Off-year gubernatorial contests in the commonwealth have been nasty, brutish, and yes, short, in the past. With likely nominees already starting to settle in, next year’s clash between Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Terry McAuliffe is shaping up to be the nation’s 2013 marquee contest just ahead of a crucial midterm year.
The field has finally coalesced in the past few weeks, with Cuccinelli avoiding a potentially messy convention fight with Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) -- which Cuccinelli almost certainly would have won -- and McAuliffe avoiding a potentially messier primary fight with former Rep. Tom Perriello (D).