Ralph Northam, the lieutenant governor of Virginia, won the state’s Democratic primary on Tuesday, according to returns tracked by the New York Times. Northam will run in the general election in November against Ed Gillespie, the former Republican National Committee chairman who won Tuesday’s Republican primary.
Backed by endorsements from Virginia senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Northam was considered an early favorite in the primary race. He received a surprise challenger in Tom Perriello, a former congressman who garnered the support of leftist Democrats like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Northam still went on to claim roughly 56 percent of the primary vote, according to the Times; Perriello accounted for 44 percent.
Perriello conceded defeat to Northam on Twitter at about 8:45 p.m. EST. “Congratulations to Ralph Northam,” he wrote. “Let’s go win this thing—united. Let’s take back the House and ensure VA remains a firewall against hate.”
The two were running to replace Clinton confidante and current governor Terry McAuliffe, who cannot run for re-election thanks to a state law prohibiting governors from serving consecutive terms.
