Ralph Northam

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Ralph Northam
Ralph Northam 2008-10-28.jpg
40th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Assumed office
January 11, 2014
Governor Terry McAuliffe
Preceded by Bill Bolling
Member of the Virginia Senate
from the 6th district
In office
January 9, 2008 – January 11, 2014
Preceded by Nick Rerras
Succeeded by Lynwood Lewis
Personal details
Born Ralph Shearer Northam
(1959-09-13) September 13, 1959 (age 57)
Nassawadox, Virginia, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Pam Northam
Children 2
Education Virginia Military Institute (BS)
Eastern Virginia Medical School (MD)
Website Official campaign website
Military service
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch  United States Army
Years of service 1984–1992
Rank US-O4 insignia.svg Major
Unit Medical Corps

Ralph Shearer Northam (born September 13, 1959) is an American doctor, U.S. Army veteran, former Virginia state senator, and current Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Northam is the Democratic nominee for Governor of Virginia in 2017 election.[1]

Early life and education[edit]

Northam is the son of Nancy B. Shearer, a nurse and Wescott B. Northam, a former Commonwealth's Attorney and Circuit Court judge in Accomack County, Virginia.[2] He grew up in Onancock, Virginia.

Northam attended Virginia Military Institute from 1977 until his graduation four years later in 1981. During his First Classman (Senior) year, Northam was President of the Honor Court, presiding over cases brought before the Court in which cadets were tried for offenses under the Institute's Honor Code. He went on to Eastern Virginia Medical School, obtaining his M.D. degree in 1984.[citation needed]

Army and medical career[edit]

From 1984 to 1992 he served as a United States Army physician, attaining the rank of major. During his army service, he completed a paediatric residency at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, followed by a child neurology fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.. During Operation Desert Storm, he treated evacuated casualties at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

In 1992, Northam left the Army with the rank of major.[3] Since 1992,[4] Northam has been a pediatric neurologist at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia.[5]

Political career[edit]

Virginia State Senate[edit]

Northam first ran for office in 2007 in the Virginia 6th Senate district, which includes the Eastern Shore of Virginia; Mathews County, on the Middle Peninsula; and parts of the cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. He was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. On November 6, 2007, he defeated Nick Rerras, a two-term Republican incumbent, 17,307 votes to 14,499.[6]

He was re-elected in November 2011, defeating Ben Loyola, Jr., a defense contractor, 16,606 votes to 12,622.[7]

In 2009, Northam — a self-described "conservative on fiscal issues and liberal on social issues"[8] — was the subject of an attempt by State Senate Republicans to get him to switch parties.[9] This action would have given Republicans control of the State Senate, but after news of the imminent switch broke on Twitter, Democrats held a closed-door meeting, and Northam reiterated that he was not leaving the party.[10] He later said, "I guess it's nice to be wanted, but I'm a Democrat, and that's where I'm staying."[11]

Northam ran for lieutenant governor as Terry McAuliffe's running mate.

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia[edit]

Main article: Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2013

Northam ran for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in the 2013 election.[12] Northam competed against U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra for the Democratic nomination.[13] On June 11, 2013, Northam won the Democratic primary over Chopra with 54% of the vote to Chopra's 46%.[14][15]

On November 5, 2013, Northam was elected as Virginia's 40th Lieutenant Governor over Republican E.W. Jackson by a 10% margin, receiving 55% of the vote to Jackson's 45%.[16] Northam was the first Democrat since Tim Kaine in 2001 to be elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.

2017 run for Governor[edit]

Main article: Virginia gubernatorial election, 2017

In February 2015, just over a year into his term as Lieutenant Governor, Northam confirmed his interest in running for Governor of Virginia in 2017.[17][18] He made these intentions official on November 17, 2015, via an email to supporters.[19]

Northam faced former Congressman Tom Perriello in the Democratic primary. On June 13, 2017, Northam won the Democratic nomination with 56% of the vote to Perriello's 44%.[20]

Personal life[edit]

Northam currently lives in Norfolk. He has two children, Wes and Aubrey. His brother, Thomas Northam, is the law partner of Virginia State Senate member Lynwood Lewis, who was elected to the State Senate to replace Northam when he resigned his State Senate seat to assume the position of Lieutenant Governor.

Electoral history[edit]

Virginia State Senate 6th District Election, 2007
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ralph Northam 17,307 54.33
Republican Nick Rerras 14,499 45.52
Write-ins Write-ins 45 0.14
Virginia State Senate 6th District Election, 2011
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ralph Northam (inc.) 16,606 56.75
Republican Ben Loyola, Jr. 12,622 43.13
Write-ins Write-ins 31 0.10
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Democratic Primary Election, 2013
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ralph Northam 78,337 54.24
Democratic Aneesh Chopra 66,098 45.76
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Election, 2013
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ralph Northam 1,213,155 55.12
Republican E. W. Jackson 980,257 44.54
Write-ins Write-ins 7,472 0.34

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ralph-northam-wins-democratic-nomination-virginias-race-governor-48019575
  2. ^ "Nancy B. Shearer Wed; Johns Hopkins Graduate is Bride of Wescott Northam". The New York Times. April 29, 1956. 
  3. ^ Jenna Portnoy, Ralph Northam, Va.’s low-key lieutenant governor, juggles politics and pediatrics, Washington Post (July 27, 2014).
  4. ^ Harry Minium, Norfolk doctor had key role in state ultrasound debate, Virginian-Pilot (March 11, 2012).
  5. ^ Ralph S. Northam, Children's hospitals offer many advantages, Richmond Times-Disparch (August 8, 2015).
  6. ^ Virginia State Board of Elections; Election Results for 2007; November 6, 2007 Election Results
  7. ^ Virginia State Board of Elections; Election Results for 2011; 2011 November Official Election Results
  8. ^ Kumar, Anita. "Va. Senate Democrats' Edge Little Comfort", Washington Post, February 21, 2009.
  9. ^ Linkins, Jason. "Jeff Frederick's Twitter Use Foils GOP Virginia Senate Coup", Huffington Post, March 13, 2009.
  10. ^ Payne, Kimball. Northam's Move To Share Power Turns Heads, Hampton Roads Daily Press, February 14, 2009.
  11. ^ Walker, Julian (November 19, 2011). "State Sen. Northam spurns GOP offer to switch sides". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 31, 2013. 
  12. ^ Vozzella, Laura (December 2, 2012). "Sen. Ralph Northam announces lieutenant governor bid". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 31, 2013. 
  13. ^ Walker, Julian (April 2, 2013). "McAuliffe named Dem governor nominee, 4 others make ballot". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved April 3, 2013. 
  14. ^ Pershing, Ben; Whack, Errin (June 11, 2013). "Democrats give nod to Northam, Herring in statewide races". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 12, 2013. 
  15. ^ Virginia SBE - Democratic Lieutenant Governor primary results Archived June 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-12. 
  17. ^ Vozzella, Laura (February 24, 2015). "Ralph Northam confirms he’s running to become next Va. governor". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 25, 2015. 
  18. ^ Nolan, Jim (February 25, 2015). "Northam exploring run for governor in 2017". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved March 25, 2015. 
  19. ^ Vozzella, Laura (November 17, 2015). "Virginia’s lieutenant governor makes it official: He’s seeking state’s top job". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 18, 2015. 
  20. ^ Virginia Primary Results: Northam Will Face Gillespie in Governor’s Race

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Senate of Virginia
Preceded by
Nick Rerras		 Member of the Virginia Senate
from the 6th district
2006–2014		 Succeeded by
Lynwood Lewis
Party political offices
Preceded by
Terry McAuliffe		 Democratic nominee for Governor of Virginia
2017		 Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by
Bill Bolling		 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
2014–present		 Incumbent
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