Why is every one making this so complicated. Republicans stayed home because the party bites and who better represents that than Gillespie.
I am not even sure the Republican elites would not rather lose if it means stopping Trump. The question is what do you do about it.
How did Gillespie win the Primary? He had already lost a statewide Senate election. Was there nobody better to run?
No. Gillespie got more votes than Cuccinelli 4 years ago. race very closely tracked the 2016 pattern. R win in the mountains, rural and way out exurbs. Dems in NOVA, inner burbs and Richmond.
Nothing else