The campaign of Virginia Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam, in a race for the Democratic nomination for governor with former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, announced this week that 30,170 petition signatures were filed in Richmond to qualify him for the ballot, 20,000 more than the minimum required. Justin Fairfax, a Democrat seeking his party’s nomination for lieutenant governor, announced he’d filed 16,329 signatures to qualify to qualify for the June primary ballot, and has also won the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly. Fairfax is running against Susan Platt, a former Joe Biden chief of staff, and Gene Rossi, a former assistant U.S. attorney.

Platt yesterday revealed a letter of support from actress Rosie O’Donnell. Northam will speak to the monthly breakfast meeting of the Northern Virginia Democratic Business Council in Tysons Corner this Friday. In a Christopher Newport University poll reported yesterday, Northam and Perriello are in a virtual tie at 26 percent each, with almost 50 percent of likely Democratic primary voters undecided.

Meanwhile, three GOP candidates for lieutenant governor, Del. Glenn Davis, Sen. Jill Vogel and Sen. Bryce Reeves, are slated to participate in a debate tonight at Arlington’s Army Navy Club hosted by the Republican Woman’s Clubs of Northern Virginia.