0%	8,423	1.2%	162	0.1%	12
Cumberland	41.2%	1,292	57.7%	1,810	1.1%	33	0.0%	0
Danville	57.2%	6,304	42.3%	4,664	0.5%	53	0.1%	7
Dickenson	27.8%	959	71.3%	2,458	0.7%	25	0.1%	3
Dinwiddie	44.5%	3,712	54.8%	4,565	0.7%	56	0.0%	2
Emporia	55.7%	909	43.0%	702	1.3%	22	0.0%	0
Essex	46.5%	1,730	52.7%	1,963	0.7%	26	0.1%	4
Fairfax County	67.9%	255,200	31.2%	117,141	0.9%	3,423	0.1%	240
Fairfax	64.8%	5,380	34.0%	2,822	1.1%	92	0.1%	6
Falls Church	79.0%	4,781	19.7%	1,195	1.3%	76	0.0%	2
Fauquier	39.2%	9,430	59.6%	14,332	1.1%	270	0.0%	7
Floyd	35.4%	1,946	63.2%	3,468	1.3%	72	0.1%	5
Fluvanna	46.3%	4,267	52.7%	4,864	1.0%	89	0.1%	5
Franklin County	30.2%	5,315	68.6%	12,062	1.1%	201	0.1%	10
Franklin	60.2%	1,539	39.2%	1,002	0.6%	15	0.0%	0
Frederick	34.4%	8,363	64.4%	15,656	1.1%	278	0.1%	18
Fredericksburg	64.4%	4,649	34.1%	2,463	1.5%	107	0.0%	2
Galax	30.2%	409	68.6%	930	1.0%	13	0.2%	3
Giles	27.5%	1,604	71.3%	4,161	1.1%	66	0.1%	3
Gloucester	34.4%	4,356	64.5%	8,159	1.1%	140	0.0%	4
Goochland	37.1%	3,911	61.9%	6,520	1.0%	104	0.1%	6
Grayson	22.7%	1,029	76.7%	3,478	0.6%	28	0.0%	2
Greene	35.2%	2,219	63.4%	4,000	1.4%	86	0.1%	4
Greensville	56.8%	1,643	42.6%	1,232	0.6%	18	0.0%	0
Halifax	38.8%	4,037	60.4%	6,291	0.8%	79	0.1%	7
Hampton	71.6%	28,906	27.4%	11,050	1.0%	399	0.1%	29
Hanover	34.2%	14,755	64.4%	27,779	1.4%	599	0.1%	24
Harrisonburg	63.6%	6,555	34.9%	3,596	1.5%	154	0.1%	7
Henrico	60.8%	69,969	38.0%	43,747	1.1%	1,268	0.0%	53
Henry	34.8%	4,895	64.4%	9,046	0.8%	113	0.0%	3
Highland	30.7%	317	67.6%	699	1.7%	18	0.0%	0
Hopewell	50.0%	2,728	48.4%	2,641	1.5%	81	0.2%	9
Isle of Wight	42.2%	5,957	56.9%	8,039	0.9%	124	0.0%	3
James City	48.9%	15,561	50.1%	15,937	0.9%	290	0.0%	13
King and Queen	42.0%	1,039	56.8%	1,404	1.1%	28	0.0%	1
King George	37.2%	2,658	61.5%	4,396	1.3%	90	0.1%	5
King William	33.7%	2,017	65.1%	3,889	1.1%	65	0.1%	6
Lancaster	43.6%	2,098	55.7%	2,680	0.6%	27	0.1%	3
Lee	19.5%	1,304	79.2%	5,289	1.2%	82	0.0%	3
Lexington	66.5%	1,161	32.7%	572	0.7%	13	0.1%	1
Loudoun	59.4%	69,778	39.5%	46,396	1.1%	1,258	0.0%	54
Louisa	38.0%	4,481	60.6%	7,153	1.4%	163	0.1%	6
Lunenburg	40.2%	1,468	59.1%	2,158	0.6%	23	0.0%	1
Lynchburg	47.2%	10,047	51.4%	10,959	1.3%	284	0.1%	17
Madison	36.3%	1,789	62.5%	3,082	1.2%	59	0.0%	1
Manassas	56.9%	5,295	41.9%	3,899	1.2%	112	0.1%	6
Manassas Park	63.7%	1,958	34.6%	1,064	1.7%	53	0.0%	1
Martinsville	58.6%	2,187	39.9%	1,489	1.5%	57	0.1%	2
Mathews	35.1%	1,386	64.1%	2,531	0.8%	31	0.1%	2
Mecklenburg	39.7%	3,399	59.9%	5,125	0.4%	37	0.0%	0
Middlesex	37.2%	1,606	61.9%	2,673	0.9%	41	0.0%	0
Montgomery	53.7%	15,115	44.4%	12,500	1.8%	499	0.1%	19
Nelson	48.8%	3,015	48.9%	3,020	2.1%	130	0.1%	9
New Kent	31.9%	2,729	66.8%	5,711	1.3%	108	0.0%	4
Newport News	64.7%	30,367	34.0%	15,986	1.2%	576	0.1%	35
Norfolk	73.5%	39,453	25.1%	13,490	1.3%	676	0.1%	51
Northampton	56.9%	2,492	42.4%	1,855	0.6%	28	0.1%	3
Northumberland	37.8%	2,022	61.5%	3,285	0.7%	35	0.1%	3
Norton	33.4%	287	65.2%	561	1.3%	11	0.1%	1
Nottoway	42.6%	1,812	56.7%	2,408	0.7%	30	0.0%	0
Orange	38.1%	4,160	61.0%	6,653	0.9%	97	0.0%	5
Page	26.9%	1,809	72.1%	4,850	0.9%	62	0.1%	5
Patrick	22.4%	1,259	76.7%	4,320	1.0%	54	0.0%	0
Petersburg	87.7%	7,164	11.5%	938	0.7%	56	0.1%	9
Pittsylvania	29.4%	5,759	70.0%	13,701	0.6%	109	0.0%	4
Poquoson	26.9%	1,298	71.9%	3,473	1.2%	56	0.1%	3
Portsmouth	70.2%	20,156	28.4%	8,167	1.3%	369	0.1%	18
Powhatan	27.0%	3,109	71.8%	8,256	1.2%	137	0.0%	4
Prince Edward	51.0%	2,881	47.9%	2,708	1.1%	63	0.0%	2
Prince George	40.3%	4,150	58.6%	6,044	1.0%	108	0.0%	4
Prince William	61.1%	74,932	37.8%	46,454	1.0%	1,247	0.1%	99
Pulaski	30.0%	3,533	68.6%	8,081	1.4%	160	0.0%	5
Radford	54.9%	2,163	43.3%	1,707	1.6%	65	0.1%	5
Rappahannock	45.3%	1,488	53.9%	1,772	0.8%	25	0.1%	2
Richmond County	36.9%	876	62.4%	1,479	0.6%	14	0.1%	2
Richmond	81.5%	58,047	17.2%	12,262	1.3%	905	0.1%	47
Roanoke County	37.5%	12,650	61.2%	20,648	1.2%	408	0.1%	24
Roanoke	62.0%	15,099	36.5%	8,890	1.4%	337	0.1%	18
Rockbridge	37.5%	2,974	61.4%	4,873	1.0%	77	0.1%	9
Rockingham	27.9%	7,061	70.8%	17,880	1.3%	322	0.0%	7
Russell	22.4%	1,506	76.7%	5,144	0.9%	60	0.0%	1
Salem	38.2%	3,134	60.3%	4,946	1.4%	113	0.0%	3
Scott	17.7%	1,089	81.4%	4,997	0.8%	51	0.0%	2
Shenandoah	29.5%	3,932	69.2%	9,220	1.2%	157	0.0%	6
Smyth	22.0%	1,747	76.9%	6,107	1.0%	78	0.1%	7
Southampton	41.1%	2,529	57.9%	3,564	1.0%	60	0.0%	2
Spotsylvania	43.1%	15,869	55.7%	20,481	1.2%	426	0.1%	22
Stafford	46.8%	19,011	52.0%	21,123	1.2%	489	0.1%	21
Staunton	53.3%	4,047	44.9%	3,406	1.7%	132	0.1%	4
Suffolk	58.3%	16,621	40.7%	11,623	1.0%	278	0.0%	10
Surry	56.0%	1,658	42.9%	1,268	1.1%	32	0.0%	1
Sussex	55.7%	1,829	43.5%	1,429	0.8%	25	0.0%	1
Tazewell	16.4%	1,657	82.9%	8,373	0.6%	57	0.1%	9
Virginia Beach	51.9%	66,442	46.9%	60,073	1.2%	1,541	0.1%	82
Warren	34.0%	3,531	64.7%	6,711	1.2%	127	0.0%	4
Washington	24.4%	4,003	74.7%	12,247	0.9%	148	0.0%	6
Waynesboro	45.0%	2,653	53.3%	3,144	1.6%	97	0.0%	1
Westmoreland	45.6%	2,442	53.5%	2,865	1.0%	51	0.0%	2
Williamsburg	70.6%	3,725	28.3%	1,492	1.0%	54	0.0%	2
Winchester	53.7%	3,569	44.7%	2,969	1.6%	107	0.0%	3
Wise	22.1%	1,910	76.8%	6,630	1.0%	84	0.0%	4
Wythe	24.8%	2,114	74.2%	6,321	0.8%	71	0.1%	8
York	43.7%	10,068	55.1%	12,708	1.2%	269	0.1%	15

Counties and independent cities that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Caroline (largest town: Bowling Green)
• Covington (independent city)
• Nelson (largest community: Nellysford)

Counties and independent cities that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Chesterfield (no municipalities)
• Virginia Beach (independent city)
• Winchester (independent city)

By congressional district

Northam won six of 11 congressional districts, including two that were held by Republicans.^[287]

District	Northam	Gillespie	Representative
1st	44.6%	54.2%	Rob Wittman
2nd	51.4%	47.4%	Scott Taylor
3rd	67.9%	30.9%	Bobby Scott
4th	61.6%	37.3%	Donald McEachin
5th	45.1%	53.9%	Tom Garrett
6th	38.5%	60.2%	Bob Goodlatte
7th	47.6%	51.2%	Dave Brat
8th	75.9%	23.1%	Don Beyer
9th	31.2%	67.7%	Morgan Griffith
10th	55.6%	43.3%	Barbara Comstock
11th	69.9%	29.0%	Gerry Connolly

See also

• 2017 United States gubernatorial elections
• Governors of Virginia
• 2017 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election
• 2017 Virginia Attorney General election
• 2017 Virginia House of Delegates election

Notes

1. Calculated by taking the difference of 100% and all other candidates combined.