First elected to the state Senate from Norfolk in 2007, Northam has had a charmed political career. He was courted by Republicans because of his conservative leanings, and was identified early by then-Gov. Tim Kaine, a fellow Democrat, as future governor material because of his experience in both healthcare and the military. Northam served in the Army for eight years after medical school, treating soldiers wounded in the Gulf War.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 01, 2019 22:58 UTC