RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Virginia Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine squares off against former state Attorney General Jerry Kilgore in a tight race Tuesday for the state's governor's post.
Late polls show the election too close to call, with Kaine, a Democrat, generally holding the lead but within the margins of error of recent surveys. Kilgore was attorney general from January 2002 until he stepped down in February to run for governor.
The ballot includes independent candidate state Sen. Russell Potts, R-Winchester, who has been polling in the single digits.
Key issues are a tax increase passed last year and highway congestion. There was also a series of Kilgore ads that pointedly questioned whether Kaine, a Roman Catholic, would carry out death sentences as governor. Kaine countered with ads stating he would "follow Virginia law" regarding executions.
The state also will elect a new lieutenant governor and attorney general in addition to the House of Delegates.
Virginia is the only state in the country that doesn't allow its governors to run for consecutive terms, forcing Gov. Mark Warner to step aside.
