United States gubernatorial elections, 2009
- Both in New Jersey ( above) as well as in Virginia, the Republican candidate prevailed.
The gubernatorial elections in the United States in 2009 were held on November 3, 2009. It was chosen in two states: New Jersey and Virginia. Both states were ruled by governors who belong to the Democratic Party and was elected in 2005; victorious were now each candidate of the Republican Party.
Virginia
Incumbent Tim Kaine from the Democrats could not run again because the Constitution prohibits Virginia's two consecutive terms of office of Governor. It was initially believed that the predecessor Mark Warner would run again for the Democrats ( this would also be permitted by the Constitution of Virginia, only two consecutive terms are prohibited ), but Warner stepped up to the elections to the Senate in 2008 and won the second Virginia's Senate seat.
In the primarys on June 9, 2009, Creigh Deeds sat, member of the Senate of Virginia, with 50 % of the vote clearly against its rivals Terry McAuliffe ( 26%) and Brian Moran (24%) by. McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, had been given the support of former President Bill Clinton and the incumbent governors Ed Rendell (Pennsylvania) and Brian Schweitzer (Montana) slight favorite, especially since he with $ 8.2 million and the highest campaign budget had. Creigh Deeds was only made just under 3.5 million dollars.
When the Republicans was Bob McDonnell, Attorney General of Virginia, the only candidate in the primaries.
In surveys that were carried out a few days before the democratic primarys, Republican McDonnell was about 1-4 percentage points ahead of the Democrat Deeds.
After Deeds had prevailed as a candidate, he was lying in the polls until election day practically consistently with a clear residue behind McDonnell back. The last exit polls three days before the election saw the Republicans with 58 percent of the vote in front; his Democratic opponent reached 40 percent. The final election result most of them from only slightly: Bob McDonnell prevailed with 58.7 percent of the vote, while Creigh Deeds was clearly inferior, with a share of 41.3 percent.
New Jersey
In New Jersey, a candidate of the Democratic incumbent Governor Jon Corzine, for a second term.
In the Republican primary on June 2, the former prosecutor Chris Christie sat down with 55 % over its competitors by Steve Lonegan and Rick Merkt.
In a poll by Rasmussen Reports, which was carried out according to the primaries in the day, Republican Christie stood at 51 %, well ahead of incumbent Corzine, who came to 38%. In the following months succeeded Corzine to catch up with Christie. Shortly before the election, a poll showed a residue of only three percentage points; the independent candidate Chris Daggett wanted to give her voice eleven percent of respondents.
Ultimately, however, no longer able Corzine, make up the leeway. With 49 percent of the vote succeeded Chris Christie to defeat the incumbent, who came to 45 per cent; Chris Daggett received only six percent.
Reactions
Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, saw the success of the two Republican candidates as a clear sign of the citizens against the policies of President Barack Obama, particularly those in New Jersey: " In a state that voted overwhelmingly for President Obama sends this significant setback for Corzine a clear message to the Democrats across the country. This election is a rejection of the leftist policies that hurt our nation. ", The outgoing Governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine, described in his capacity as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee the outcome of the elections as typical by ended with the victory of the party which is not in Washington in power.