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Virginia voters to pick Democratic nominee for governor's race. Who is the frontrunner?
The winner of the Democratic primary will face off against Republican Glenn Youngkin who won his party's nomination last month and immediately received former President Donald Trump's endorsement.
Virginia and New Jersey are set to hold their Democratic primaries on Tuesday for the gubernatorial nomination that could be an indicator of where the voters stand after the divisive 2020 US presidential elections. Both states voted for Joe Biden by double-digit margins and both of their governors are Democrats. This means the primary elections will be closely watched since the party's gubernatorial nominee may as well be the frontrunner for the post.
The winner of the primary will face Republican Glenn Youngkin, who won his party's nomination last month and immediately received former president Donald Trump's endorsement. Former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe currently leads a slate of Democratic candidates.
The outcome of the gubernatorial election is being watched as a possible bellwether for voter sentiment ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, which will serve as an uphill battle for Democrats who are holding their majority in Congress by skin of their teeth.
"If the Republicans can manage to recapture Virginia, which has clearly moved in a Democratic direction, the prospects for Democrats in the midterm elections in 2022 will be dimmed, there's just no doubt about it," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.
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Virginia, a southeastern US state, has become more Democratic in recent years as no Republican has won statewide office since 2009. On the other hand, Democrats have controlled both chambers of the legislature since 2019. Trump's loss in Virginia in the 2020 presidential elections, which he termed fraudulent without any evidence, by 10 percentage points.
McAuliffe is reseeking the governorship he held from 2014 to 2018 and is the frontrunner of the primary. According to a Roanoke College Poll, the longtime Democratic Party fundraiser, with close ties to former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, had the support of 49% of likely Democratic voters, with his four opponents trailing far behind.
"A large majority of Democratic voters (92%) approve of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president, while only 5% disapprove. Job approval for Gov Ralph Northam sits at 90% among respondents, while 5% disapprove of his performance," the poll said.
The other Democratic candidates are state Senator Jennifer McClellan, former state representative Jennifer Carroll Foy, Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax and state Representative Lee Carter. Under Virginia law, Democratic Governor Ralph Northam cannot run for a second consecutive term.
(With inputs from Reuters)
