AP
Washington Hispanic:
An unusually wide field of candidates is vying for the governor’s seat in Virginia as the 2021 marquee political contest enters full swing.
Only New Jersey and Virginia are set to elect governors this year, and the Old Dominion off-year competition has a strong track record of being an early indicator of broader national trends, previewing the Voter support against Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump in recent election cycles.
Virginia has traditionally chosen business-friendly moderates from both parties to be its chairman executive, but the depth of field of 2021 reflects the changing political dynamics of the state and the shaky mood among Republicans and Democrats. The field of announced and likely candidates in the observation career is more diverse than at any time in modern history.
“Everything from a socialist to a near-white nationalist and literally everything else, “said Quentin Kidd, professor of political science at Christopher Newport University.
That includes two black lawmakers trying to become the first African-American woman elected to govern in the country’s history.
The progressive wing of the Virginia Democratic Party, which largely did not exist until a few years ago, is looking to consolidate the gains it has made in the last election , while the traditional wing of the Party No Power Y with staunch supporters of Trump for control of their party.
The race has already been marked by the aggressive tenor in both primaries.
Terry McAuliffe, a former governor who left office in 2018, has aligned the endorsements from party leaders and raised a ton of money. But despite pointing out for months that he was going to look for the job – Virginia prohibits governors from searching for consecutive terms – he has not been able to clear the field and has been the frequent subject of attack.
Jennifer Carroll Foy, who recently resigned as a state delegate, has aggressively tried to paint McAuliffe as a millionaire out of touch since she announced her candidacy in early December.
«The people want transformative change, “said Carroll Foy. “I understand the challenges Virginia families face because I was them. I have left without medical attention; I’ve made minimum wage. ”
Carroll Foy grew up in Petersburg, one of the poorest cities in the state, and was one of the first women to graduate from the traditional Virginia Military Institute. . She has also been an adoptive mother and has worked as a public defender.
She will face a challenge to the left of Del. Lee Carter, the state’s Democratic Socialist-elect, who announced Friday that he would run for governor.
Carter has a huge online following and is often inconsistent in his attacks on Democrats, including McAuliffe, who he thinks are too welcoming of business interests.
State Sen. Jennifer McClellan, a soft-spoken pragmatist who often has a hand in high-profile legislation and is beloved by many Democrats, is the more moderate alternative to McAuliffe.
Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, who has denied two accusations of sexual assault made against him in 2019 , he’s on the run too.
Carroll Foy, McClellan and Fairfax are all black. Their candidacies come at a time when black politicians have never had more influence in state politics, with African-American legislators occupying key leadership positions in the General Assembly.
But many Older black elected officials are backing McAuliffe, who is trying to emulate President-elect Joe Biden’s strategy to win the Democratic nomination. McAuliffe has tried to portray both himself as a proven leader, as well as someone who recognizes the need for a radical change in the way state government operates amid a coronavirus pandemic that has highlighted racial inequalities. long-standing in the state.
“Folks, it’s time for a new way for Virginia,” he said in his campaign in early December.
Virginia has been changing Democrat for a decade, thanks in large part to the growing multicultural suburban and urban areas. During the Trump era, Democrats flipped three congressional districts and seized control of the state legislature for the first time in a generation.
Republicans have not won a statewide race in more than a decade and particularly fought during the Trump era. Republican statewide candidates who embraced Trump were detained, but that’s where those who kept him at arm’s length.
With Trump set to leave office, many Republicans are optimistic that that the right kind of candidate could change the state the way former Gov. Bob McDonnell did in 2009, a year after Obama won Virginia in his first presidential election.
The nomination fight, Kidd said, will be a key indicator of “whether or not the Trump fever has broken” among Virginia Republicans.
Party officials recently voted to elect the Republican candidate through a convention rather than a primary, which limits turnout and often favors the more conservative candidate.
Former House Speaker Kirk Cox is running a campaign designed to appeal to suburban voters who don’t liked Trump, but they are open to voting for a more moderate Republican candidate. Northern Virginia businessman Snyder, who can also run, would likely take a similar tactic.
But State Sen. Amanda Chase is offering a Trump-like alternative to PNA voters. . A brand of fire often at odds with his own party, Chase has claimed that Democrats “hate whites” and recently called for martial law to prevent a Biden presidency.
Princess Blanding, the sister of a black man who was killed by Richmond police in 2018, also recently launched a longshot bid for governor under the banner of the newly formed Party of the Liberation.