The following offices were up for election in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

in the November 2009

general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...

: *Three statewide offices –

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

– for four-year terms *

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two houses of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

, the lower house of the

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, ...

(100 seats), for two-year terms *Four local constitutional officers each in the larger independent cities –

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

Commonwealth's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

Treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...

, Commissioner of the Revenue – for four-year terms

Schedule of election related events

The

Virginia State Board of Elections The Virginia State Board of Elections (SBE) was created in 1946 as a nonpolitical agency responsible for ensuring uniformity, fairness, accuracy and purity in all elections in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The SBE promote ...

set the following calendar of events for the November 2009 election: *March 11 – Deadline for political party officials to request

primary election Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pr ...

s from the State Board of Elections *April 10 – Filing deadline for primary election candidates *May 11 –

Voter registration In electoral systems, voter registration (or enrollment) is the requirement that a person otherwise Suffrage, eligible to Voting, vote must register (or enroll) on an electoral roll, which is usually a prerequisite for being entitled or permitted ...

deadline for primary election *June 2 – Application deadline for primary election mail-in

absentee ballot Absentee or The Absentee may refer to: * Absentee (band), a British band * The Absentee, a novel by Maria Edgeworth, published in 1812 in ''Tales of Fashionable Life'' * ''The Absentee'' (1915 film), a 1915 American silent film directed by Christy ...

*June 6 – Application deadline for primary election in-person absentee ballot *June 9 – Primary elections; deadline for parties to select candidates by non-primary methods; filing deadline for

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

candidates *October 5 – Voter registration deadline for general election *October 27 – Application deadline for general election mail-in absentee ballot *October 31 – Application deadline for general election in-person absentee ballot *November 3 – General election In addition, candidates must file campaign finance reports with the state or local election boards at certain specified intervals during the campaign year. The three incumbent statewide officeholders and members of the General Assembly are barred by law from fundraising during the annual session of the General Assembly, from mid-January through roughly the end of February. Sufficiently large political parties (in practice, the Democratic and Republican parties) have the option of nominating candidates in primary elections. Nominees not chosen in primaries are selected in a

caucus A caucus is a group or meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The exact definition varies between different countries and political cultures. The term originated in the United States, where it can refer to ...

or convention process. Incumbent members of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

and the General Assembly have the option of choosing their party's nominating method for their office; otherwise, the decision is made by a committee of party officials from the jurisdiction involved. Persons 18 years old or older on the general election date (born on or before November 3, 1991) may register and vote in both the primary and general elections. Voters in Virginia do not register by party; they have the option of voting in any one party's primary, and may switch at will from one election to the next.

Issues

Reapportionment

In 2011 the General Assembly will redraw district boundaries for seats in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, the

Senate of Virginia The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Vir ...

, and the House of Delegates, based on results of the 2010

United States Census The United States census (plural censuses or census) is a census that is legally mandated by the Constitution of the United States. It takes place every ten years. The first census after the American Revolution was taken in 1790 United States ce ...

. This is a highly partisan process, which can determine the balance of power in those bodies for up to ten years. There are three major players in the process: *Senate – barring unforeseen circumstances, the current senators will still be in office in 2011. Democrats had a 22–18 majority. *House of Delegates – Republicans had a 53–45 majority before the election, with 2 independents who caucused with the Republicans. The 2009 election determined control in 2011. *Governor – the incumbent, Democrat

Tim Kaine Timothy Michael Kaine ( ; born February 26, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States senator from Virginia since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party (United States ...

, is not allowed to serve successive terms.

Governor

File:Creigh Deeds.jpg, Creigh Deeds (D) File:Bob_McDonnell_2007.jpg, Bob McDonnell (R) Party nominees: *The Republican Party formally nominated former Attorney General

Bob McDonnell Robert Francis McDonnell (born June 15, 1954) is an American politician, attorney, businessman, academic administrator, and former military officer who served as the 71st governor of Virginia from 2010 to 2014. He is a member of the Republica ...

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the List of cities in Virginia, most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeaster ...

, who was unopposed for the nomination, at the May 29–30 state party convention. McDonnell resigned as Virginia's Attorney General on February 3, 2009, to concentrate on the gubernatorial campaign. *The Democratic Party nominated

Creigh Deeds Robert Creigh Deeds (; born January 4, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as a member of the Senate of Virginia representing the 11th district since 2024, and previously the 25th district since 2001. Previously, he was the Dem ...

, Democrat from Bath County – senator since 2002 following 10 years in the House; unsuccessful Democratic nominee for attorney general in 2005, after he captured the nomination in the Democratic Primary on June 9, 2009 Former candidates for the Democratic Party nomination: *

Terry McAuliffe Terence Richard McAuliffe (born February 9, 1957) is an American businessman and politician who served as the List of governors of Virginia, 72nd governor of Virginia from 2014 to 2018. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat ...

, Democrat from Fairfax County – political consultant, former

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...

chair, recently Presidential campaign manager for

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

; created a campaign committee on November 11, 2008 *

Brian Moran Brian Joseph Moran (born September 9, 1959) is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He served as Virginia Secretary of Public Safety from 2014 to 2022, and was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1996 until ...

, Democrat from

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

– 7 term House member and House Democratic caucus chair; younger brother of U.S. Representative

Jim Moran James Patrick Moran Jr. (born May 16, 1945) is an American politician who served as the mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, from 1985 until 1990, and as the U.S. representative for , including the cities of Falls Church and Alexandria, all of Arl ...

. Resigned from House of Delegates December 12, 2008 to concentrate on campaign

Lieutenant governor

File:Bill Bolling.jpg, Bill Bolling (R) File:Jody Wagner 2008-08-20.jpg, Jody Wagner (D) Party nominees: *Former state Secretary of Finance Jody Wagner, who resigned her position on August 8, 2008, to run, won the June 9 primary to be the Democratic Party nominee. Previously she was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate in Virginia's 2nd congressional district in 2000. *The Republican Party nominated incumbent Lt. Governor and former State Senator

Bill Bolling William Troy Bolling (born June 15, 1957) is an American businessman, politician and educator who served as the 39th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2014. A member of the Republican party, he was elected twice to the position by ...

of Hanover County at the party's May 29–30 convention. Former candidates: * Jon Bowerbank, a Democratic energy industry engineer/entrepreneur, won election to the Russell County Board of Supervisors in November 2007 and began campaigning for lieutenant governor in May 2008. After getting his name on the primary ballot, Bowerbank withdrew on May 15, 2009, endorsing Wagner. * Pat Edmonson, a Virginia Beach School Board member, announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination on January 12, 2009, saying voters were "ready for a progressive voice" She failed to file the proper candidate paperwork with the state by the April 10, 2009 deadline, making her ineligible for the primary, * Patrick C. Muldoon of Giles County, an unsuccessful Republican nominee in

Virginia's 9th congressional district Virginia's ninth congressional district is a List of United States congressional districts, United States congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia, covering much of the rural Southwest Virginia, southwestern part of the state. Th ...

in 1996, filed on November 11, 2008, but lost the convention vote to Bolling. * Rich Savage, a Democratic professional campaign consultant from

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

, announced his candidacy on January 2, 2009 but suspended his campaign on March 6, citing financial pressures caused by the worsening economy. * Mike Signer of Arlington, a former deputy counselor to

Mark Warner Mark Robert Warner (born December 15, 1954) is an American businessman and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Virginia, a seat he has held since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Warner served as the 69th gove ...

on Homeland Security and National Guard policy and senior strategist for Tom Perriello, lost the June 9 Democratic primary to Wagner.

Election results

Democratic primary

Official result

General election

Polling

Democratic primary

General election

Attorney general

File:Wikicuccinelli.jpg, Ken Cuccinelli (R) File:Steve Shannon 2008-09-01.jpg, Steve Shannon (D) Party nominees: *The Democratic Party nominee is State Delegate and former assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Shannon of Fairfax County. Shannon announced his candidacy in the fall of 2008, and as the only candidate who filed for the Democratic primary, became the Democratic nominee by default. *The Republican Party nominee is State Senator

Ken Cuccinelli Kenneth Thomas "Cooch” Cuccinelli II ( ; born July 30, 1968) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Pa ...

of Fairfax County; Cuccinelli announced April 1, 2008, and won the nomination at the May 29–30 Republican convention. *Both candidates, Cuccinelli (Class of 1986) and Shannon (Class of 1989), attended

Gonzaga College High School Gonzaga College High School is a private Catholic college-preparatory high school for boys in Washington, D.C. Founded by the Jesuits in 1821 as the Washington Seminary, Gonzaga is named in honor of Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Former candidates: *

John L. Brownlee John Leslie Brownlee is an American lawyer. He was the United States Attorney for the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia from 2001 to 2008. United States attorney Investigation o ...

of Roanoke is a former

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the Western District of Virginia who resigned on May 16, 2008, to run for the Republican Party nomination, but lost the convention vote to Cuccinelli. *John Fishwick, an attorney from Roanoke and unsuccessful 1992 Democratic candidate for the

, set up a committee to run for the Democratic nomination in October 2008 but withdrew on January 5, 2009. * David M. Foster of Arlington, an

antitrust Competition law is the field of law that promotes or seeks to maintain market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies. Competition law is implemented through public and private enforcement. It is also known as antitrust l ...

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

with Fulbright & Jaworski in

and former Arlington County

school board A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...

chair ran for the Republican nomination but lost the convention vote to Cuccinelli.

General election results

Polling

General election

House of Delegates

Special elections

*81st district (Virginia Beach, Chesapeake) – fifth-term Republican Terrie Suit, chair of the General Laws committee, resigned on October 12, 2008, to take a job as a

lobbyist Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by various entities, in ...

. A special election was set for January 6, 2009. Barry Knight, a hog

farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer ...

and member of the Virginia Beach Planning Commission, was selected as the Republican nominee in a

firehouse primary A firehouse primary, also called a firehouse caucus or "unassembled caucus", is a term sometimes used in the United States to describe a primary election run by a political party, not a government, to select the party's candidates for a later gene ...

on November 29, 2008. On December 4, the Democrats nominated John LaCombe, a 24-year-old

payday lending A payday loan (also called a payday advance, salary loan, payroll loan, small dollar loan, short term, or cash advance loan) is a short-term unsecured loan, often characterized by high interest rates. These loans are typically designed to cover ...

activist. Knight won the special election by an 83–17 margin. *70th district (

, Henrico and Chesterfield Counties) – Dwight Clinton Jones, a Democrat in his eighth term, was elected mayor of Richmond on November 4, 2008. This special election was also scheduled for January 6, 2009. On December 6, 2008, the Democratic Party nominated

Delores McQuinn Rev. Delores L. McQuinn (born November 26, 1954, in Henrico County, Virginia) is an American politician of the Democratic Party. She is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 81st district, made up of parts of Chesterf ...

, a member of Richmond City Council, for the seat. McQuinn was unopposed in the special election. *46th district (Alexandria, Fairfax County) – Brian Moran resigned his seat December 12, 2008 to concentrate on his campaign for governor. A special election was called for January 13, 2009. Both major parties held nominating caucuses on December 16, 2008. The Democratic nominee was Charniele Herring, an attorney from Alexandria. The Republicans nominated Joe Murray, an aide to U. S. Representative

Joe Wilson Addison Graves "Joe" Wilson Sr. (born July 31, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for since 2001. A member of the Republican Party, his district stretches from Columbia to the Georgia–South Caro ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. Herring won the election by 16 votes; the House, under Republican control, refused to seat her pending a recount requested by Murray. Herring was finally seated after a recount on January 26.

Retirements

, ten House members had announced they would not run for re-election: * Albert C. Eisenberg (D-Arlington) on January 22 * Frank D. Hargrove Sr. (R-Hanover) on January 26 * Jeffrey M. Frederick (R-Woodbridge) on February 13. * Kenneth R. Melvin (D-Portsmouth) on February 24 * William H. Fralin Jr. (R-Roanoke) on February 28 * Clarke N. Hogan (R-Halifax) on March 9. *Former Minority Leader Franklin P. Hall (D-Richmond) on March 28. Hall announced his retirement effective April 14, 2009. Governor Kaine immediately announced Hall's appointment to the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, effective the same date * Steve Shannon (D-Fairfax) is the Democratic nominee for attorney general. * Kris Amundson (D-Fairfax) announced her retirement on June 24, 2009 * Chris Saxman (R-Staunton) announced his retirement on July 17, 2009 In addition,

Bob Hull Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Bob (surname) * Bob (dog), a dog that received the Dickin Medal for bravery in World War II * Bob t ...

(D-Fairfax) was defeated for renomination by Kaye Kory in the June 9 primary.

Notes

References

Code of Virginia, Title 24.2 – ElectionsVirginia State Board of Elections: 2009 Election Calendar; for all offices elected in November

External links

*Voter resources
Virginia Voter Registration Form
- Deadline to register is Monday, October 5
Voter Registration Information
- Find out if you are registered at the Election and Registration Information System
Polling Place Search

Imagine Election
- Find out about the people on your ballot, based on your zip code
Virginia Public Access Project
- Campaign finance information about candidates, committees, donors, etc. *Campaign websites
Creigh Deeds for Governor
- Democratic ** - Republican
Bill Bolling for Lieutenant Governor
- Republican
Jody Wagner for Lieutenant Governor
- Democratic ** - Republican
Steve Shannon for Attorney General
- Democratic {{DEFAULTSORT:Virginia Elections, 2009 2009 elections in the United States by state