The Virginia Attorney General race between Mary Herring and Mark Obenshain continues, and is likely to continue for some weeks yet as both candidates lawyer up and continue to canvass the Commonwealth.
As of this writing, Herring seems to have taken the lead by a mere 165 votes out of more than 2.2 million cast, but this is, notably, the first time Herring has taken the lead. Obenshain led on election night and also after the first of several procedural manuevers by both campaigns.
Those observing Virginia politics will recall the 2005 race between Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds for Attorney General, which saw McDonnell win by what seemed like a narrow margin at the time — roughly 365 votes.
The registrar of the state board of elections will officially certify one candidate or the other the winner no later than Nov. 29, 2013, and after that the election may get even more interesting yet. A little known Virginia Code provision (found at Va. Code 24.2-804) places the final say in any election for Governor, Lieutenant Governor or Attorney General in the hands of the General Assembly…stay tuned dear readers.