More candidates join the race for governor, other state offices

Since we reported in January on the crowded field of candidates running for statewide offices, several more Republican candidates have jumped into the race.

They include seven more candidates running for governor for a total of 10. Another Republican candidate joined the race for lieutenant governor, and there’s one more running for attorney general. 

The election is Nov. 2, 2021. The Democrats are holding a primary on June 8. After the Republican Party of Virginia’s plans for a state convention at Liberty University on May 8 fell through, the party announced plans to select candidates at a nominating convention May 8 at multiple locations. The party hasn’t yet figured out how that will work. 

Also, since our last report, several candidates have secured important endorsements. Gov. Ralph Northam, for example, has endorsed Jay Jones for attorney general, rather than the incumbent Mark Herring. And several Fairfax County leaders have endorsed Democratic candidate for governor Terry McAuliffe. 

The Democratic gubernatorial candidates will appear in a virtual debate March 16, 7 p.m., presented by the Virginia People’s Debates. Register here. 

Here’s the revised list of candidates:

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. Co-chaired Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in Virginia. 

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.

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. Endorsed by the Amalgamated Transit Union.

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. 

Endorsed by Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay, Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Penny Gross (Mason District), House of Delegates Majority Leader Charniele Herring (Alexandria), House of Delegates Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (Fairfax), state Sen. Dick Saslaw (Annandale), state Sen. Dave Marsden (Annandale), Del. Kaye Kory (Annandale), Del. Alfonso Lopez (Bailey’s Crossroads), U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and many more.  

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.

Endorsed by state Sen. Jennifer Boysko (Fairfax), Del. Kathy Tran (Springfield), Del. Ken Plum (Reston), Del. Paul Krizek (Alexandria), Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson, and many others. 

Republican candidates for governor

Amanda Chase – Represents the 11th District (Amelia County) in the Virginia Senate since 2016. Chase, the self-styled “Trump in heels,” was censured by the Senate after calling the insurgents who stormed the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6 “patriots.” 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. 

Her lawsuit charging the state’s GOP plans to pick candidates at a convention, rather than a primary, would go against COVID-19 restrictions was dismissed by a Richmond judge last month. Some Republicans opposed a primary because they fear Chase would win. 

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. 

Endorsed by former Gov. George Allen, former U.S. Rep Tom Davis (Annandale), and many others. 

Paul Davis – According to Davis’ website, his top issues are “getting Virginia back under the U.S. Constitution, resisting any and all tyriannical [sic] orders,” 100 percent accreditation for all Virginia schools, open small businesses with no restrictions, and “stop public corruption in Virginia.” 

Sergio de la Peña – An Army colonel who worked for the Trump campaign and served in the Pentagon during the Trump administration. According to his website, de la Peña grew up in a house in Mexico with dirt floors and no running water. 

Peter Doran – President of the Center for European Policy Analysis and founder and chair of Let’s Win Virginia!, an organization aimed at defeating Democrats. Supports nuclear energy and phasing out the state income tax. 

Octavia Johnson – Sheriff of Roanoke, 2006-13. Ran for the House of Delegates in 2014 but lost to Sam Rasoul.

Merle Rutledge – A strong advocate for gun rights and “stand your ground laws,” Rutledge’s campaign logo features an automatic weapon. 

Kurt Santini – An Army veteran who has recovered from a debilitating injury during a parachute malfunction and survived a tough childhood. He is  running because “he wants to put his life experiences to good use for the people of Virginia” and “restore power to the people.” 

Peter Snyder – CEO of Disruptor Capital, “an angel capital investment firm focused on funding and growing disruptive technologies, ideas, and entrepreneurs,” and former CEO of New Media Strategies. Snyder’s campaign is focused on a single issue – reopening schools. Endorsed by a long list of Fairfax County Republican activists. 

Glenn Youngkin – Retired in 2020 as co-CEO of the Carlyle Group, a global investment company. Served as church warden at Holy Trinity Church in McLean. 

Independent candidate for governor

Princess Blanding – A criminal justice activist and science teacher in Middlesex County and a single LGBTQIA+ mother. 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. 

Republican candidates for lieutenant governor 

Puneet Ahluwalia – A lobbyist and business advisor with the Livingston Group. Born in India, Ahluwalia 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 2019. Executive director of the File Free Alliance. Endorsed by former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, former Republican Party of Virginia Chair John Whitbeck, and many others. 

Winsome Sears – A former member of the House of Delegates (2002-04), representing the Newport News area. An immigrant from Jamaica, Sears is a Marine veteran,  former member of the Virginia State Board of Education, an electrician, leader of a men’s prison ministry, and director of a women’s homeless shelter. 

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. Endorsed by former U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, Del. Danica Roehm (Manassas), and many others. 

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. Worked in marketing and chaired the Virginia Small Business Advisory Board under Gov. Mark Warner. Endorsed by Fairfax County Supervisor Penny Gross (Mason), among others. 

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. 

Endorsed by Del. Kaye Kory (Mason); Fairfax County Supervisors Rodney Lusk (Lee), Walter Alcorn (Hunter Mill), and John Foust (Dranesville); Fairfax County School Board members Melanie Meren (Hunter Mill) and Karl Frisch (Providence); Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano; and many others.  

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. Endorsed by many leaders outside Northern Virginia. 

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. 

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). As attorney general, he fought the Trump administration’s attempts to undermine the U.S. Census and U.S. Postal Service.  

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. Endorsed by Gov. Ralph Northam. 

Republican candidates for attorney general

Leslie Haley – Chair of the Greater Richmond Partnership, member of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, former assistant ethics counsel for the Virginia State Bar, and former chair of the Greater Richmond Bar Foundation. 

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. Endorsed by former governors Bob McDonnell and George Allen and many state legislators.

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