Virginia governor’s race offers tea leaves for Biden, Trump and 2022
“It’s about bringing people together,” Youngkin said in an interview here on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, as the sun set after a full day of campaigning, “as opposed to this idea of walking the line.”
But make no mistake: He faces a careful balancing act, the outcome of which could offer a window into how Republicans can run their campaigns without Trump on the ballot during a midterm election year that history shows also presents considerable obstacles for the party that controls the White House.
Youngkin, 54, a former private equity executive who is seeking political office for the first time, is locked in a closer-than-expected race against Terry McAuliffe, 64, a former Democratic Party leader who is seeking a second act as Virginia’s governor.
“We control the House, the Senate and the White House,” McAuliffe said in an interview. “We need this infrastructure. I can tell you as a former governor, it is absolutely critical for our bridges and roads, so let’s get it done and quit talking.”
The November contest will help answer whether the commonwealth still has the capacity to deliver a statewide victory for a Republican candidate or if it has become solidly blue terrain as the last four presidential elections have indicated.
“The Republican Party has figured out one thing over the last 12 years — that’s how to lose,” Youngkin said. “We’ve got to win.”
The Trump factor
Virginia and New Jersey are the only two states in the country that hold gubernatorial elections the year after a presidential campaign. The races can provide an early glimpse at the mood of the electorate, particularly for the President’s party.
The dysfunction and divide on display inside the Democratic Party, along with Biden’s falling approval ratings over the summer months, has raised the optimism of Republicans in Virginia far higher than many party officials once anticipated.
A key wildcard in the race is Trump and the degree to which he could be used to fire up his Republican base or to unite the Democratic one.
“Donald Trump wants to use this election to begin his comeback in this country,” said McAuliffe, who invokes Trump’s name far more than most any Republican does, seeking to paint his rival as a clone of the former President.
Yet it’s an open question how successful the attempts to insert Trump into the race have been.
For his part, Youngkin rarely mentions Trump by name. He said he is seeking to build a coalition of “forever Trumpers, Never Trumpers, single issue voters, libertarians, Tea Party folks,” along with Democrats and independents who have become disillusioned with the party’s leftward shift and its ability to govern.
He’s testing just how big the Republican Party’s tent can be, but his approach is already raising questions from Trump, who told a Richmond…
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