The Commonwealth of Virginia has only elected one Republican governor in this century. On Tuesday Ed Gillespie hopes to double that figure. The affable former Republican National Committee chairman faces off this week against incumbent Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam in the only competitive gubernatorial race of 2017.

While the focus of the nation has remained on national politics and the White House, Gillespie has deftly crisscrossed the state talking about his many in-depth policy proposals that vary widely from cutting the state income tax rate to pushing for affordable flood insurance. Gillespie has spent much time in often overlooked parts of Virginia and still been able to appeal to voters in deep blue northern Virginia by talking about curbing violent gang crime, and hitting Northam on McAuliffe’s mishandled attempt to restore voting rights to tens of thousands of felons.