Governor

With Ralph Northam unable to run for a second term due to the Virginia Constitution, a growing field of Democrats and Republicans are seeking to take the Governor’s Mansion next year.

Democratic Primary

Running:

Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax: Fairfax is an attorney who previously ran for Attorney General in the 2013 Democratic Primary before going on to win election alongside Governor Northam in 2017. As Lt. Governor, Fairfax became the second Black man to win statewide office in Virginia. Before running for office, Fairfax served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and as Deputy Coordinator of the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force. He has also served as a member of the Columbia Law Review and the Duke University Board of Trustees. Fairfax’s term as Lt. Governor has been controversial due to two allegations of sexual assault against him.

Learn more about Fairfax at: https://justinfairfax.com/

Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy: Carroll Foy is running in an attempt to become the first Black woman governor in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation at large. A life-long resident of the Commonwealth, Carroll Foy is a graduate of Virginia Military Institute. She later earned her law degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law and began her career as a public defender. Carroll Foy was elected to serve the 2nd District in the Virginia House of Delegates in 2017, and she has focused on her time in the General Assembly on labor, environmental, and women’s issues. She introduced the measures that led Virginia to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Through her advocacy for systemic change and anti-racist policies, Carroll Foy has positioned herself as the leading progressive in the race.

Learn more about Carroll Foy at: https://jennifercarrollfoy.com/

State Senator Jennifer McClellan: McClellan announced her bid to become America’s first Black woman governor shortly after Delegate Carroll Foy. McClellan has served in the General Assembly since 2006 when she was first elected to the House of Delegates to serve the 71st District. In 2017, she was elected to the Virginia Senate in a special election after Rep. Donald McEachin vacated the seat after being elected to Congress. McClellan serves as Vice Chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, and she has focused primarily on family issues and combatting discrimination during her time in Richmond. Outside of her work in Richmond, she works as regulatory counsel for Verizon.

Learn more about McClellan at: https://www.jennifermcclellan.com/

Exploring Running:

Fmr. Governor Terry McAuliffe: Having stated that he will not be seeking a position in the Biden Administration, McAulliffe looks to be eager to try to take his seat back. McAuliffe, a close ally of the Clintons, served as Governor from 2014 until 2018. During that time, he also served as Chair of the National Governors Association. He also served as Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005. McAuliffe was the first Virginia Governor to support same-sex marriage. Like the previous four candidates, McAuliffe is also a lawyer; he received his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. He has already filed paperwork for a gubernatorial campaign in 2021.

Learn more about McAuliffe at: https://www.terrymcauliffe.com/

Delegate Lee Carter: Carter, the only self-described socialist elected to the General Assembly, has hinted on Twitter that he is exploring a run for governor and that he “believes there is a path to victory”. Carter, who was first elected to serve the 50th District in 2017, won his seat against House Majority Whip Jackson Miller. Carter has become a polarizing figure in Virginia politics with the Virginia GOP having called for his resignation. Carter is a former marine and an IT specialist.

Learn more about Carter at: https://www.carterforvirginia.com/

Republican Primary

Running:

State Senator Amanda Chase: The first major Republican candidate to announce, Chase’s agenda is considered radical even by her own party. A candidate that The Washington Post has described as “Trumpian”, Chase is known for her defense of white supremacist ideals and her habit of bring firearms to the Capitol. Chase’s platform lined out on her website is centered around supporting businesses, limited government, healthcare, and education. She has served in the Virginia Senate since 2016, representing the 11th District. Chase has been called “idiotic” by leadership in her own party because of her comments regarding Confederate Monuments. 

The PW Perspective has elected not to link to Chase’s website due to her brand of politics.

Delegate Kirk Cox: Cox, a retired public school teacher who previously served as Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates when Republicans held the majority, announced his candidacy for Governor just last week. Having served in the General Assembly for three decades, Cox is running to combat “one-party control” in Richmond. He served as Speaker of the House from 2018 to 2020, and before that, he served as Majority Leader from 2010 to 2018. Cox worked as a public school teacher for 30 years. Among his accomplishments as Delegate, he lists cutting taxes, eliminating state funding for Planned Parenthood, and fighting against gun control. Cox has yet to unveil his platform for his gubernatorial run.

Learn more about Cox at: https://kirkcox.com/

Kurt Santini: Santini’s website describes him as “not a career politician”. A resident of Forest, VA, Santini is an army veteran who was injured during a training exercise. Santini supports smaller government, increased funding for education, lower taxes, and ending tax-payer funded healthcare for government employees. 

Learn more about Santini at: https://www.santiniforva.com/

Merle Rutledge, Jr.: Rutledge’s website offers little information about his background. He is running on a platform that includes: adopting a “State Recognized Gun”; cutting Democratic red tape that paralyze businesses; uranium mining; and term limits.

Learn more about Rutledge at: http://www.rutledgeforvagovernor.com/

Exploring Running:

Representative Denver Riggleman: Riggleman, who currently serves Virginia’s 5th District in the United States House of Representatives was elected in 2019. Despite being endorsed by President Donald Trump, he lost his seat to Supervisor Bob Good in a drive-thru convention after officiating a gay wedding. An Air Force veteran and businessman, Riggleman touts a background in national security and economics. His term will end in 2021. Riggleman has suggested that he may run for Governor in 2021, but it is unclear whether he intends to run as a Republican or an independent candidate. Riggleman has formed an exploratory committee.

Learn more about Riggleman at: https://denverforcongress.com/

Attorney General

Incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring initially announced that he would not be seeking reelection and would instead be running for Governor. Herring has since withdrawn from the gubernatorial race and reentered the Attorney General race.

Democratic Primary

Running:

Attorney General Mark Herring: Herring, who initially announced his intentions to run for governor, withdrew from the gubernatorial race in order to run for reelection to his own seat. Having served as Attorney General since 2014, Herring is often considered Virginia’s most progressive Attorney General. During his tenure, he has focused on gun regulation, environmental reform, and civil rights. Herring received his law degree from the University of Richmond. Before serving as Attorney General, Herring served as a state senator for the 33rd District.

Learn more about Herring at: https://herringforag.com/

Delegate Jay Jones: Jones has represented the 89th District in the House of Delegates since 2018. When he was growing up, his father, Delegate Jerrauld Jones, represented the same district. A lawyer, Jones’s priorities in the General Assembly have been focused on criminal justice reform. He has also pushed for expanding Medicaid, raising the minimum wage, and he fought for the state to adopt the “Ashanti Alert”, which established a missing person alert for adults. Jones comes from a long line of Black community leaders in Virginia. If elected, Jones would be Virginia’s first Black Attorney General. He has been endorsed by former presidential candidate Senator Cory Booker.

Learn more about Jones at: https://jayjones.com/ 

Republican Primary

Chuck Smith: Smith previously ran for Attorney General in 2017, though he failed to qualify for the ballot. He was also the 2010 Republican nominee for Congress in VA03. Smith is also a veteran, has practiced law for more than 40 years, according to his website, and is the Fmr. Chairman of the Virginia Beach Republican Committee. He earned his law degree at North Carolina Central University. Smith’s platform is centered around protecting Second Amendment rights, restoring the “winning tradition” of the Republican Party, and reviewing the laws passed during the 2020 legislative session. If elected, Smith would be Virginia’s first Black Attorney General.

Learn more about Smith at: https://www.chucksmith4ag.com/

Lieutenant Governor

Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax is eligible for a second term, however, he has decided to vacate his seat and run for Governor instead. This leaves the Lt. Governor’s race open and competitive.

Democratic Primary:

Delegate Hala Ayala: Ayala is a lifelong Virginian and resident of Prince William County for over 35 years currently representing Virginia’s 51 House District in the General Assembly. As a Cyber Security Specialist, Ayala has dedicated her life to the safety and security of her community and country. As a women’s rights advocate, Ayala has served as the Vice President of the Virginia Chapter of the National Organization of Women (NOW) and is the founder of NOW’s local chapter serving the Prince William County area. In addition, Ayala has previously served on Governor McAuliffe’s Council of Women and as the PTA President of her son’s public school. If elected, Ayala would be the first Latina, first Black woman, and first person of Lebanese descent elected to statewide office in Virginia.

Learn more about Ayala at: https://www.ayalafordelegate.com/

Delegate Elizabeth Guzman: As a social worker, public administrator, and one of the first Latinas ever elected of the Virginia House of Delegates, she has represented the 31st-District since 2018. Guzman, a second-generation child of a union father, has fought for progressive priorities during her time in the legislature, including passing a bill that gave teachers across the Commonwealth a raise; held corporate polluters accountable, and helped make Medicaid Expansion a reality for working families. If elected, Guzman would be the first Latina elected to statewide office in Virginia.

Learn more about Guzman at: https://www.elizabethguzmanforvirginia.com/

Delegate Sam Rasoul: The son of Palestinian immigrants, Rasoul grew up in Roanoke Valley and has represented Virginia’s 11th-District in the General Assembly since 2014. As the first Muslim candidate ever elected to the state legislature, Rasoul’s progressive outlook has made him a powerful force in the movement for climate equity across our Commonwealth. Notably, Rasoul has long-sought to reject special interest PAC donations and is the founder of the Impact Center initiative which aims to cultivate young political leaders. Rasoul seeks to champion a new approach to politics through his 2017 Democratic Promise Initiative which enables volunteers to work directly with their communities to help neighbors in need. If elected, Rasoul would be the first Muslim candidate elected to statewide office in the Commonwealth.

Learn more about Rasoul at: https://www.sam4va.com/meet-sam

Paul Goldman: Goldman, a former chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party from 1990-1993, seeks to bring his broad swath of political acumen to Richmond. Notably, Goldman was a former law partner with Senator Joe Morrissey; worked to elect L. Douglas Wilder (the nation’s first Black governor) elected in 1989; and also served as campaign manager for Henry Howell who served as Virginia’s Lieutenant governor from 1971-1974. In addition, Goldman aided in rewriting Richmond’s City Charter to successfully bring back the “elected-mayor” form of government in 2003 and led the effort to pass a ballot referendum to require Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney to craft a plan to modernize Richmond Public School facilities without raising taxes. As reported in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on May 15th, Goldman states that he will not accept any corporate donations in his bid for statewide office next year.

*No formal candidate website exists for Goldman at this time.

Sean Perryman: First moving to Virginia as an elementary school student, Perryman became the first member of his immediate family to graduate college through working numerous part-time jobs to graduate debt-free. Perryman would eventually go on to earn himself a law degree from Vanderbilt University, where he would successfully advocate for legislation against human trafficking in the state of Tennessee.

As the youngest president in the 102-year history of the Fairfax County NAACP (Virginia’s largest chapter), Perryman was active in addressing the issues of systemic racism with Virginia Public Schools, most notably leading the effort to successfully rename Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, Virginia to John R. Lewis High School. As a well-known activist across the Commonwealth, Perryman had led the charge on addressing the Commonwealth’s “school-to-prison pipeline”, as well as championing affordable housing and worker protections during the COVID-19 pandemic. He seeks to bring an activist’s perspective to Richmond with his bid for statewide office in 2021.

Learn more about Perryman at: https://perrymanforvirginia.com/

Xavier Warren: Hailing from Arlington, Virginia, Warren grew up in Danville and attended Hampton University before earning a master’s degree from Georgetown University.  Warren maintains a career as a sports agent and serves the NFL Players Association as a contract advisor. Warren is also an active partner with “Congressional Partners”, a bipartisan organization that seeks to provide assistance to nonprofits and corporations in securing federal grants. Through his non-profit, Warren reports that helped secure 3.9 million for student support services pertaining to low-income and first-generation students, and $300,000 for recovery services for victims of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, he seeks to take his long-time business acumen with him to Richmond. As reported in Arlington Now on October 23rd, Warren stated that the reasons he decided to run include his goals to: “focus on jobs, support small businesses and workers, and helping every Virginian have a job with a livable wage.”

Learn more about Warren at: http://xavierwarrenforlg.com/

Republican Primary

Delegate Glenn Davis: Launching his entrepreneurial career from a one-bedroom apartment in Virginia Beach, Davis’ telecommunications management firm quickly rose through the ranks to a position of national prominence, garnering numerous awards in addition to being named by the Inc. 5000 as one of the 100 fastest growing IT companies in America. Holding over 19 years of experience as an accomplished entrepreneur and business executive, Davis’s political career is well-vested. Prior to serving the 84th District in the House of Delegates, Davis served two terms on the Virginia Beach City Council, in 2008 and 2012 respectively. Davis prides himself as a leader on the issues of affordable healthcare and patient’s rights across the Commonwealth, helping write the Medicaid expansion and reform legislation of 2014, and supporting it until it finally passed in the 2018 General Assembly session.

Learn more about Davis at: https://www.glennrdavis.com/

Delegate Tim Hugo: A native of Virginia Beach and a graduate of the College of William and Mary, Hugo made the decision at age 27 to quit his job and enlist in the United States Army at the height of Operation Desert Storm. Hugo’s 30 years of public service took him from the Pentagon, to the halls of Congress (where he served as a staffer), and to the Virginia General Assembly, where he has represented the 40th District since 2002. Describing himself as a “consistent conservative”, Hugo sponsored and passed a $500 million tax cut in 2019. As a champion of the “pro-life” cause and the Second Amendment, he seeks to: “position Virginia for a 21st Century economy, bring about strong economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, hold the line on additional tax increases, and stand up for the men and women in law enforcement” as Lieutenant Governor.

Learn more about Hugo at: https://timhugo.com/

Puneet Ahluwalia: Championing a message of “hope, growth, and opportunity” according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch on September 28th, Ahluwalia, 55, is a Northern Virginia business consultant hailing from India with a background in client acquisition, marketing, and strategic affairs. He is a managing partner at New World Strategies and a consultant with The Livingston Group. Ahluwalia currently serves as chairman of the Proud American Political Action Committee and is an active participant in the Northern Virginia Republican Business Forum. As a person of color seeking the Republican nomination, he expressed that he can “sympathize with those who are frustrated and angry about race in this country”  while lambasting progressives for trapping minorities in “dependence and hopelessness”. He also remarked that Virginia needs to “support it’s hard-working and courageous police, protect 2nd Amendment rights, and stand up for law and order”.

Learn more about Ahluwalia at: https://www.puneetforlg.com

Lance Allen: Growing up in a troubled home, Allen tragically lost his father at the age of six, and spent most of his childhood in and out of foster homes. Shortly after graduating high school, Allen enlisted in the United States Air Force, eventually going on to earn a Masters Degree in Business Administration and a Masters Degree pertaining to Science of Strategic Intelligence. Residing in Fauquier, Allen continues to serve our nation as the Director of Strategic Engagement at a large national security firm in the Northern Virginia area. He is running for Lieutenant Governor to “defend gun rights”; “protect the unborn”; “keep Virginians safe” by “keeping violent criminals in jail”; and to “lower taxes and cut regulations”. 

Learn more about Allen at: https://lanceforva.com/