I think the beaurocrats sabotaged Gilmore. VA governors don’t have any time to learn the ropes.
A couple of responses to both of you.
Gilmore tried to push the car tax through. He was stopped by the General Assembly. In the last year of his administratin we were hit with the dot com bubble burst and 9/11. Warner used all of that to cry “crisis” when there was none.
As for Virginia Governors learning the ropes. Yes, they’re at a disadvantage with the term limit. But Gilmore had four years as Attorney General as well, giving him more Virginia executive experience than Warner.
All that being said, the truth remains that Jim Gilmore is losing because of....Jim Gilmore.