The 2017 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2017, to elect the next governor of Virginia. The election was held concurrently with other elections for Virginia's statewide offices, the House of Delegates, and other United States' offices. Incumbent Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe was ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits its governors from serving consecutive terms. McAuliffe later unsuccessfully ran for a second non-consecutive term in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election.
Primary elections took place on June 13, 2017. Virginia utilizes an open primary, in which registered voters are allowed to vote in either party's primary election. Democrats nominated incumbent lieutenant governor Ralph Northam and Republican nominated former RNC Chair Ed Gillespie. The Libertarian Party nominated Clifford Hyra by convention on May 6, 2017.
In the general election on November 7, 2017, Democrat Ralph Northam defeated Republican Ed Gillespie by 8.93% points â the largest gubernatorial margin for Democrats since 1985 until Abigail Spanberger won by 15.36% points in 2025. The election had the highest voter turnout percentage in the state's gubernatorial history since 1997 with 47.6% of registered voters casting their ballot. Chesterfield County voted Democratic for the first time since 1961. Northam assumed office as the 73rd Governor of Virginia on January 13, 2018.
The race had been closely watched by national observers. For Republicans, National Review wrote that Gillespie's campaign was an important example of whether and how mainstream Republican politics can produce victories in a purple state in the "era of Trumpism" and said that the outcome would affect Republican strategies in future races. Many Democrats believed that the election was a test of whether the party could find its way after losing the 2016 presidential election and several subsequent special elections. NBC News reported that Northam was the "hand-picked" choice of outgoing governor Terry McAuliffe, and that McAuliffe's legacy and potential 2020 presidential aspirations depended on Northam winning the election.
After the primaries, Gillespie challenged Northam to ten debates, but only three were held. The first debate was hosted by the Virginia Bar Association on July 22 in Hot Springs, Virginia. The second was held on September 19, hosted by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce in Tysons Corner, Virginia, and televised statewide by NBC-affiliated TV stations. The third and final debate was held on October 9 at University of Virginia's College at Wise in Wise, Virginia.
Polls for the general election varied significantly, ranging from a 17-point lead for Ralph Northam on one end to an 8-point lead for Ed Gillespie on the other, with most polls showing the race within or close to the margin of error. Politico reported that the wide variation in polling numbers was likely due to differences in methodology among the polls. Polls tightened significantly in the last two weeks of the campaign with several showing the race tied or within the margin of error.
Aggregate polls<br />
with Corey Stewart<br />
with Frank Wagner<br />
with Denver Riggleman<br />
with Rob Wittman<br />
with Ken Cuccinelli<br />
with Eric Cantor<br />
with Mark Herring<br />
with Ralph Northam<br />
Virginia election laws allow for unlimited campaign contributions in state and local elections.
According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Northam's top five donors were the Democratic Governors Association's super PAC DGA Action; Michael Bloomberg's Everytown for Gun Safety group; the Virginia League of Conservation Voters; Michael D. Bills; and the Laborers' International Union of North America.
Gillespie's top five donors were the Republican Governors Association; A Stronger Virginia; Let's Grow Virginia; Marlene Ricketts; and Dwight Schar.
Hyra's top five donors were Michael Chastain; Hyra himself; the Libertarian Party of Virginia; Paradise Indian Restaurant; and nine donors who gave the same amount.
Even though polls in the weeks before the election considered Northam to be the narrow favorite, Northam won by a larger margin than expected, about nine percent, and more than 200,000 votes. Gillespie was unable to come back from the large margins in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. and Virginia Beach, and he conceded to Northam at 8:56 pm EST. Northam's wider than expected margin of victory has often been attributed to Trump's unpopularity in Virginia.
Counties and independent cities that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Counties and independent cities that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Northam won six of 11 congressional districts, including two that were held by Republicans.
Campaign websites (archived)