VA GUBE: The Battle For Northern Virginia

The Democratic gubernatorial primary contest reaches its first boiling point this week as former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe prepares to officially announce his bid and former state delegate Brian Moran counters with a series of NoVa endorsements that his team believes will show he is the homegrown candidate.

Moran, an Alexandria resident who resigned his seat to run for governor, will announce today that a majority of Arlington County officials are backing his candidacy. Per a campaign source, they are:

Board of Supervisors. Barbara Favola (Chair), Chris Zimmerman and Walter Tejada;

School Board. Ed Fendley (Chair), Libby Garvey, and Abby Raphael;

Constitutional Officers. Ingrid Morroy (Commissioner of the Revenue), Paul Ferguson (Clerk of Court), Frank O’Leary (Treasurer), Dick Trodden (Commonwealth’s Attorney) and David Bell (former Clerk of Court);

General Assembly. Delegates Bob Brink and Al Eisenberg, former Delegate Karen Darner and former Senator Ed Holland; and

Arlington Democratic Committee Chair Peter Rousselot. He joins the 8th District Democratic Chair, Margo Horner, who was previously announced.

The announcement coincides with the final stop of Moran's Virginia Values Tour. McAuliffe, who lives in McLean, is expected to hold a town hall meeting in Alexandria tomorrow eve. His top advisers, campaign manager Mike Henry and senior strategist Mo Elleithee, are holding a call with reporters this afternoon, the contents of which will be embargoed until tomorrow morning.

Northern Virginia is, of course, a critical Democratic battleground. Obama outperformed Hillary Clinton there during the state's presidential primary. And whoever emerges dominant in the region during the state's gubernatorial primary will likely be the party's nominee.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)