In an effort to maybe have a chance of getting elected, Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli ran out of a conservative fundraising gala early last night so that he could avoid being photographed with Sen. Ted Cruz.

Cuccinelli and Cruz signed on to headline the Family Foundation gala, literally titled, “Senator Ted Cruz – This American Moment,” before Cruz went off the rails wasting everyone's time with a fake filibuster and helping to shut down the government.

According to Politico, Cuccinelli made a few short remarks, not mentioning Cruz's name once, then left the event before Cruz got up to speak.

The two politicians did speak backstage, where Cuccinelli apparently urged Cruz to work to end the government shutdown.

Cruz, on the other hand, went on to refer to "his friend" Cuccinelli, calling him "smart, principled, and fearless." Cruz also used his 54-minute speech to engage the crowd in self-delusion, arguing that Republicans can "win the messaging fight over the shutdown if the people just speak out loudly enough."

According to WJLA, "the large crowd inside the main ballroom was 99 percent white and mostly missing the 30-and-younger set."

[image via AP]