RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Democrat Ralph Northam has a hefty cash advantage over Republican Ed Gillespie in the final weeks of the closely watched Virginia governor’s race. Campaign finance reports filed late Monday show Northam raised more than $7 million in September and had about $5.7 million in the bank at the end of the month. Gillespie reported raising $4.4 million, with $2.5 million cash on hand for the same period. Northam’s big donors included unions and special interest groups like Planned Parenthood and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, as well as best-selling authors John Grisham and David Baldacci. Major donors to Gillespie include several wealthy businessmen, including former Advance Auto Parts CEO Nicholas Taubman, former President George W. Bush and the tobacco giant Altria.
