The 1997 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1997. The incumbent Governor, George Allen, was barred from seeking a second term due to Virginia's unique term limits law. The Republican candidate, Jim Gilmore, the Attorney General of Virginia defeated the Democratic nominee, Don Beyer, the incumbent Lieutenant Governor.
Coupled with Republican gains in the House of Delegates in 1999, Republicans won a trifecta in the state for the first time since 1870. As of 2025, this is the last time in which the Republicans won the governorship for two consecutive terms.
General election.
Campaign.
Gilmore and Beyer were the two most prominent statewide officials for their parties, with Gilmore having been first elected Attorney General in 1993, and Beyer having been first elected in 1989, and re-elected in 1993, the only Democrat to win a statewide contest that year. Consequently, both candidates were seen as their respective party's heir apparent to replace term-limited Governor George Allen. The field was cleared for both candidates, allowing them time to fundraise and begin attacks on one another.
Among the earliest attacks was against Gilmore's hesitancy to resign as Attorney General to campaign for governor. Doing so was seen as tradition, and also as a way to avoid any appearance of impropriety from receiving campaign funds from companies the Attorney General's office might be involved with. Thus, Gilmore's reluctance to resign was the subject of criticism from Beyer. Ultimately, Gilmore announced his intent to resign on April 3, and his resignation became effective June 11.
Moreover, Beyer tried to attack Gilmore for his social conservatism. He attacked Gilmore for his stances and comments against abortion, in an attempt to court women voters, with whom he had an advantage. He also attacked Gilmore for his ties to Pat Robertson and the religious right, launching television ads highlighting the fact that Robertson had donated $100,000 to the Gilmore campaign.
But as the election came closer, Gilmore shifted his campaign's focus against the state's tax on personal vehicles. The tax was strongly disliked by Virginians, per polling by the Gilmore camp, and thus it became a central focus of his campaign. Beyer attacked the plan to remove the tax as a gimmick and as a fraud that would take away an estimated $1 billion from schools, but nevertheless, put forth a more moderate tax cut of his own, owing to how salient the issue had become.
Results.
The election was hard-fought and a dead heat, with polls from the summer into September showing little movement between either candidate. It was not until the final weeks that polls showed movement towards Gilmore, who ultimately won the race. Gilmore's opposition to the car tax was a major factor in his victory, and polls showed this was a factor in his support. His win was also in part due to his strength in rural and suburban areas, while performing relatively well in more populated urban areas. His victory also helped to flip the Lieutenant Governor's race and hold the Attorney General's race for Republicans. This was the first time a sweep of the three statewide offices had occurred since Reconstruction.
Beyer also was seen by some as having run an underwhelming campaign, and struggled in many respects. As taxes grew to become a major issue, Beyer's attacks on Gilmore's abortion stance seemed to become secondary, and failed to move support away from Gilmore. Moreover, his shift on the tax issue from opposition to proposing a tax cut of his own drew criticism from Gilmore. Beyer also was unable to secure the endorsement of former Governor L. Douglas Wilder, which was seen by many as a rebuke towards his campaign, and was believed to hurt his ability to mobilize Black voters. After the election, Beyer would stay out of elected office, until making a political comeback, going on to represent Virginia's 8th Congressional District in Congress, being first elected in 2014.
References.
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