Former Rep. Denver Riggleman is mulling an independent campaign for governor of Virginia, a move that would further complicate Republican prospects in the increasingly Democratic-dominated commonwealth.
Riggleman was ousted from his central Virginia House seat in 2020, losing renomination to a social conservative, now-Rep. Bob Goode, who mounted a challenge against him after news broke that the then-congressman officiated a gay wedding. Riggleman responded with blistering criticism of his party. He accused Republicans of being intolerant and said they were being led astray by former President Donald Trump.
Riggleman was particularly dismayed by Trump’s refusal to acknowledge that he lost the November election to President Biden. “I’ve got a lot of decisions to make with the family,” he told Chuck Todd Tuesday on MSNBC’s Meet the Press Daily.
Virginia Republicans plan to pick their nominee at a convention, giving conservative activists supportive of Trump enormous influence over the selection. Given recent history, Riggleman would be unlikely to fare well in a primary of this nature. Additionally, the contest is crowded, with about a half-dozen candidates running or thinking of getting in.
On the Democratic side, the field, also crowded, is led by former Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Virginia holds gubernatorial elections in the off-year following presidential elections. The current governor, Democrat Ralph Northam, is stepping down because the commonwealth does not permit chief executives to hold more than one term consecutively.
