Tipsheet

Dem. Frontrunner Goes on Attack While Republican Ticket for Virginia Statewide Races Embrace Unity

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  May 12, 2021 3:45 PM

As Reagan reported, former Carlyle executive, Glenn Youngkin became the Republican nominee to be the governor of Virginia on Monday night.

I am prepared to lead, excited to serve and profoundly humbled by the trust the people have placed in me. Virginians...

Posted by Glenn Youngkin on Monday, May 10, 2021

Moments after, Democratic front-runner, Virginia's former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, went on the attack in a way that rubbed many the wrong way over Twitter.

It is worth noting that while McAuliffe is very much favored to be the nominee, he must win the Democratic primary on June 8 in order to make it official. He served as governor from 2013-2017, but Virginia's constitution prevents governors from running for back-to-back terms. 

Republican delegates chose their nominees through a convention on May 8, with drive-thru locations around the commonwealth. In addition to Youngkin, delegates chose Delegate Jason Miyares to be their nominee for Attorney General and former Delegate Winsome Sears for Lieutenant Governor. Sears is the first black woman nominated for statewide office in the commonwealth. 

The general election will be held on November 2. Many observers consider the race to favor the Democrats, in part because Republicans have not been elected to statewide office since 2009, though a Democratic victory is not necessarily a foregone conclusion. 

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However, the Republican ticket may benefit from getting a head start, a unified show of support, as well as Youngkin's massive wealth and fundraising credentials.

#TakeBackTheCommonwealth

Posted by Lance Allen for Lt. Governor on Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Chris Saxman, who has discussed the state of the race at various stages with Townhall before, directed us to commentary of his from earlier today, "Saxman: Glenn Youngkin’s Good Vibes." Towards his closing, his piece read that "Glenn Youngkin is quite possibly the best statewide candidate I have seen in my nearly thirty years of Virginia politics. It’s still very early in his political career as he’s only formally been in this race since the beginning of the year, but this guy has some real chops."

He has also expressed optimism about the race before, a short time before the nominees were chosen.

Youngkin held a victory rally Tuesday night in Richmond, where he personally thanked fellow Republican nominees for governor. Pete Snyder, Sergio de la Peña, and Kirk Cox were present. Amanda Chase was on a pre-planned vacation.

As the Republican Party of Virginia shared over Twitter, Gov. McAuliffe touted his credentials using a point of his from 2019, which was rated "false" by the non-partisan Politifact.

Though he stayed out of the race up until a nominee was declared, former President Donald Trump has endorsed Youngkin. Other federal officeholders have as well, including Republican Sens. Rand Paul (KY), Marco Rubio (FL), and Ted Cruz (TX), the latter who endorsed and campaigned alongside Youngkin in the final days leading up to the convention, have endorsed the ticket.