In the open race to serve as Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R-VA) faces-off against Terry McAuliffe (D) and Robert Sarvis (L). The Constitution of Virginia prohibits governors from serving multiple consecutive terms, so incumbent Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA) is currently ineligible for reelection.

The office of governor is established by the Constitution of Virginia, and the office holder’s primary duty is to serve as the chief of the commonwealth’s executive branch of government. The governor must report on the state of the commonwealth to the General Assembly, convene the legislature when a special session is called, ensure that state laws are executed properly, and serve as commander-in-chief of the state militia. Additionally, governors have the power to submit recommendations to the General Assembly, veto bills (in whole or in part with a line-item veto), commute fines and issue pardons, and restore voting rights to convicted felons.

Virginia governors must be at least thirty years old, citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and have been a resident and registered voter in the commonwealth for five years preceding the date of the election. They are elected to four-year terms and there are no term limits, although governors are prohibited from serving consecutive terms. Virginia is the only state in the United States that does not allow governors to stand for reelection and serve consecutive terms.

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In the open race to serve as the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Reverend E.W. Jackson (R) is up against state Senator Ralph Northam (D-VA 6th). Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling (R-VA) is not seeking reelection, having lost his Republican primary candidacy for governor.

The office of lieutenant governor is established by the Constitution of Virginia, and the office holder’s primary duty is to serve as the president of the Senate of Virginia. The lieutenant governor may vote in the state senate only to break ties. In addition, the lieutenant governor is first in the line of gubernatorial succession, and would serve as governor in the event of the governor’s death or incapacitation. Because Virginia governors may only serve one consecutive term, lieutenant governors are typically nominated by their parties to serve as the gubernatorial candidate in the following election cycle.

Virginia lieutenant governors must be at least thirty years old, citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and have been a resident and registered voter in the commonwealth for five years preceding the date of the election. They are elected to four-year terms and there are no term limits.

The Senate of Virginia is made up of senators elected from forty districts across the entire commonwealth. It is currently split evenly with twenty Democrats and twenty Republicans. The next senate election will be held in 2015, so the office of lieutenant governor is unusually important this year. Virginians’ votes in this race will determine which party holds a [razor-slim] majority in the Virginia Senate.

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In the open race to serve as the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia, state Senator Mark Herring (D-VA 33rd) faces-off against state Senator Mark Obenshain (R-VA 26th). Incumbent Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R-VA) has chosen not to seek reelection and is running as the Republican candidate for Governor of Virginia.

The attorney general has constitutional authority for providing legal advice to the state government, including the governor and the General Assembly, for defending the state in lawsuits, and for defending the constitutionality of state laws. The attorney general is also second in the line of gubernatorial succession, following the lieutenant governor. Traditionally, the attorney general’s office is used as a political stepping-stone for higher office and, as such, elections for the office are overly politicized. In considering the Off on a Tangent endorsement, I only consider issues that are particularly germane to the role of the attorney general—public safety, civil liberty, and legal competence.

Virginia attorney generals must be at least thirty years old, citizens of the United States, and hold the qualifications to be a ‘judge of court record.’ They are elected to four-years terms and there are no term limits.

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