On its own, a Republican victory in Virginia’s race for governor would have been enough to lift GOP spirits and put Democrats on edge heading into the 2022 midterm elections. But the fact that Glenn Youngkin won by keeping former President Donald Trump at a cautious distance, even as Terry […] Read more »
In Virginia, GOP finds new playbook — not easily replicated
In a stunning victory in Virginia and a strong showing in New Jersey, the Republican Party has fashioned a playbook that could repair the GOP’s tarnished image in swing states and suburban districts across the nation. But it is a formula that may be difficult to replicate on a broad […] Read more »
What Will We Learn From the Virginia Governor’s Race?
All eyes are on the Old Dominion tonight, as the race between former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and businessman Glenn Youngkin comes down to the wire. My colleague Jessica Taylor has written a definitive account of how this blue state has become the site of a statewide Toss Up contest. […] Read more »
What Virginia’s election says about the nation
Whoever wins Virginia’s tight gubernatorial race Tuesday, the commonwealth will offer a fascinating read on where the country’s stormy politics stand a year after Joe Biden beat Donald Trump, and may point to what happens next. In the closing days of the race, both nominees in Virginia — as well […] Read more »
‘The power of two’: How Manchin and Sinema are blocking a new Democratic consensus
It’s hard to see amid the stormy conflict with Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, but the elongated Democratic standoff over President Joe Biden’s economic agenda shows how far the party consensus has moved toward a more aggressive role for government than during the presidencies of Bill Clinton or even […] Read more »
Could anti-Trump messaging be more effective in 2022 than in 2021?
A wise friend of mine recently observed that if Democrats can’t turn Virginia’s gubernatorial election into a referendum on former President Donald Trump, it’s hard to see how that strategy would work in swing states in 2022. It’s a very reasonable point, since Trump lost Virginia by 10 points last […] Read more »