John Matthews
WMAL.com

RICHMOND --  Ken Cuccinelli will be the Republican nominee for Virginia Governor on the ballot this November.  The incumbent Attorney General automatically won the prize because he was the only candidate to submit his name and pay a $25,000 nominating fee to the Republican Party prior to Monday's 5:00pm deadline.

Seven candidates submitted applications to run for the Republican Lieutenant Governor nomination, including Prince William County Board Chairman Corey Stewart,  Delegate Scott Lingamfelter (Pr. Wm) and former State Senator Jeannemarie Davis (Fairfax).  A winner will be chosen at the Virginia Republican Party convention in May. 

Convention delegates will also choose between two candidates for the Attorney General nomination - Delegate Robert Bell and Senator Mark Obenshain.

In a statement released Monday, Virginia GOP Chairman Pat Mullins said, "I am pleased that so many candidates for Lt. Governor and Attorney General have filed to seek the Republican nomination at our state convention. These candidates all have tremendous qualifications and all of them would make an excellent candidate in the fall. I would also like to congratulate Ken Cuccinelli on becoming our Republican nominee for Governor. Ken is a man of principle who you never have a doubt on where he stands on the important issues facing Virginia."

Cuccinelli will face Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the general election, and the two could face at least two other familiar names on the ballot.  Current Lt. Governor Bill Bolling has said he is considering a run as an independent, and Tareq Salahi, best known for crashing a 2009 White House State dinner with then-wife Michaele, is also promising a run.  Salahi had originally signaled his intent to challenge Cuccinelli, but he backed out prior to the filing deadline. 

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