Virginia’s race for governor is a test for Democrats’ — and Trump’s — staying power

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President Joe Biden, right, reacts after speaking at a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Tuesday, Oct. 26 in Arlington, Va. McAuliffe will face Republican Glenn Youngkin in the election on Nov. 2.





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Supporters for Glenn Youngkin, Republican candidate for Virginia governor, gather in Stafford County on Oct. 19 to see him speak.





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Youngkin, Republican candidate for governor, speaks to a group of supporters in Stafford County, Va., on Oct. 19.





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Youngkin, Republican candidate for governor, speaks to a group of supporters in Stafford County, Va., on Oct. 19.


Crixell Matthews/VPM

Youngkin has directed his closing message at parents. He channeled conservative outrage over critical race theory, which is not taught in Virginia schools. He often repeats the claims in daily appearances on Fox News, though he’s much less available to local press.

This week, Youngkin launched a new ad featuring a conservative activist who said her son suffered nightmares after he read Nobel Prize laureate Toni Morrison’s Beloved in his AP English class. McAuliffe twice vetoed the so-called «Beloved bill» championed by the activist. It would have allowed parents to request new readings for their child if the original included «sexually explicit content.» McAuliffe’s campaign handed out copies of the book at the Biden event on Tuesday and has called Youngkin’s focus on the book «racist».

Youngkin denies he’s getting into cultural wars. «It’s not Republicans against Democrats anymore,» he says. «This is Virginia and standing up for our rights, and particularly for the rights of our kids.»

For some Democrats, the list of worries includes access to abortion and the pandemic. Two volunteers for the party — Elizabeth Balaschak and Gene Miles — kill time at their table outside an early voting location by discussing the impact they might have on the race. Balaschak just moved to the Richmond area from Florida, drawn by Virginia’s increasingly blue tint. The backlash to Trump in these suburbs helped Democrats flip the state legislature. They passed a slew of laws, like raising the minimum wage and easing rules on abortion.

«My concern is if it starts to go toward Florida — I know a lot of people who moved out of Florida over the last few years because of the way the state is going,» Balaschak says.

Balaschak’s fellow volunteer, Miles, has noticed lower Democratic enthusiasm this year compared to the Trump era, when attendance at local party committees surged. She’s watched Virginia see-saw between parties since she got involved in 1976, calling the state «a bluish shade of purple.»

Over 850,000 people have already cast early ballots, and some models show Democrats with an edge. Both sides argue the stakes are higher than ever. Next week’s election will show whether their voters agree.