Political analyst: Shakeup in Lieutenant Governor’s race won’t change much in November

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Despite Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity pulling out of the race for Lieutenant Governor, making former radio host John Reid the Republican nominee, Randolph-Macon Political Science Professor Rich Meagher said the outlook on Virginia’s November elections hasn’t changed. 

“We have a saying in American politics more broadly, which is that nobody votes for Vice President,” Meagher told 8News. 

Meagher said voters typically decide who they are going to vote for in the Governor’s race and then vote for that same party's candidate for Lieutenant Governor, regardless of who it is. 

“I don’t know that Herrity or anybody running for Lieutenant Governor is really going to make that much of a difference in a race. It really is about the gubernatorial candidates, I think here, more than anything else, for that Lieutenant Governor’s position,” Meagher said.

Meagher added that Republicans could benefit from the fact that they have their nominees for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General finalized without having to hold a primary.

“If I were going to script an upset for Winsome Sears, one thing I would do is try to line up her team early,” Meagher said. “Make sure that she and the lieutenant governor candidate, who is now John Reid, the Attorney General candidate, who is Jason Miyares -- that the three of them are sort of united and aligned to take on Democrats and not each other early in the process.” 

Democrats will choose their nominee for Lieutenant Governor on June 17. Six candidates are seeking the nomination.