2009 Virginia gubernatorial election

The 2009 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2009, to elect the next governor of Virginia. The election was concurrent with other elections for Virginia's statewide offices, the House of Delegates, and other various political offices. Incumbent Democratic governor Tim Kaine was ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits its governors from serving consecutive terms. Republican Bob McDonnell was elected as governor as part of a Republican sweep. Republican Bill Bolling was reelected as lieutenant governor, and Republican Ken Cuccinelli was elected as attorney general. The winners were inaugurated on January 16, 2010, and served until January 11, 2014.
State Senator Creigh Deeds was selected as the Democratic nominee, having defeated former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe and former state Delegate Brian Moran in the Democratic primary election. This was the first contested Democratic primary in two decades. McDonnell, a former state attorney general, was selected at his party's nominating convention. The two major candidates competed in the 2005 Virginia Attorney General election, and were in a rematch, but in the Governor's race. McDonnell defeated Deeds in the general election by a margin of 59%–41%, much larger than the [2005 Virginia Attorney General election|previous Attorney General of Virginia|Attorney General election].
This would be the last time until 2021 that a Republican would win any statewide election in Virginia. This is also the last time any of the following counties have voted Republican in a statewide race: Albemarle, Fairfax, Prince William, Henrico, Sussex, Brunswick, and the independent city of Suffolk. Additionally, this was the last gubernatorial election in Virginia to be decided by double digits, until 2025.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Terry McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and chair of the Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign
Creigh Deeds, state senator from Warm Springs
Brian Moran, former state delegate from Alexandria

Campaign

The Democratic primary campaign for governor unofficially began on December 13, 2007, when State Senator Creigh Deeds, who ran for Attorney General of Virginia in 2005, announced that he would run for the Democratic nomination. State Delegate Brian Moran, brother of Congressman Jim Moran, joined Deeds on January 4, 2008, when he established a political action committee. For the following year, Deeds and Moran squared off picking up endorsements, and raising money. On January 3, 2009, McLean resident Terry McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and chairman of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign announced that he was also running. The Democratic primary, which took place on June 9, 2009, was the first contested in over twenty years.
Moran received many endorsements from members of the State Democratic Party as well as the mayors of the Hampton Roads area. Deeds picked up support from Northern and Western Virginia, such as the endorsement from U.S. Congressman Rick Boucher. The area of strength for Deeds was concentrated in Western and Southern Virginia, and the area of strength for Moran consisted mostly of Eastern Virginia with both reaching out to Northern Virginian voters.
The race was close from the beginning, with McAuliffe considered to be a semi "front-runner" due to his lead in the polls and big campaign war chest. However, in the last few weeks of the race, Deeds began to surge up in the polls. By election night, June 9, Deeds swept to victory. Creigh Deeds spent $14.49 for each vote on the Democratic primary election. Terry McAuliffe spent $68.25 for each vote on the Democratic primary election.

Fundraising

Fundraising totals through June 30, 2009, from the .

Candidate	Raised	Spent	Cash on Hand
Creigh Deeds	$6,207,528	$3,486,179	$2,721,350
Terry McAuliffe	$8,250,507	$8,250,205	$304
Bob McDonnell	$73,981	$3,360	$920,623
Brian Moran	$4,057,882	$4,034,070	$23,816

Republican convention

Attorney General Bob McDonnell first announced his intention to run at American Legion's Boys State of Virginia 2007. This was the sixth consecutive Virginian gubernatorial election in which an attorney general ran.
McDonnell was the only Republican candidate to file with the election board before the November 2008 deadline. As a result, there was no Republican Party primary. McDonnell accepted the Republican nomination at a state convention on May 30, 2009, in Richmond. Other potential candidates for the Republican nomination, lieutenant governor Bill Bolling and former senator George Allen, both declined to run.
Chairman of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele had said that the election for governor of Virginia is one of the most important elections for the Republican Party.

General election

Deeds and McDonnell both ran for Attorney General of Virginia in 2005. McDonnell won by just over 300 votes, in the same election in which Tim Kaine was elected Governor with 52% of the vote.
The main themes of the election were the economy, transportation, and jobs.
The first debate was in Hot Springs, Virginia on July 25.
Vice President Joe Biden campaigned for Deeds in Henrico County, Virginia, a suburb of Richmond, Virginia on July 16. Also attending were Richmond Mayor Dwight Clinton Jones, state senator A. Donald McEachin, and Virginia first lady Anne Holton.
On August 6, President Barack Obama and Governor Tim Kaine campaigned for Deeds in McLean, Virginia.
Deeds is from Bath County, Virginia, a rural area of fewer than 5,000 people, where John McCain received over 55% of the vote. McDonnell is from Virginia Beach, which McCain won with 49.9%.

Polling

Source	Dates Administered	Creigh Deeds	Bob McDonnell
SurveyUSA	October 30 – November 1, 2009	40%	58%
Public Policy Polling	November 1, 2009	42%	56%
Mason-Dixon/Richmond Times-Dispatch	October 28–29, 2009	41%	53%
Research 2000	October 26–28, 2009	44%	54%
Center for Community Research	October 21–27, 2009	36%	53%
Rasmussen Reports	October 27, 2009	41%	54%
SurveyUSA	October 25–26, 2009	41%	58%
Public Policy Polling	October 23–26, 2009	40%	55%
The Washington Post	October 22–25, 2009	44%	55%
Virginia Commonwealth University	October 21–25, 2009	36%	54%
SurveyUSA	October 17–19, 2009	40%	59%
Public Policy Polling	October 16–19, 2009	40%	52%
Clarus Research	October 18–19, 2009	41%	49%
CNU-Pilot-WVEC	October 19, 2009	31%	45%
Rasmussen Reports	October 12, 2009	43%	50%
Mason-Dixon	October 6–8, 2009	40%	48%
The Washington Post	October 4–7, 2009	44%	53%
Survey USA	October 2–4, 2009	43%	54%
Rasmussen Reports	September 29, 2009	42%	51%
Survey USA	September 26–28, 2009	41%	55%
Public Policy Polling	September 25–28, 2009	43%	48%
Insider Advantage	September 23, 2009	44%	48%
The Washington Post	September 20, 2009	47%	51%
Research 2000	September 14–16, 2009	43%	50%
Rasmussen Reports	September 16, 2009	46%	48%
Clarus Research Group	September 16, 2009	37%	42%
Survey USA	September 3, 2009	42%	54%
Rasmussen Reports	September 1, 2009	42%	51%
Public Policy Polling	August 28–31, 2009	42%	49%
The Washington Post	August 16, 2009	40%	47%
Rasmussen Reports	August 10, 2009	38%	47%
Research 2000	August 3–5, 2009	43%	51%
Public Policy Polling	July 31 – August 3, 2009	37%	51%
Survey USA	July 27–28, 2009	40%	55%
Rasmussen Reports	July 14, 2009	41%	44%
Public Policy Polling	June 30 – July 2, 2009	43%	49%
Research 2000	June 15–17, 2009	44%	45%
ALR	June 10–14, 2009	42%	38%
Rasmussen Reports	June 10, 2009	47%	41%
Survey USA	June 5 – 7, 2009	43%	47%
Survey USA	May 31 – June 2, 2009	43%	44%
Research 2000	May 18–20, 2009	32%	45%
Survey USA	May 17–19, 2009	40%	46%
Survey USA	April 27, 2009	39%	44%
Rasmussen Reports	April 15, 2009	30%	45%
Research 2000	April 6–8, 2009	31%	38%
Rasmussen Reports	February 4, 2009	30%	39%
Rasmussen Reports	December 4, 2008	39%	39%
Public Policy Polling	June 14–16, 2008	27%	32%

with McAuliffe

Source	Dates Administered	Terry McAuliffe	Bob McDonnell
Survey USA	May 31 – June 2, 2009	40%	47%
Research 2000	May 18–20, 2009	34%	44%
Survey USA	May 19, 2009	40%	46%
Survey USA	April 27, 2009	39%	46%
Rasmussen Reports	April 15, 2009	33%	45%
Research 2000	April 8, 2009	33%	40%
Rasmussen Reports	February 4, 2009	35%	42%
Rasmussen Reports	December 4, 2008	36%	41%

with Moran

Source	Dates Administered	Brian Moran	Bob McDonnell
Survey USA	May 31 – June 2, 2009	37%	48%
Research 2000	May 18–20, 2009	35%	42%
Survey USA	May 19, 2009	37%	47%
Survey USA	April 27, 2009	34%	46%
Rasmussen Reports	April 15, 2009	34%	44%
Research 2000	April 8, 2009	36%	37%
Rasmussen Reports	February 4, 2009	36%	39%
Rasmussen Reports	December 4, 2008	41%	37%
Public Policy Polling	June 14–16, 2008	27%	33%

Results

By county and independent city

;Counties and independent cities that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Bath

;Counties and independent cities that flipped from Democratic to Republican