The 2013 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2013, to elect the next governor of Virginia. The election was held concurrently with other elections for Virginia's statewide offices, the House of Delegates, and other United States offices. Incumbent Republican governor Bob McDonnell was ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits its governors from serving consecutive terms. This was the fifth consecutive election in which the Republican nominee was an attorney general of Virginia.
Three candidates appeared on the ballot for governor: Republican Ken Cuccinelli, the attorney general of Virginia; Democrat Terry McAuliffe, a businessman and the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee; and Libertarian Robert Sarvis, a lawyer and businessman.
McAuliffe won the election and was sworn in as governor on January 11, 2014. This was the only Virginia gubernatorial election since 1965 in which no candidate won an outright majority of the vote. This was the first gubernatorial election in which the independent city of Bedford became incorporated into Bedford County.
As of 2026, this remains the only gubernatorial election since 1973 in which the elected governor belonged to the same party as the incumbent U.S. president.
Candidates
Republican Party
Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, elected to the post in 2005, made a deal with McDonnell whereby Bolling would run for re-election as lieutenant governor in 2009, enabling McDonnell to run for governor without a primary, in exchange for McDonnell's support in 2013. After the 2009 election, Bolling made no secret of his intention to run for governor in 2013, while Attorney General of Virginia Ken Cuccinelli openly stated that he was considering three options: a run for re-election as attorney general in 2013, running for the U.S. Senate in 2014, and running for governor in 2013. Cuccinelli announced to colleagues on December 1, 2011, that he was indeed running for governor. Bolling responded on the same day that he was disappointed that Cuccinelli decided to challenge him.
Bolling, who was polling poorly against Cuccinelli, withdrew from the race on November 28, 2012. He cited the Republican Party's decision to move to a nominating convention rather than hold a primary. He ruled out running for another term as lieutenant governor and refused to endorse Cuccinelli. Bolling considered running as an independent, but decided against it. Bolling also rejected the possibility of a write-in campaign.
Nominee
- Ken Cuccinelli, attorney general of Virginia
Cuccinelli became the de facto nominee after being the only candidate to file to run by the deadline, and was formally nominated at the state Republican convention on May 18, 2013.
Withdrew
- Bill Bolling, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Declined
- George Allen, former U.S. senator and former governor
- Thomas M. Davis, former U.S. representative
- Jeff McWaters, state senator
Democratic Party
Nominee
- Terry McAuliffe, businessman and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee (campaign)
On April 2, 2013, the Democratic Party of Virginia certified that McAuliffe was the only candidate to file for the June primary and therefore the Democratic nominee.
Declined
- Ward Armstrong, former minority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates
- Tom Perriello, former U.S. representative
- Chap Petersen, state senator
- Mark Warner, U.S. senator and former governor
Libertarian Party
Nominee
- Robert Sarvis, lawyer, entrepreneur and software developer
On April 21, 2013, the Libertarian Party of Virginia held a special convention and nominated Sarvis as the party's official gubernatorial candidate.
Sarvis' campaign submitted over 17,000 signatures to meet the Virginia State Board of Elections (SBE) requirement of 10,000 valid signatures. On June 26, 2013, the SBE confirmed to Sarvis' campaign that he would be listed on the ballot statewide during the elections this November. This made Sarvis the fourth minor party gubernatorial nominee to get on the Virginia ballot in 40 years.
Write-in candidates
Declared
- John Parmele Jr., Navy retiree
Parmele announced his campaign as a write-in candidate in August 2013. Parmele unsuccessfully ran for the Virginia Beach City Council six times. In 2005, he ran as an independent for the 82nd district of the Virginia House of Delegates and lost to incumbent Harry Purkey.
- Tareq Salahi, reality television personality
Salahi planned to seek the Republican nomination, but left the party to launch an independent bid. However, he failed to submit the necessary signatures to the Virginia State Board of Elections by the June 11, 2013, deadline and did not appear on the ballot as an independent. He transitioned his run into a write-in campaign and said he would pursue a congressional seat if he didn't win the governorship. Salahi also scheduled to have a film made documenting his campaign by Campbell Media Group, but the production company faced legal allegations.
Declined
- Bill Bolling, lieutenant governor of Virginia
General election
Debates and forums
Cuccinelli challenged McAuliffe to a series of 15 debates around the state. McAuliffe refused, and called Cuccinelli's challenge "absurd" and a "gimmick". Cuccinelli responded, "McAuliffe's campaign might have dismissed the challenge, but it's clear that community leaders and Virginians share our desire to hold real debates across the Commonwealth."
Both candidates agreed to participate in three debates: July 20, 2013, in Hot Springs, sponsored by the Virginia Bar Association; September 25, 2013, in McLean, sponsored by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and broadcast by NBC affiliates throughout Virginia; and a third debate on October 24, 2013, at Virginia Tech.
Cuccinelli declined to appear at the League of Women Voters/AARP debate, calling it a "left-wing, stacked debate". Cuccinelli accepted a debate invitation in Danville for a date in September or October; McAuliffe did not respond.
Sarvis was not invited to the debates or forums; some newspapers, including the Richmond Times Dispatch, The Roanoke Times, and The Daily Progress, called for his inclusion. Barton Hinkle of the Richmond Times Dispatch called the current debate process "stacked" suggesting that debate organizers are activists trying to influence the outcome of the election for their own ideological purposes. Sarvis said he would "debate anybody anywhere under any conditions."
McAuliffe and his campaign repeatedly declined to give a cost for his spending priorities, stating he would pay for them through unspecified government efficiency improvements, the Medicaid expansion, and federal money from Obamacare. McAuliffe said tax increases would not be on the table to pay for policy proposals. Cuccinelli's 2013 campaign conducted an analysis that found McAuliffe's spending plan would cost at least $14 billion – including $12 billion in new spending – over a four-year term and would translate into a $1,700 tax hike on the average Virginia family. McAuliffe's campaign accused Cuccinelli's campaign of "fabricat[ing]" the numbers.
Virginia Bar Association debate
Cuccinelli and McAuliffe met in their first debate on Saturday, July 20, 2013, at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia, for the Virginia Bar Association-sponsored debate. Both major party candidates attacked their opponent's record, and they debated one another on issues including transportation, federal healthcare, abortion, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, same-sex marriage, and other topics. PBS' Judy Woodruff moderated the debate. Libertarian Sarvis was not invited to join the debate, but he attended the event to greet voters.
Virginia Farm Bureau forum
Cuccinelli and McAuliffe discussed their plans for Virginia's largest industry, agriculture and forest products, on Friday, August 2, 2013, at Wytheville Community College in Wytheville, Virginia. The candidates also discussed topics including transportation and healthcare. The forum was hosted by the Farm Bureau's Young Farmers Committee. Libertarian Sarvis was not invited.
Cuccinelli and McAuliffe appeared Tuesday, August 6, 2013, at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott in Norfolk, Virginia at an event hosted by Tidewater Community College. Democrat McAuliffe argued that improving transportation would spur job creation, and he wanted to reform the Standards of Learning and Medicaid. Republican Cuccinelli focused on tax cuts as well as expanding opportunities for veterans and growing Virginia's ports. Libertarian Sarvis was not invited to the event, but a spokesman provided a statement about the libertarian candidate.
"Battleground Forum"
Cuccinelli and McAuliffe took the stage again on August 9, 2013, at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, Virginia, hosted by the chambers of commerce from Loudoun, Prince William, Reston and Fredericksburg. Both Cuccinelli and McAuliffe answered a series of questions from representatives from each of the chambers that hosted the forum, and both were called out by the event's moderator for dodging specific questions. The sharpest exchange was between McAuliffe and the forum moderator Derek McGinty, an anchor on WUSA. McAuliffe declined to take a position on the proposed Bi-County Parkway, a controversial project that would cut through Manassas National Battlefield Park to connect Prince William and Loudoun counties. Libertarian Sarvis attended the event but was not included as a candidate, which led some political observers, such as the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity's project watchdog.org, to say that the number one thing missing from the forum was the invitation to include Sarvis. Four days after moderating the Battleground Forum, WUSA-TV news anchor Derek McGinty said Sarvis should be part of the conversation.
Energy forum in Arlington
The Consumer Energy Alliance, the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy, and the Virginia Manufacturers Association co-hosted a forum focused on energy with Cuccinelli and McAuliffe on August 29, 2013. Libertarian Sarvis was not invited to the forum. The event took place at the George Mason University School of Law campus in Arlington. Both Cuccinelli and McAuliffe launched broad attacks on one another. Cuccinelli pointed out McAuliffe's inconsistent stances on coal and offshore drilling (McAuliffe made anti-coal and anti-offshore drilling statements during his 2009 campaign but has attempted to take a more centrist position in 2013). Cuccinelli also pointed to the GreenTech scandal enveloping McAuliffe. McAuliffe offered few specifics on his own energy policy plans but attacked Cuccinelli for his lawsuit of a Virginia Tech professor and expert on global warming whom he investigated for fraud, and said Cuccinelli's views on social issues would drive away businesses.
Fairfax County debate
The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and NBC4 hosted a debate between Cuccinelli and McAuliffe on September 25, 2013. NBC political journalist Chuck Todd moderated. The debate was held at the Capital One Bank headquarters in McLean, Virginia, and was aired live on NBC4 and NBC affiliates in Richmond, Charlottesville, Bristol and other Virginia cities. Throughout the debate, both McAuliffe and Cuccinelli attacked their opponent's records and views. McAuliffe focused on Medicaid expansion, failed to answer a question about the price tag of his education plan, and was exposed for not knowing that a state constitutional amendment is required to reverse the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Cuccinelli focused on his experience in office, defended his social views, and dodged a question about which loopholes he would close. After the debate, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce endorsed McAuliffe.
A spokesman said the debate would exclude Sarvis for "no other reason other than our tradition to provide a forum for the two major-party candidates." Sarvis attended the debate and his campaign debuted a television ad, which aired in Northern Virginia. The Sarvis ad caused Peter Galuszka of The Washington Post to say Sarvis "won" the debate. Five days after the debate moderator Chuck Todd invited Sarvis onto his show, The Daily Rundown, and asked Sarvis questions from the debate.
- Complete video of debate, September 25, 2013 - C-SPAN
Virginia Tech debate
Virginia Tech and WDBJ sponsored a debate between McAuliffe and Cuccinelli on October 24, 2013.
Prior to the debate, Cuccinelli agreed informally to participate, though his campaign asked questions about the rules, including to raise the threshold for a third-party candidate to participate, before formally agreeing. McAuliffe also agreed to the rules. Originally, the announced threshold for inclusion in the debate was ten percent in the polls. Later, it would be announced the threshold for inclusion in the debate was ten percent according to the RealClearPolitics average by the October 10 invitation deadline. On October 10, Sarvis was polling at 9% in the RealClearPolitics average, and WDBJ announced that Sarvis would not be included at the debate. Sarvis responded that the debate rules were "designed to exclude."
- Complete video of debate, October 24, 2013 - C-SPAN