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Virginia State Senator Enters GOP Gubernatorial Primary

NRA

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - State Sen. Frank Wagner of Virginia Beach says he's seeking the Republican nomination for governor.

TheVirginian-Pilot reports that Wagner made the announcement on Sunday.

He's one of four candidates who've announced they are seeking the nomination. He's the only state lawmaker of the group and the only candidate from Hampton Roads.

Wagner will be challenging Ed Gillespie, the former Republican National Committee chairman who lost a close Senate race to Democrat Mark Warner in 2014. Also running are Rep. Rob Wittman and Corey Stewart, the chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors who is also Donald Trump's Virginia campaign chairman.

Wagner says he decided to run after the state GOP decided on Saturday to hold a primary next year instead of a convention.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.