Jennifer McClellan's strategy in the final days of the primary; the latest poll in the statewide races; and a weekly wrap up.
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Jennifer McClellan is focused on a ground game in the final days of the primary
State Senator Jennifer McClellan D-Richmond first started working in the General Assembly in 2006 after she was elected to the House of Delegates; then she moved over to the state Senate after winning a special election in 2017 to represent a larger district that stretched into Henrico. Now she is trying to make history by becoming the first Black woman ever elected governor in the United States.
But with only a few days left to convince Democratic voters to vote for her and theĀ pollsĀ donāt look great, McClellanās campaign said they are focused on a ground game and driving turnout for the June 8 primary. Ā
āGround game wins races,ā said Jared Leopold, a spokesperson for her campaign. āJenn McClellanās campaign is focused on doing the work on the ground to reach out to voters in every community, partnering with well-known progressive elected officials and organizations.ā
The ground game will have to make up for a large gap between McClellan and former Governor Terry McAuliffe, the frontrunner in all of the polls ā including oneĀ released FridayĀ from Roanoke College showing him with a nearly 40-point lead over the rest of the field.Ā
Care in Action, a nonprofit group that focuses on helping domestic workers endorsed and helped a lot with the field work for McClellan so far. āWhen Care in Action endorses a candidate, folks should pay attention because our investment is more than a symbolic gesture,ā said Alexsis Rodgers, the state director for Care in Action. āFor us, that means running a strong field operation across Virginia to connect with voters and increase voter turnout. Weāre bringing the same energy and ground game to Virginia that we had last year when we helped flip Georgia blue.āĀ
Care in Action contributed over $175,000 of in-kind donations during the last filing period from their work on the ground for McClellan. āSo far, we have reached out to 242,380 voters by phone, mail or in person,ā Rodgers said. āIāve personally knocked 1,000 doors. Weāre mobilizing a national network of volunteers and staff to ensure victory for Senator McClellan. This is the productivity and effectiveness women of color bring to campaigns.ā
McClellan is competing with McAuliffe, Jennifer Carroll Foy, Del. Lee Carter, and Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax for the nomination. Both Carroll Foy and McClellan have talked during their campaigns about how important it would be for them to become the first governor in America that is a Black woman.Ā āBlack women have been the backbone of this country for 400 years,ā McClellan said in anĀ interview last year. āOften, we have been relegated to the shadows or the back, and we have been pushing and pushing and pushing and striving forward. To know that I could now be the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, itās the natural progression of that movement forward that began when the first African woman was brought here in chains. I feel the weight of that, but I also feel the power and the hope in that.ā
But building a coalition large enough to challenge McAuliffeās candidacy has been a tough task for the rest of the field. McClellanās campaign hopes that her long history in the legislature and experience within the state party will give her a chance on primary day. āSen. McClellan helped build the Democratic Party of Virginia for the past 30 years and passed many of the most important progressive laws in the past decade,ā Leopold said. āShe has built a network of local leaders and supporters around the Commonwealth who are working to turn out the vote for her on June 8.ā
The winner of this primary will be going up against Glenn Youngkin in November as Republicans try and take the Executive Mansion for the first time since 2009.Ā
In addition to the Democrats and Republicans in this race, Princess Blanding is running as an Independent and would also be the first Black woman to be elected governor.
A new poll from Roanoke College shows McAuliffe, Ayala, and Herring with the lead in statewide races
In what will likely be the final poll before the Democratic primary, Terry McAuliffe has a commanding lead over his Democratic colleagues that are also seeking the gubernatorial nomination.
The following totals were reached after the pollsters calculated the responses and included the results of what people say they already have voted.
49% of respondents chose McAuliffe when asked who they would have voted for that day. 11% chose Carroll Foy, 9% chose state Senator Jennifer McClellan, 5% chose Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, and 1% chose Del. Lee Carter.
In the race for the Democratic lieutenant governor nomination, 16% of respondents chose Del. Hala Ayala, 11% chose Del. Sam Rasoul, 7% chose Andria McClellan, 7% chose Del. Mark Levine, 3% chose Sean Perryman, 2% chose Xavier Warren, with 45% were still undecided.
In the race for the Democratic nomination to run for attorney general, the incumbent holds a strong lead. Mark Herring earned 50% of the respondentās support while Del. Jay Jones earned 20% with 31% still undecided.
The Democratic primary for lieutenant governor is wide open. Here's a look at the six candidates - Richmond Times-Dispatch
by Patrick Wilson
The Democratic contest for lieutenant governor is the most wide-open and uncertain statewide nomination to be decided in Tuesday's primary.
With six candidates, there's been no clear front-runner, although Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, has raised significant money and started with a higher profile than other candidates. And Del. Hala Ayala, D-Prince William, received endorsements from Gov. Ralph Northam and House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax.
In case you missed it from this week:
Youngkin announces large fundraising numbers
Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin announced on Tuesday that his campaign has raised $15.9 million in total since he officially announced his candidacy in January. According to his campaign, contributions came from 131 counties and cities in Virginia and 39 other states from around the country. Over $11 million of that total is a loan from Youngkin, however.
McAuliffe is poised for victory with just days left before the primary
The Democratic gubernatorial race has not changed much in the last six months as former Governor Terry McAuliffe continues to cruise with the most powerful members of the party at his back. McAuliffe has also vastly outraised his primary opponents and being out of office for less than four years appears to have given him the same name ID advantage that an incumbent typically would possess. With many campaigns expecting low turnout at the polls in June, that name ID and money advantage make McAuliffe hard to beat when there are five total candidates on the primary ballot.Ā
Jennifer Carroll Foy hopes to reach the undecided voters that are just now tuning into the race
Former state Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy officiallyĀ announcedĀ her candidacy for governor over a year ago. Now there is less than a week until that yearās worth of work either comes to fruition or falls short in her bid for the Democratic nomination.Ā Carroll Foy is hoping to reach the voters that are just now tuning back into politics ahead of the June 8 Democratic primary.
Clean Virginia plans to spend $125K against Ayala after Dominion donation
A Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor reported two $50,000 donations from Dominion Energy in the final weeks leading up to the Democratic primary election after previously pledging to not accept their money. Del. Hala Ayala, like many Democrats in recent years, agreed to theĀ Clean Virginia pledgeĀ to not accept money from Dominion in both 2019 and 2021. Now she is facing backlash from Clean Virginia for accepting $100,000 in the final days of the race from the utility giant that has bankrolled Virginia politicians for decades.Ā
Adams and Elliott face off for the Democratic nomination in House District 68
In 2017, Del. Dawn Adams flipped the seat in the 68th district of the House of Delegates when she defeated the Republican incumbent Manoli Loupassi by less than 400 votes. She won reelection in 2019 by a much larger margin, but now the two-term delegate is facing a primary challenger who has concerns over her voting record and treatment of staff.Ā āDel. Adams and I probably share a number of similarities because we are both Democrats ā because we do both share a vision of the Democratic party but I think I am more progressive in a number of areas where I think her votes and her legislative actions have kind of demonstrated why we need better leadership in the 68,ā said Kyle Elliott, the man challenging Adams for the Democratic nomination.Ā