Coasting to a surprisingly easy win for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam heads into the fall election with an unexpected boost: Ed Gillespie's hard - and perhaps disputed - Republican victory, one viewed as fresh evidence of candidate-crippling discord within the GOP over President Donald Trump.
Stewart, an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump, has made preserving Confederate history a top priority, along with immigration, saying he wants any person living in the country illegally who is arrested in Virginia to be deported, "no questions asked".
Virginia's establishment-favored lieutenant governor - won the state's Democratic primary on Tuesday, defeating a Bernie Sanders-backed former congressman and dealing a blow to the party's rising progressive wing. "But I think in this race, for the state of Virginia, Ralph Northam is the better candidate".
Northam easily defeated former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello in the more closely watched Democratic contest by almost 12 points, which pitted the progressive Perriello against the establishment Northam. Bernie Sanders and his political organization, "Our Revolution", along with a laundry list of former aides to President Barack Obama.
It's Election Day in the Virginia gubernatorial primaries and Democratic candidate, Tom Perriello, is hoping his friends on Capitol Hill can help him beat out the other Democratic competitor, Ralph Northam. They have time - and with a possible win next week in Georgia and in Virginia in November, they may get a shot in the arm from donors and newly recruited candidates anxious to compete against flagging Republicans.
On the Republican side, former George W. Bush aide Ed Gillespie is building off the goodwill he established with Republicans after his narrow loss to Sen.
Virginia is one of only two states electing new governors this year, and the contest could serve as a preview to 2018's midterm elections.
Virginia voters picked their parties' nominees for governor, lieutenant governor and dozens of House of Delegates races Tuesday, plus local contests in some areas.
Northam beat opponent Tom Perriello, a one-time US representative for Virginia's 5th district, with roughly 55 percent of the vote statewide.
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Already looking ahead to the November contest, Gillespie has criticized both Democrats as being hostile to charter schools and Virginia's status as a right-to-work state, a business-friendly policy that makes it hard for labor unions to organize.
Northam also vowed to fight Trump but said he will work with state Republicans to move a progressive - and realistic - agenda forward. Stewart had made his devout support for Trump a focus of his campaign, while Gillespie had distanced himself from the president and his policies.
Perriello congratulated Northam in a phone call a little before 8:30 p.m.
Others were less enthused, including Stewart supporters who called Mr. Gillespie a "RINO", or Republican in Name Only, and said he "might as well be a Democrat".
Gillespie dominated his challengers in fundraising efforts.
Northam accumulated those chits during a decade in Democratic politics, starting with his election to the Virginia Senate in 2007.
However, Northam has been decisively outspending Perriello on TV, which could make all the difference in a primary where neither candidate started with much support from voters.
A third candidate, Wagner, struggled to gain traction, despite winning the endorsement of The Washington Post's editorial board.
Northam now faces Gillespie, who is calling for a tax cut for all Virginians. He was the Virginia co-chair of Trump's campaign but was sacked for participating in a protest outside the Republican National Committee offices in Washington.
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