Democrat Justin Fairfax has been elected Virginia's next lieutenant governor, a position that often serves as a springboard for future gubernatorial candidates.
Fairfax, a former federal prosecutor won Tuesday over Republican Jill Vogel, a Republican state senator from Fauquier County.
Fairfax has never held elective office before. He made his first run for office four years ago, narrowly losing the Democratic nomination for attorney general to Mark Herring.
The lieutenant governor post is considered a part-time job and receives a salary just above $36,000 a year. While there are few official duties, the lieutenant governor can cast tiebreaking votes in Virginia's closely divided state Senate.
