Update: After this story was published on 12/11, Amanda Chase reversed course later that afternoon and said she would run as a Republican at a convention, not as an independent third-party. The story has been updated to reflect the development.
Historically, the off-year gubernatorial elections in Virginia have served as a reaction to a new commander in chief in Washington. Since 1973, the commonwealth has chosen a governor from the opposite party of the president who was just elected — save for once.
The man who broke that streak in 2013, former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe, announced he’s seeking his old job this week. But the white, wealthy businessman finds a very different and more diverse field seeking the nomination, reflective of a changing Democratic Party nationwide.
Republicans, meanwhile, have their own party squabbles to overcome after more than a decade in the electoral wilderness. The statewide GOP is pulled between the Trumpian influences and the more business-friendly, moderate policies that can appeal to a growing Northern Virginia.
Democrats begin with the edge here, and we
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