Embattled governor digs in to keep office

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, D, defends his ability to lead and heal the state’s racial wounds in his first on-camera interview since the revelation of a racist photo that threatens to derail this governorship.

“Right now, Virginia needs someone that can heal. There’s no better person to do that than a doctor,” Northam says in an interview with journalist Gayle King, excerpts of which were aired at the start of CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

“Virginia also needs someone who is strong, who has empathy, who has courage and who has a moral compass. And that’s why I’m not going anywhere,” Northam says in the interview, which will air in full Monday on “CBS This Morning.”

Northam’s comments echo those he made in a Saturday interview with The Washington Post, where he vowed to devote the rest of his governorship to advancing racial equity in the one-time heart of the Confederacy.