The barn is officially blazing in the Virginia governor’s race. Behind by 13 points at the beginning of October, Republican challenger Ed Gillespie has pulled within just 4 points of Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam. Three weeks before Election Day, and for the first time, Gillespie is within the margin of error.
A Wason Center poll from Christopher Newport University shows Northam slowing and Gillespie gaining as the race narrows 48 to 44 percent.
#VAGov race narrows to 4 pts, inside MOE for 1st time. https://t.co/mXyrsZECXE pic.twitter.com/Zw4JPLTfdD
— The Wason Center (@WasonCenter) October 17, 2017
Virginia is traditionally billed as a bellwether because of its purplish color and its timely off-year governor’s race. The swing-state with an off-year statewide race provides a barometer of the electorate’s mood. As the Old Dominion goes, so (supposedly) goes the nation. That should absolutely terrify Democrats, because Gillespie always breaks late.
While Gillespie campaigns like a traditionally boring Republican, he runs brutally focused campaigns. Against Democrat Sen. Mark Warner in 2014, he trailed by double digits throughout the race. A Roanoke College poll at the time put Gillespie behind by as much as a dozen points. He lost by less than a point.
Now according to this poll and at his current trajectory, Gillespie seems poised for an upset in the governor’s race.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
