Next week’s bellwether gubernatorial election in Virginia between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican newcomer Glenn Youngkin has all the makings of a nail-biter, with the two most recent polls showing the race essentially tied. This should have been a cakewalk for McAuliffe. Joe Biden won the state by 10 points in 2020. As a former governor in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican to statewide office since 2009, McAuliffe enjoys the name ID and status of an incumbent.
But he has spent the last month on the defensive — trying to distance himself from the chaos of the Biden presidency and walk back his own disastrous debate comments about the role of parents in their children’s education. So as the political class tries to read the tea leaves of this neck-and-neck race, the reality is it could tip either way.
My analysis tells me there are at least four potential drivers that could impact the outcome of the contest. CONTINUED
David Winston (Winston Group), Roll Call
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