Youngkin comments on certification, a new TV ad from Ayala, and Democrats appear to be suppressing turnout in GOP areas
The latest in Virginia politics.
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Glenn Youngkin clarifies the record on his recent election certification comments
Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin faced some pushback Sunday night after an article published in Axios reported that he would not answer as to whether he would have voted to certify the election results on Jan. 6 if he were a member of Congress at the time. He condemned the violence that happened, but Axios reported he did not directly answer the question.
“Youngkin believes Biden beat Trump in the 2020 election legitimately. But while speaking with Axios, he wouldn’t say whether he would have voted to certify the election on Jan. 6 if he were a member of Congress,” Axios reported.
The next day, Youngkin informed Brendan Ponton from WTKR that he would have “absolutely” voted to certify the election 2020 election results. “It’s a silly thing,” Youngkin said on video.
The question from Axios was a bit out of the realm of reality seeing as Youngkin is running for governor, not Congress, — but after stating several times that he believes Biden is the legitimate president, the response from the candidate unexpectedly complicated the issue for him.
Election integrity has been a key issue for the Republican Party’s diehard Trump supporters, making it matter to Youngkin, even if it may be a losing issue for him. He has to continue to walk the line of not angering the base that still believes Trump won the 2020 election despite any evidence while also avoiding driving away the moderate voters that might have stayed home during the last four years when Democrats routed Republicans across Virginia.
It is a very tight rope he is walking.
Youngkin attended an election integrity rally last month to speak about requiring photo ID to vote his campaign said at the time. Besides that event, Youngkin has rarely mentioned election integrity since the general election began.
Terry McAuliffe, his Democratic opponent, has continued to hit Youngkin on the issue. “Even after the death and insurrection of January 6th, Glenn Youngkin still will NOT say the votes cast for President were legitimate and didn’t deserve objection,” McAuliffe tweeted Sunday night. “Police officers died. Shame on you, Glenn. Disqualifying.”
Polling in the race has shown a tight race for weeks. A new poll from Monmouth University Monday showed McAuliffe with a 5-point lead among registered voters in Virginia. Recent polling, however, has suggested that Republican enthusiasm for this election is higher than it is for Democrats.
While it is cautiously, Republicans remain optimistic that if the party can stay together and Youngkin can continue to successfully keep each faction satisfied, they can upset Democrats and win statewide for the first time since 2009. Keeping his party his entire party satisfied in the final weeks will be no easy task, however.
“McAuliffe seems to be leaning into the demographics of Virginia to help push him over the top,” said Shaun Kenney, a former executive director for the Republican Party of Virginia. “Youngkin has a much more difficult task of keeping the Republican coalition in line and on board.”
The national election analysts at Cook Political Report changed their rating for this to a toss-up last week, possibly waking up content Democrats that believed Virginia had become a safe blue commonwealth. “To borrow from Mark Twain, the reports of the end of Virginia’s status as a swing state are greatly exaggerated,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington.
There are five weeks until election day.
New Monmouth poll in the gubernatorial race
A new poll from Monmouth University shows Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe still slightly leading his Republican opponent Glenn Youngkin in the Virginia gubernatorial race. 801 Virginia voters were drawn from a list of registered voters to conduct this poll between Sept. 22 and Sept. 26. 37% of the respondents identified as Independent, 33% Democrat, and 30% Republican.
48% of the respondents said they currently support McAuliffe while 43% said they support Youngkin. This is virtually unchanged from the Democrat’s 47% to 42% lead in Monmouth’s August poll. McAuliffe continues to have an advantage among minorities — 83% of Black voters aid they support McAuliffe compared to just 3% for Youngkin. 53% of Latinos, Asians, and multiracial voters said they support McAuliffe compared to 28% for Youngkin.
Youngkin holds a large 57% to 36% lead among white voters, but there is a split based on education. Youngkin’s lead with this group is largely due to 66% of white voters without a bachelor’s degree supporting him. White college graduates prefer McAuliffe 50% of the time compared to 43% for Youngkin.
Respondents said that the economy, pandemic, and education are the top three issues for them right now. The poll showed that McAuliffe has an advantage on these issues. On being trusted more to handle the pandemic, 41% trusted McAuliffe and 28% trusted Youngkin. McAuliffe’s lead shrunk on handling education and schools with 37% trusting him compared to 33% for Youngkin. McAuliffe had a one-point lead over Youngkin, the former finance executive, in handling the economy.
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McAuliffe and Youngkin ramp up digital ad spending
The Facebook ad spending in Virginia’s gubernatorial race is really ramping up for Terry McAuliffe (D) and Glenn Youngkin (R) as the race heads into the homestretch. Here is an update on all of the statewide candidates’ spending on Facebook advertising:
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe has spent $98,499 during the last seven days advertising on Facebook.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin has spent $75,835 during the last seven days advertsising on Facebook.
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The Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor Hala Ayala has spent $15,368 during the last seven days advertsing on Facebook.
The Republican nominee for lieutenant governor Winsome Sears has spent $0 during the last seven days advertising on Facebook.
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The Democratic nominee for attorney general Mark Herring has spent $2,430 during the last seven days advertising on Facebook.
The Republican nominee for attorney general Jason Miyares has spent $0 during the last seven days advertising on Facebook.
Democratic LG nominee Hala Ayala launches new TV ad touting her work in Richmond
Hala Ayala, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor is releasing a new TV ad today touting her experience during the last four years in the General Assembly.
“The progress our Commonwealth has made over the past few years is on the line, and it matters which woman sits in the Lieutenant Governor’s seat,” Ayala said in a press release Tuesday.
The role of the lieutenant governor is to preside over the state Senate and break tie votes when they happen. The chamber will be split with a 21-19 Democratic majority until the full chamber is up for reelection in 2023.
“Our current Lieutenant Governor has cast 52 tie-breaking votes on consequential issues like protecting the right to choose, passing gun safety reform, and delivering Medicaid expansion,” Ayala continued. “While I’ve focused my time as chief deputy whip in the House of Delegates on moving Virginia forwards, radical Republican candidates are fighting to take our Commonwealth backwards.”
Ayala is running against Winsome Sears, the Republican nominee that served one term in the House of Delegates during the early 2000s. The election is taking place Nov. 2.
‘People are going to get skittish:’ White House sweats over McAuliffe - Politico
By CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO, NATASHA KORECKI and MAYA KING
President Joe Biden can’t afford Terry McAuliffe to lose the governor's race in Virginia — and the White House knows it.
It’s a scenario the president and his aides and close allies increasingly view as a real possibility, given tightening poll numbers in the race and signs of Democratic apathy. The White House, Democratic National Committee and outside partners are closely coordinating their efforts and speaking almost daily, according to three people familiar with the dynamic. Just over a month before Election Day, they are planning to ramp up activity and engagement — in addition to the $5 million the DNC has already budgeted for Virginia, one of the people said.
Is 50-50 fair? Dems say new map should reflect their success - Associated Press
by Matthew Barakat
Some Democrats on a bipartisan redistricting commission in Virginia said Monday that new legislative districts will be fair only if they reflect the partisan success Democrats have had in the state for the past decade.
The remarks came after Democratic and Republican map drawers for the first time submitted a joint map with proposed new boundaries for the 40-member state Senate, where Democrats currently hold a narrow 21-19 majority.
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