2017 Virginia gubernatorial election

2017 Virginia gubernatorial election

← 2013 November 7, 2017 2021 →
Turnout	47.6% 4.6[1]
Nominee Ralph Northam Ed Gillespie Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,409,175 1,175,731 Percentage 53.9% 45.0%
County and independent city results Congressional district results Precinct results Northam:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      90–100% Gillespie:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      90–100% Tie:      40–50%      No votes
Governor before election Terry McAuliffe Democratic Elected Governor Ralph Northam Democratic

Elections in Virginia
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State government Governor 1776 1851 1855 1859 1863 C U 1869 1873 1877 1881 1885 1889 1893 1897 1901 1905 1909 1913 1917 1921 1925 1929 1933 1937 1941 1945 1949 1953 1957 1961 1965 1969 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025 Lieutenant Governor 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025 Attorney General 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025 Senate 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 House of Delegates 1975 1977 1979 1981 1982 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 State elections 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2023
Ballot measures Statewide 1970 1972 1974 1976 1977 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 Fairfax County 2016
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Hampton Mayor 2016
Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney 2011 2015 2019
Norfolk Mayor 2006 2010 2014 2016
Richmond Mayor 2016 2020 2024 City Council 2016
Virginia Beach Mayor 2008 2012 2016 2018 2020 City Council 2020
v t e

The 2017 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2017. Incumbent Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe was unable to run for reelection, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits the officeholder from serving consecutive terms; he later ran unsuccessfully for a second term in 2021.

Primary elections took place on June 13, 2017. Virginia utilizes an open primary, in which registered voters are allowed to vote in either party's primary election.^[2] Democrats nominated incumbent Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam and Republicans nominated former RNC Chair Ed Gillespie. Libertarians nominated Clifford Hyra by convention on May 6, 2017.^[3]

In the general election on November 7, 2017, Northam defeated Republican Gillespie, winning by the largest margin for a Democrat since 1985. Northam assumed office as the 73rd Governor of Virginia on January 13, 2018.^[4] The election had the highest voter turnout percentage in a Virginia gubernatorial election in twenty years, with over 47% of registered voters casting their ballot.^[5]