The Story:
There are two states that will be holding a gubernatorial election in 2021: New Jersey and Virginia. Each state now has a Democratic Governor. In New Jersey, that Governor is Phil Murphy, and he is favored to win re-election without too much suspense. The more exciting of these Governor’s races, then, is the one in Virginia.
Background:
Due to a constitutional term limit in Virginia, that state’s Governor, Ralph Northam, is not qualified to run for re-election. There is a wide-open field, in both of the two major parties, as to who will be nominated to replace him.
On the Democratic side the leading contender is probably the Lieutenant Governor, Justin Fairfax. But Tom Perriello, who under the Obama Administration was the US special envoy to the Great Lakes Region of Africa, may enter the race and prove a formidable foe.
The Thing to Know:
Fairfax, an African-American, has perhaps the most impressive resume in either of the two parties. He is a graduate of Columbia Law School, worked in the DC office of the prestigious multi-state and international law firm Wilmer Hale, worked for two years as a federal prosecutor out of Alexandria, and in general has “paid his dues” in public service.
