Ralph Northam, the Democratic nominee for governor of Virginia in Tuesday’s election, has been the commonwealth’s lt. gov. the past four years. With Virginia governors limited to one consecutive term, the LG is often seen as the heir apparent from the moment of the election. Sometimes, but not always, that person has gone on to become governor. Here’s the record of the past 60 years, in which every lt. governor (*except J. Sargeant Reynolds, who died in office) ran for governor:
| Year | Lt. Gov. Elected | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | A.E.S. Stephens (D) | Lost 1961 primary to AG Albertis Harrison |
| 1961 | Mills Godwin Jr. (D) | Elected governor 1965 |
| 1965 | Fred Pollard (D) | Lost 1969 primary to William Battle |
| 1969 | J. Sargeant Reynolds (D)* | |
| 1971 | Henry Howell (D) | Won 1973 primary over AG Andrew Miller but lost general to ex-Gov. Godwin (now R) |
| 1973 | John Dalton (R) | Elected governor 1977 |
| 1977 | Chuck Robb (D) | Elected governor 1981 |
| 1981 | Richard Davis (D) | Withdrew prior to 1985 Dem convention, won by AG Gerald Baliles |
| 1985 | Douglas Wilder (D) | Elected governor 1989 |
| 1989 | Don Beyer (D) | Lost 1997 general election to Jim Gilmore (R) |
| 1997 | John Hager (R) | Lost 2001 GOP convention to AG Mark Earley |
| 2001 | Tim Kaine (D) | Elected governor 2005 |
| 2005 | Bill Bolling (R) | Withdrew prior to 2013 GOP convention, won by AG Ken Cuccinelli |
| 2017 | Ralph Northam (D) | ?? |