Many candidates are vying for governor of Virginia and other statewide offices

Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (right) celebrates his 2013 victory with Sen. Tim Kaine and Gov. Ralph Northam, who was then elected lieutenant governor. McAuliffe is running again in 2021.

There’s a crowded field of candidates seeking their party’s nomination for statewide offices in Virginia. Voters will select a governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general on Nov. 2, 2021. 

Candidates for governor range from ardent Trump supporter Amanda Chase to self-proclaimed socialist Lee Carter. 

The Democrats are expected to hold a primary, tentatively scheduled for June 8. The Republicans will choose their candidate at a convention. 

Here are the candidates so far:

Republican candidates for governor

Amanda Chase – Represents the 11th District (Amelia County) in the Virginia Senate since 2016. Chase previously announced plans to run as an independent, then switched gears a few days later saying she will seek the Republican nomination. 

Amanda Chase [Bryan Scrafford]

Chase, one of Trump’s biggest advocates, charges Trump lost the election because of widespread voter fraud and wrote on Facebook Dec. 16 that the president should “declare martial law” to oversee an election do-over. 

A strong supporter of gun rights, Chase often carries a gun on her person and campaigns heavily at gun shows and at rallies against restrictions during the pandemic. 

Kirk Cox – A retired high school civics teacher, Cox has represented the 66th District (Colonial Heights) in the House of Delegates since 1989. He was elected speaker of the house in January 2018 but had to relinquish that position after the Republicans lost their majority in the 2019 election. 

Cox called Chase’s call for martial law to overturn the 2020 presidential election results “absurd and dangerous,” although he hasn’t acknowledged that Biden won. 

Cox is also a strong advocate for gun rights. As speaker, he shut down a special session called by Gov. Ralph Northam to address gun violence after the Virginia Beach shooting. On his website, Cox says he’s running for governor “to fight back against liberal overreach.” 

Democratic candidates for governor

Lee Carter – Elected to the House of Delegates in 2017, representing the 50th District (Prince William County). A Marine veteran, Carter is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. He is the only candidate who opposed the multibillion-dollar Amazon deal. 

Justin Fairfax – Lieutenant governor of Virginia since 2018. An attorney and Annandale resident, Fairfax narrowly lost a primary election for Virginia attorney general in 2013.

 After being elected lieutenant governor, he rebuffed calls to resign following two accusations of sexual assault stemming from his time in college. Fairfax says the incidents were consensual and that the allegations were politically motivated to force him to resign. 

Jennifer Carroll Foy

Jennifer Carroll Foy – Represented the 2nd District (Prince William County) in the House of Delegates since 2018. Foy was one of the first African-American women to graduate from VMI. 

Terry McAuliffe – Former governor of Virginia, 2014-19. Former chair of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and former chair of the Democratic National Committee. 

Jennifer McClellan – Represented the greater Richmond area in the Virginia Senate for the past four years after serving 11 years in the House of Delegates. Vice chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. 

Third-party candidate for governor

Princess Blanding – A criminal justice activist and science teacher in Middlesex County, Blanding announced plans to run for governor Dec. 29 representing the newly formed Liberation Party. 

Blanding has been pushing for stronger criminal justice reforms since her brother, Marcus-David Peters, was fatally shot by police in Richmond while experiencing a mental health crisis two and-a-half years ago. She says the reform bills enacted since then, including the Marcus Alert Law, which calls for mental health professionals to respond to people in crisis, don’t go far enough. 

Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor

Hala Ayala – Represented the 51st District (Prince William County) in the General Assembly since January 2018. Ayala, who describes herself as Afro-Latina, formerly worked as a cybersecurity specialist at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and helped organize the Women’s March against Trump in 2017. 

Paul Goldman – An attorney and political strategist who chaired the Virginia Democratic Party 1990-93. He’s an advocate for education reform and racial justice.

Elizabeth Guzman – A Peruvian-American social worker who represented the 31st District (Prince William/Fauquier counties) in the House of Delegates since 2018. Guzman and Del. Lee Carter co-chaired Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign in Virginia. 

Mark Levine – Represented the 45th District (Alexandria) in the House of Delegates since 2016. A constitutional lawyer and strong advocate for LBGTQ rights and gun control, as well as other progressive issues.  

Andria McClellan – Member of the Norfolk City Council since 2016, representing Superward 6. Worked in marketing and chaired the Virginia Small Business Advisory Board under Gov. Mark Warner. 

Sean Perryman – President of the Fairfax County NAACP, attorney, and former congressional aide to the late Rep. Elijah Cummings. In an interview with Blue Virginia, Perryman said he was motivated to run by the government’s failure to address the COVID pandemic. 

Sam Rasoul – Represented the 11th District (Roanoke) in the House of Delegates since 2014. The son of Palestinian immigrants, Rasoul is one of just two Muslim members of the Virginia General Assembly. 

Xavier Warren – An agent for NFL football players and a partner in a lobbying firm, Congressional Partners, that seeks grants for nonprofits. His top priority is helping everyone in Virginia have a job with a livable wage. 

Republican candidates for lieutenant governor 

Tim Hugo

Puneet Ahluwall – A lobbyist and business advisor with the Livingston Group. Born in India, Ahluwall is a naturalized American citizen who wants to bring a pro-business mindset to the commonwealth. 

Lance Allen – An Air Force veteran working as director of strategic engagement at CACI International. He spent much of his childhood in foster homes after his father was murdered. 

Glenn Davis – Elected to the House of Delegates from the 84th District (Virginia Beach) in 2013. Served on the Virginia Beach City Council 2009-13. In 2017 he lost a Republican primary for lieutenant governor. 

Tim Hugo – Served in the House of Delegates, representing the 40th District (parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties) from 2003 until his defeat in the 2019 election. Executive director of the File Free Alliance. 

Republican candidates for attorney general

Jason Miyares – An attorney elected to the House of Delegates in 2016, where he represents the 82nd District (Virginia Beach). His mother fled Cuba in 1965.

Chuck Smith – A veteran of both the Marines and Navy. An attorney, he served as a prosecutor and defense counsel in the Navy. Unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination for attorney general in 2017. 

Democratic candidates for attorney general

Mark Herring – Before taking office as the current attorney general in 2014, Herring served in the Virginia Senate for eight years from the 33rd District (parts of Fairfax and Loudoun counties). 

Jay Jones – A member of the House of Delegates since 2018 from the 89th District (Norfolk). Jones, age 31, is from a family with a history of civil rights pioneers.