Northam wins Democratic nomination for governor of Virginia

Insurgent Democrat and former Rep. Tom Perriello looked destined for a crushing primary loss against his opponent, Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam, in the Virginia state gubernatorial primaries on Tuesday night as the latter politician drew double-digit leads over Perriello with around 90% of the precincts in the state reporting. "Northam, a doctor, upped his attacks on Trump, calling the President a "'narcissistic maniac" in an ad last month.

On the Republican side, front-runner Ed Gillespie, a moderate Washington insider, is trying to fend off under-funded but spirited campaigns from avid Trump supporter Corey Stewart and state Sen.

The general election will be a closely-watched affair as the first statewide competitive contest of the Trump era in a state that's been consistently trending blue.

The two candidates' voting records also don't make much of a proxy battle between the party's left and center-left factions.

Northam, an Army veteran and pediatric neurologist, had been considered the heavy favorite before Perriello jumped in the race in January. Perriello channeled the energy - and endorsement - of progressive leader Sen.

Meanwhile, Northam has the state's Democratic establishment in his corner - McAuliffe and Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, the latter Clinton's running mate previous year. He said he was drawn to Perriello after watching his town hall meetings online.

"Anyone that both Sen". Elizabeth Warren championed Perriello.

"I'm shocked", said Nancy Russell, who was Hanover County chairwoman when Gillespie ran for Senate in 2014. John Clisham, 53, came out to a Northam canvass kickoff on Saturday morning clad in a Bernie shirt.

"I think he has the ability to move Virginia forward like McAuliffe has", the 80-year-old said. In other words, Northam may be what Virginia voters believe a progressive candidate to be, while Perriello seems to represent progressive Washington D.C.'s idea. But their style and approach to the campaign are distinct. Perriello drilled him on the decision throughout the campaign. He's heavily outspent Perriello on air in the closing stretch.

As the campaign progressed, both candidates ran into roadblocks in the form of past votes that threatened to undermine their pitches to the party base. The Clinton-Sanders redux race many expected - and some hoped for - never materialized.

Perriello also bridges the gaps in the party. "We supported Tom because he was the visionary in the race". "It is time for us to get back on offense and stop playing so many defenses", he said, the AP reported.

"He's a risky man".

Northam's win is a win for the establishment wing of the Democratic Party.

There were roughly 366,000 votes cast in the Republican primary, and just short of 543,000 cast in the Democratic primary. This comes after a campaign which included personally contentious allegations from Reeves that Vogel and her husband were behind an email last fall alleging he had an affair with a campaign aide, which he has denied and said is defamatory. She was anxious that Stewart would doom the GOP's chances in November if he won the nomination.

Stewart is chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. And Stewart almost staged the upset of the year. Ultimately, he hasn't fully embraced or rebuked the president. I will be a governor for all Virginians, and our policies will benefit all Virginians. Among the three, Gillespie is considered the frontrunner. "And a lot did not", Gillespie said.

Now we vote every year in Virginia, but what we vote for changes every year as well. Bryce Reeves of Spotsylvania County to secure the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor, while Democrats selected Northern Virginia attorney Justin Fairfax as their nominee. Democrats caught up in anti-Trump fervor say they want to pick up enough seats to take over the majority, but that will be a tough task.