In an announcement today, Tom Perriello says that he won't run for governor next year. This comes on the heels of last week's announcements that Mark Warner won't give up his Senate seat to run, and on the Republican side Lt. Governor Bolling won't run either.
This leaves us with Terry McAuliffe (D) vs Ken Cucinelli (R) pretty much as a done deal. Follow me over the orange fleur-de-kos for my take on it.
On the one hand, in our favor is KooKoonelli himself, and his continued war on women, rich history of misogynist decisions and statements for use in ads, his status as Virginia's leading climate change denier, his record as having wasted Virginia taxpayer funds on the PPACA lawsuit, and (I'd like to think it will matter to my fellow Virginians) his record as attorney general shows remarkably little done for the consumer or in fighting banks, payday lenders, etc. as other attorneys general have done.
On the other hand is Terry McAuliffe. Having never held elected office, unknown and not well liked outside Northern Virginia. Remember, this is the guy who lost to Creigh Deeds (a just-as-unknown legislator from western Virginia) for the 2009 gubernatorial nomination by 23 points, despite out-fundraising him.
Also, I gotta say, it will not go over well that his latest venture Greentech Automotive is building its plant in Mississippi and creating jobs there instead of Virginia. Frankly, this pisses me off big time - why invest in a union-hating, low wage state like Mississippi versus his home state, or building it up in Ohio or Michigan which has hundreds of old auto plants that could be renovated and benefit from a new company like this.
Support from women might help him squeak it out, but I doubt it. Cucinelli win 54-46 is my prediction.