Democrat Kaine Wins in Virginia

Potts entered the race in February, promising straight talk about the state budget and transportation. He vowed to stay in the race until the end, saying: "Never forget: I'm in this race to win."

As he traveled across the state, he told voters that he would raise taxes by $2 billion to pay for a massive repair of the state's transportation network. He supported abortion rights and adoption by same-sex couples. He often reserved his harshest criticism for Kilgore.

But Potts's campaign never took off, as he struggled to raise money and was denied a spot in three major debates. He repeatedly called Kilgore a coward for refusing to debate him.

With little money -- he took in a fraction of the $40 million that Kaine and Kilgore raised -- Potts aired only a few ads. A memorable one showed people banging kitchen pots and saying, "We want Potts!"

On the campaign trail, the candidates ate greasy fish at the annual Shad Planking in Wakefield and listened to music at the Galax Old Fiddler's Convention in Galax in southwest Virginia. The candidates shook hands with workers at the shipyards in Newport News and suburban commuters at the Metro stations in Northern Virginia.

Kilgore focused his efforts on the southwest corner of the state as well as in the Republican strongholds of the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Beach and the Richmond suburbs.

Kaine targeted Richmond, where he served as mayor, the Hampton Roads area and the inner suburbs of Northern Virginia. But he also campaigned in the outer suburbs of Northern Virginia, where the GOP is typically strong.

Both Kaine and Kilgore turned to their national parties for help raising money and motivating their voting bases.