“With Cuccinelli out of the Governor’s race this time around, it seems likely that Republicans will compete for the mantle of the conservative alternative to Gillespie,” said University of Mary Washington political analyst Stephen Farnsworth. Their chances in 2017 depend largely on 2016, Farnsworth said. “If the party does well in elections in 2016 nationally and in Virginia, I think that’ll make a more compelling case for the conservative candidate. But if the party doesn’t do well, there may be more willingness to support a more moderate candidate.”
