2017 Virginia Attorney General election explained

The 2017 Virginia Attorney General election was held on November 7, 2017. The incumbent attorney general, Democrat Mark Herring, was expected to run for governor, but announced he would run for re-election instead. As only Herring and Republican John Adams qualified for their respective party primaries, the two automatically became their parties' nominees. In the general election, Herring defeated Adams to win a second term as Attorney General of Virginia.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Mark Herring, incumbent Attorney General^[1]

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• John Adams, navy veteran, McGuire Woods partner, former law clerk for Clarence Thomas; former Assistant United States Attorney and White House aide^{[2] [3] [4]}

Failed to Qualify

• Chuck Smith, former chair of the Republican Party of Virginia Beach, candidate for VA-03 and candidate for Virginia Beach City Council^[5]

Withdrawn

• Rob Bell, state delegate and candidate in 2013^[6]

Declined

• Bill Stanley, state senator^{[7] [8]}

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	John Adams	Rob Bell	Chuck Smith	Undecided
Public Opinion Strategies[9]	September 18–21, 2016	800	± 3.46%	11%	align=center	16%	3%	align=center	69%

General election

Candidates

• Democratic nominee: Mark Herring, incumbent attorney general
• Republican nominee: John Adams

Polling

Polls

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	Mark Herring (D)	John Adams (R)	Other	Undecided
Change Research[10]	November 2–5, 2017	3,648	± 1.6%	align=center	51%	45%	—	4%
The Polling Company (R)[11]	November 2–5, 2017	800	± 3.5%	44%	align=center	45%	—	9%
	Christopher Newport University[12]	October 29 – November 4, 2017	839	± 3.5%	align=center	49%	45%	—	6%
Gravis Marketing[13]	October 30 – November 3, 2017	1,143	± 2.9%	align=center	48%	42%	—	10%
The Polling Company (R)[14]	October 30 – November 2, 2017	800	± 3.5%	42%	align=center	43%	—	12%
Roanoke College[15]	October 29 – November 2, 2017	781	± 3.5%	46%	46%	—	8%
Suffolk University[16]	October 30 – November 1, 2017	500	± 4.4%	align=center	44%	42%	—	13%
Washington Post/Schar School[17]	October 26–29, 2017	921	± 4.0%	align=center	51%	43%	—	5%
The Polling Company (R)[18]	October 23–26, 2017	800	± 3.5%	43%	43%	—	11%
Christopher Newport University[19]	October 20–25, 2017	812	± 3.8%	align=center	49%	44%	—	7%
Roanoke College[20]	October 8–13, 2017	607	± 4.0%	align=center	47%	42%	—	10%
Christopher Newport University[21]	October 2–6, 2017	928	± 4.3%	align=center	51%	40%	—	9%
Washington Post/Schar School Poll[22]	align=center rowspan=2	September 28 – October 2, 2017	720 LV	± 4.5%	align=center	52%	41%	—	5%
	1,000 RV	± 3.5%	align=center	50%	39%	—	6%
Public Policy Polling[23]	September 21–23, 2017	849	± 3.8%	align=center	46%	38%	—	16%
Christopher Newport University[24]	September 12–22, 2017	776	± 3.7%	align=center	47%	42%	—	11%
Suffolk University[25]	September 13–17, 2017	500	± 4.4%	align=center	39%	37%	—	23%
Mason-Dixon[26]	September 10–15, 2017	625	± 4.0%	align=center	45%	36%	—	19%
University of Mary Washington[27]	align=center rowspan=2	September 5–12, 2017	562 LV	± 5.2%	align=center	47%	40%	—	10%
	867 RV	± 4.1%	align=center	47%	38%	—	12%
Virginia Commonwealth University[28]	align=center rowspan=2	July 17–25, 2017	538 LV	± 5.1%	align=center	45%	39%	—	15%
	707 RV	± 4.5%	align=center	43%	36%	—	17%

Results

By congressional district

Herring won 5 of 11 congressional districts, including one that was represented by a Republican.^[29]

District	Herring	Adams	Representative
		44%	56%		Rob Wittman
		49.8%	50.1%		Scott Taylor
		67%	33%		Bobby Scott
		61%	39%		Donald McEachin
		45%	55%
		38%	62%		Bob Goodlatte
		47%	53%		Dave Brat
		75%	25%		Don Beyer
		31%	69%		Morgan Griffith
		55%	45%		Barbara Comstock
		69%	30%		Gerry Connolly

See also

• 2017 Virginia elections
• 2017 Virginia gubernatorial election
• 2017 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election
• 2017 United States gubernatorial elections

External links

Official campaign websites

• Mark Herring for Attorney General
• John Adams for Attorney General
• Chuck Smith for Attorney General

Notes and References

1. News: Va. attorney general to seek reelection, won't run for governor in 2017. The Washington Post. Portnoy. Jenna. Vozzella. Laura. September 2, 2015. December 18, 2015. December 24, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151224022713/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/va-attorney-general-to-seek-reelection-wont-run-for-governor-in-2017/2015/09/02/26e61b96-5186-11e5-9812-92d5948a40f8_story.html. live.
2. News: Attorney launches challenge for GOP attorney general nomination. The Daily Progress. January 27, 2016. February 11, 2016. September 10, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200910134358/https://dailyprogress.com/news/virginia_politics/attorney-launches-challenge-for-gop-attorney-general-nomination/article_6998134c-c51f-11e5-86b4-2fac84233c05.html. live.
3. News: GOP race for Va. attorney general heats up. The Washington Post. Portnoy. Jenna. February 1, 2016. February 11, 2016. February 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160206162548/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/gop-race-for-va-attorney-general-heats-up/2016/02/01/a3c1b258-c5ce-11e5-9693-933a4d31bcc8_story.html. live.
4. News: John Adams is presumptive Republican nominee for Virginia Attorney General. Washington Post. 2017-03-31. 2017-04-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20170401145509/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/john-adams-is-presumptive-republican-nominee-for-virginia-attorney-general/2017/03/31/eb43024c-1642-11e7-833c-503e1f6394c9_story.html. live.
5. News: GOP attorney general candidate Chuck Smith fails to qualify for primary ballot. Staff report. Richmond Times-Dispatch. 2017-03-31. en. 2017-03-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20170331210345/http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/gop-attorney-general-candidate-chuck-smith-fails-to-qualify-for/article_b7911b55-8437-5a13-9aed-23a956ccb93a.html. live.
6. News: Republican Rob Bell vows to oust Herring as Va. attorney general. Vozzella. Laura. December 3, 2015. The Washington Post. December 18, 2015. December 13, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151213092327/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/republican-rob-bell-vows-to-oust-herring-as-va-attorney-general/2015/12/03/1c36e0ba-99f0-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html. live.
7. News: Del. Rob Bell ends campaign for Virginia attorney general. Richmond Times-Dispatch. 2016-11-22. 2017-04-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20170401190809/http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/article_60655c37-c8b7-5268-b2cf-03f7adae4d48.html. live.
8. News: State Senator Bill Stanley elected chairman of the New College Institute Board of Directors. Dashiell. Joe. 2016-12-10. 2016-12-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20161211182322/http://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/State-Senator-Bill-Stanley-elected-chairman-of-the-New-College-Institute-Board-of-Directors-405691255.html. live.
9. http://www.dailypress.com/news/politics/shad-plank-blog/dp-new-poll-gillespie-well-ahead-in-2017-governor-s-race-20160926-post.html Public Opinion Strategies
10. https://medium.com/@ChngRsrch/governors-races-democrats-lead-by-6-in-virginia-16-in-new-jersey-heading-into-election-day-33a798ef23a3 Change Research
11. https://www.realclearpolitics.com/docs/VA_TPC_Topline_Nov_2-5.pdf The Polling Company (R)
12. http://wasoncenter.cnu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Nov-6-Report-Final-1.pdf Christopher Newport University
13. https://bigleaguepolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/CROSSTABS-FORMAT-1-v2.pdf Gravis Marketing
14. https://www.realclearpolitics.com/docs/VA_TPC_Topline_Oct_30-Nov_2.pdf The Polling Company (R)
15. https://www.roanoke.edu/about/news/rc_poll_politics_nov_2017/nov_2017_rc_poll_politics_topline Roanoke College
16. http://www.suffolk.edu/documents/SUPRC/11_2_2017_marginals.pdf Suffolk University
17. https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/local/washington-post-schar-school-poll-oct-26-29-2017/2255/?wpisrc=nl_post_polling&wpmm=1 Washington Post/Schar School
18. https://www.realclearpolitics.com/docs/2017_VA_TPC_10_27_20171.pdf The Polling Company (R)
19. http://wasoncenter.cnu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Oct-27-Report-Final.pdf Christopher Newport University
20. https://www.roanoke.edu/about/news/rc_poll_oct_2017_politics/oct_2017_rc_poll_politics_topline Roanoke College
21. http://wasoncenter.cnu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Oct-9-Report-Final.pdf Christopher Newport University
22. https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/local/washington-post-schar-school-poll-sept-28-oct-2-2017/2243/ Washington Post/Schar School Poll
23. http://www.equalityvirginia.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/VirginiaResultsEV.pdf Public Policy Polling
24. http://wasoncenter.cnu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Sept-25-Report-Final.pdf Christopher Newport University
25. http://www.suffolk.edu/documents/SUPRC/9_18_2017_marginals.pdf Suffolk University
26. https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/c605399a-45e7-4419-a45b-796c7289ab0c/downloads/1br1skqie_431673.pdf Mason-Dixon
27. http://www.umw.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/09/UMW20VA20Survey202017_First20Topline.pdf University of Mary Washington
28. http://www.wilder.vcu.edu/media/university-relations/cepi/pdfs/FINAL_Su2017_Wilder_public_policy_poll_election.pdf Virginia Commonwealth University
29. Web site: Dra 2020 .