Republican strategist Ed Gillespie, who nearly pulled off a huge upset against incumbent Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) last year, will run for governor of Virginia in 2017.
Gillespie told The Washington Post that he decided to run for governor after state Sen. Mark Obenshain (R) passed on the race.
“My focus right now is helping keep our Republican majority in the General Assembly, and next year it will be ensuring that our Republican presidential nominee wins Virginia,” Gillespie told The Washington Post. “But with my friend Mark Obenshain making clear he won’t be running in 2017, I’ll start laying a foundation to run myself after our elections here are over next month.”
Gillespie nearly unseated Warner in the Virginia Senate race in 2016. It was a contest that few believed would be competitive when he first got in.
Warner edged Gillespie by less than 1 percentage point in a showing that many believed set him up to make a run for the governor’s mansion. Gillespie was outraised by almost $10 million in the race.
Since the loss, Gillespie joined the consulting firm Brunswick Group in Washington. In the Senate race, Warner repeatedly hit Gillespie for his K Street ties.
Gillespie founded the lobbying group now called QGA Public Affairs. He has also served as chairman of the Republican National Committee, and was once an adviser to former President George W. Bush.
He is so far the only Republican in the governor’s race.
Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam is running on the Democratic side to replace Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-Va.), who is term-limited.