This, in itself, is interesting. Two weeks ago, The Washington Post reported that Fairfax, who is black, stepped away from his duties presiding over the state Senate briefly while the legislative body took a ceremonial action honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

“I think it’s very divisive to do what was done there, particularly in light of the history that we’re now commemorating — 400 years since the first enslaved Africans came to the commonwealth of Virginia,” he said, adding, “And to do that in this year in particular was very hurtful to a lot of people.”

Fairfax’s assuming Northam’s position would be interesting, too, because of a loophole in the constitution. Two experts on the state’s governing document who spoke with The Post by email confirmed that if Fairfax were to replace Northam following the latter’s resignation, he would be eligible to run for reelection to the governor’s mansion at the end of Northam’s term — bucking the one-term rule that normally binds the state executive.

“The [state] constitution makes a governor ineligible to ‘the same office’ for the term succeeding that for which he was elected,” wrote A.E. Dick Howard, Warner-Booker distinguished professor of international law at the University of Virginia and executive director of Virginia’s Commission on Constitutional Revision. “A lieutenant governor who has succeeded to the office of Governor was not elected to be Governor in the first instance, so the ban on reelection does not apply to him.”

Who Is Justin Fairfax? The Man Who Could Be Virginia’s Next Governor Is A 39-Year-Old Progressive
While Ralph Northam has not yet given an indication that he plans to resign, attention is already turning to Justin Fairfax, the 39-year-old Virginia lieutenant governor who would be in line to take over as governor if Northam were to resign. Virginia’s charter says that Fairfax would take over as governor and would appoint a new lieutenant governor, who would be up for a special election for the final two years of the term.