All Eyes on Virginia Elections

The Commonwealth of Virginia, my adopted home, has been reddish lately, but is getting bluer by the moment. The state flag features a Goddess of Virtue who has just vanquished Tyranny, a king who lies lifeless at her feet, his crown asunder.

As the first, largest, and most prosperous of the British colonies in America, Virginia is often called the Mother of Presidents. She provided four of the first five presidents of the United States and eight in all, more than any other state. They include: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson. All of them CIS white men. But things are changing.

In a 180 shift from the political candidates I saw during my childhood, the upcoming nominees in Virginia for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general include: two immigrants, a gay MAGA Republican, two females, a Muslim, and two Black candidates. Not a single regular white guy in the bunch. That's progress.

Governor

The candidates for governor are both women, so Virginia is guaranteed to have her first female governor. Our current governor is MAGA Republican Glenn Youngkin, whose day-one executive orders in 2022 canceled school mask mandates during Covid and banned the teaching of critical race theory. He repealed protections for transgender students in schools, and Washington Monthly noted that in addition to doxing a 17-year-old, he established a snitch tip line for citizen's reports and observations of "divisive" practices in the classroom. And he unleashed savage Trump-style Twitter attacks on perceived enemies of his agenda.

Virginia governors can only serve one four-year term, but either way, Virginia seems ready to move on. Youngkin's MAGA associations seem to have bolstered the Democrat running for his seat, ex-CIA officer Abigail Spanberger and member of the US House from 2019-2025. The Washingtonian states that "Steve Bannon once called Spanberger's congressional district an absolute bellwether of the entire country, and three times, she carried it with steadiness, moderation, and normalcy.

This is the only election this year where a Governor's office could flip from red to blue.

Spanberger amassed what the New York Times called a fundraising advantage unseen in modern Virginia politics. She is currently on an 11-day bus tour until Election Day. On Saturday November 1, Barack Obama campaigned with her in Norfolk, VA. Earlier in the week, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), who is considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, campaigned with her in Alexandria, VA, at a Latinos for Spanberger event. Iconic Latina labor leader Dolores Huerta, 95, sat in the front row, and later encouraged the packed crowd to vote for Spanberger.

The Washington Examiner reported that Gallego, the first Latino Senator from Arizona, "said, 'Thank you, Abigail, for reaching out to Latino community because this is a tough time. We feel attacked'...in his remarks (he) championed Spanberger's support for affordable housing, education, and small businesses key issues that Democrats are hoping will help the party rebuild after a disastrous 2024 election cycle."

Other prominent Democrats who have or will be campaigning with Spanberger, include Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.

The Washingtonian stated, "In an era of bombast and spectacle, Virginia's Democratic nominee for governor doesn't go viral, doesn't do stunts, and promises competence instead of chaos. So far, it's working for her. Spanberger is running as a moderate, a professional, a no-nonsense counterweight to the chaos in Washington and the dysfunction of the Virginia GOP," also noting that Latino voters are "one of the fast-growing voting blocs in the nation and are key to whoever the next governor of Virginia."

Dr. Stephen J. Farnsworth, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Mary Washington, noted, "If there are problems with performance on the other side, then competence can be your brand."

Next Page  1  |  2  |  3

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).