Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart said Tuesday voters should not misread the outcome of Virginia’s gubernatorial election as a rejection of President Trump.
Republican Ed Gillespie fell well short of defeating Democrat Ralph Northam in the race, months after Mr. Stewart nearly stunned Mr. Gillespie in the GOP primary after running a Trump-inspired campaign that focused on immigration and preserving Confederate memorials.
“Ed rejected Trump,” Mr. Stewart told The Washington Times after the race was called. “Ed distanced himself from Trump. He wouldn’t campaign with him. In the primary and general he would not even retweet President Trump’s endorsement of him.”
Mr. Stewart, who is now running for the U.S. Senate in 2018, said there is another clear lesson to be learned from the results.
“It means that we never again nomination a Republican from the Bush wing of the Republican Party,” Mr. Stewart said.
Mr. Gillespie, who served as an adviser to President George W. Bush, moved to the right in his showdown with Mr. Northam, borrowing pages of Mr. Stewart’s playbook.
SEE ALSO: Ralph Northam wins 2017 Virginia governor race
But he never sought to campaign with Mr. Stewart, or Mr. Trump.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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