Reuters: U.S.: Democrat McAuliffe narrowly wins Virginia governor's race

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Democrat McAuliffe narrowly wins Virginia governor's race Nov 6th 2013, 05:51 Share this Email Print Reprints 1 of 6. Amber Larsen (C) and fellow Republican supporters wait for poll numbers and election results at Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli's election night event in Richmond, Virginia, November 5, 2013. Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst By Gary Robertson RICHMOND, Virginia | Tue Nov 5, 2013 8:10pm EST RICHMOND, Virginia (Reuters) - The closely watched Virginia governor's race between Democratic Party insider Terry McAuliffe and Republican Tea Party favorite Ken Cuccinelli on Tuesday is too close to call, CNN said. McAuliffe, a Democratic fundraiser and friend of former President Bill Clinton, had 50 percent of the vote to 43 percent for Cuccinelli, Virginia's attorney general, CNN said, citing exit polls. Richmond NBC television affiliate WWBT said McAuliffe was leading by about 5 percentage points, according to exit polls. Libertarian Robert Sarvis, who capitalized on widespread antipathy to the major parties and their candidates, notched 7 percent, CNN said. With New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie expected to cruise to re-election on Tuesday, Virginia is seen as a bellwether swing state ahead of mid-term congressional elections next year and presidential elections in 2016. Record amounts of outside money flowed into the campaign as McAuliffe heavily outspent Cuccinelli and national Democratic figures attempted to make the vote a referendum on the Republicans' Tea Party wing. Cuccinelli focused on attacking President Barack Obama's signature healthcare program, which is off to a stumbling start. "The president is lying and McAuliffe is part of it," said Mike Hicks, a resident of Ashland, who voted for Cuccinelli. A win by McAuliffe, a former head of the Democratic National Committee, would mark the first time in nine elections that the party that controls the White House has taken the Virginia governor's office. Republican Governor Bob McDonnell is barred by law from a second term. Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, stumped for McAuliffe, who had run campaigns for both of them. Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden also campaigned for McAuliffe in the final days before the vote. Cuccinelli in turn received support from such conservative Republican figures as Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ted Cruz of Texas. TRAILED IN POLLS Cuccinelli, a strong opponent of abortion and same-sex marriage, trailed McAuliffe in opinion polls heading into the election, especially among women and independent voters. Desiree Judge, 56, standing outside the City Hall voting site in Alexandria, a Washington suburb, said she had voted a straight Democratic ticket for the first time in decades because the Republicans were on a "moral bandwagon." "Maybe that's the way you run a church, but it's not the way you run a country," she said. McAuliffe, 56, tied Cuccinelli to last month's government shutdown, blamed by most Americans on Republicans and especially the Tea Party wing. Virginia was hit hard by the shutdown since it relies more than most states on federal paychecks and contracts. Cuccinelli also was hurt by a scandal involving McDonnell, who is under investigation for taking gifts from a businessman. Cuccinelli apologized in September for taking gifts from the same businessman. McAuliffe, who has said he has 18,632 names on his Rolodex, raised about $34 million to Cuccinelli's $20 million, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project, which tracks political money in the state. McAuliffe also outspent Cuccinelli 10-1 on television advertising in the last few weeks of the campaign, the Access Project said. Underscoring the national interest in the race, about 70 percent of the money raised has come from outside the state. That is far the highest percentage for any U.S. gubernatorial race in history, according to the nonpartisan National Institute on Money in State Politics, in Helena, Montana. (Additional reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Daniel Trotta, Maureen Bavdek, Leslie Adler and Lisa Shumaker) Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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