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Gov. McDonnell doesn't see a 3rd party candidate in VA race

Despite building buzz around a possible independent candidate in Virginia's governor's race, the current governor says he doesn't think it will happen.
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell waves to his wife as he delivers his State of the Commonwealth address before a joint session of the 2013 Virginia General Assembly in the House chambers at the Capitol, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013 in Richmond, Va. (Photo by...
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell waves to his wife as he delivers his State of the Commonwealth address before a joint session of the 2013 Virginia General...

Despite building buzz around a possible independent candidate in Virginia's governor's race, the current governor says he doesn't think it will happen.

"Independent candidacies are very tough," Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell told Chuck Todd on The Daily Rundown. "It makes good chatter in the press, but they almost never happen,"

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) dropped a bid to succeed McDonnell late last year after Republican Attorney Gen. Ken Cuccinelli got into the race and the state party decided to select their nominee at a meeting of party leaders instead of through a primary with voters.

"[This] is completely up to the lieutenant governor, but I think we'll have a Governor Cuccinelli in about eight months," said McDonnell.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed the race in a dead heat between Cuccinelli and Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe, the former DNC chairman and close confidante of former President Bill Clinton. The two were tied at 38% in a one-on-one contest. If Bolling made it a three-way race, then McAuliffe leads at 34% with Cuccinelli at 31% and Bolling at 13%.