While the Virginia gubernatorial race has captured the majority of headlines leading up to Election Day, the attorney general’s race has quietly become the most competitive election on the statewide ballot. In that race, Virginia voters will choose between Republican Mark Obenshain and Democrat Mark Herring.
Center for Politics spokesperson Geoffrey Skelley said the outcome of this race will be harder to predict than the other two statewide races.
“It’s not getting as much attention,” Skelly said. “The governor’s race is obviously getting the most if not all. Voters are less informed about the down-ticket races.”
Skelley said that there has not been as much polling done in this race, and that the ones that do exist have often provided inconclusive, or even contradictory, answers.
Both candidates, however, have firmly distinguished themselves from each other throughout the campaign.
Herring noted issues he has had with Cucinelli’s tenure as attorney general. He said protecting women’s rights and marriage equality would be among his top priorities if elected.
“We need to repair the damage in the Attorney General’s office,” Herring said. “As Attorney General I will support and respect women’s right to privacy and I don’t think the government has any business getting between a woman and her doctor. I support marriage equality and I don’t think Virginia as a matter of policy should be discriminative of any of our citizens.”
Third-year College student Elizabeth Minneman, the chairman of the College Republicans, said Obenshain better understands the role of the attorney general.
“The Attorney General is supposed to defend the constitution and all the laws in Virginia,” Minneman said. “[Mark Obenshain] wants to [do exactly that] — prosecute human trafficking, gang violence and sexual predators.”
Second-year College student Kate Gaziano, director of Students for Obenshain, said Obenshain’s experience as a state legislator has generated statewide support for him and would make him a strong attorney general.
“As a state senator, he pushed through and introduced a lot of legislation helping to increase the safety of the most vulnerable in Virginia,” Gaziano said. “He’s been endorsed by 116 sheriffs and Commonwealth attorneys.”
Skelley said because so many citizens are dissatisfied with Cuccinelli’s tenure as attorney general, Herring is attempting to link Obenshain to him.
“As attorney general, [Cuccinelli] pursued a number of cases that fell in line with his pretty conservative stance on many issues,” Skelley said. “Obenshain also has had a very conservative record in the state senate. Herring is trying to make voters connect the dots, so to speak.”
Obenshain has been trying to focus on less controversial topics when speaking with voters, Skelley said.
“Obenshain is realizing that Cucinelli is struggling,” he said. “Obenshain has been trying to emphasize parts of his record that have broader appeal.”
Unlike Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe’s far more successful fundraising efforts as compared to his Republican opponent, Cuccinelli, Skelley said Obenshain has the financial advantage in the attorney general’s race.
“[More money] allows [Obenshain] to run more ads and do more,” he said. “Virginians have been very consistent in electing Republicans into the Attorney General’s Office.”
The last Democrat elected to the attorney general office won in 1989. Herring, however, has an advantage in being on the same ticket as McAuliffe, Skelley said.
“The guy from the top of the ticket from his party is going to win and that may pull him across the finish line as well,” Skelley said.
Voter turnout Tuesday will likely prove the decisive factor in determining the attorney general race, Skelley said, adding that the few moderate voters are likely to decide the race.
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