Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Slate of seekers for Va. governor runs gamut
Both extremes in field, ‘everything in between’
RICHMOND, Va. — An unusually broad field of candidates is vying for the governor’s seat in Virginia as the marquee political contest of 2021 gets into full swing.
Only New Jersey and Virginia are set to elect governors this year, and the Old Dominion’s off-year contest has a strong track record of being an early indicator of broader national trends, previewing voter backlashes against Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump in recent election cycles.
Virginia has traditionally elected business-friendly moderates of both parties to be its chief executive, but the depth of the 2021 field reflects the state’s changing political dynamics and the unsettled mood among both Republicans and Democrats. The field of announced and likely candidates in the closely watched race is more diverse than at any time in modern history.
“Everything from a socialist to a quasi-white nationalist and literally everything in between,” said Quentin Kidd, a political science professor at Christopher Newport University.
That includes two Black lawmakers trying to become the first African American woman elected governor in the country’s history.
The progressive wing of Virginia’s Democratic Party, which largely didn’t exist until a few years ago, is looking to cement gains it has made in recent elections, while the traditional wing of the GOP battles with die-hard 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 lined up endorsements from party leaders and raised a ton of money. But despite signaling for months that he was going to seek the job — Virginia bars governors from seeking consecutive terms — he’s 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 an out-of-touch millionaire.
“People want transformational change,” Carroll Foy said. “I understand the challenges Virginia families face because I was them. I’ve gone without health care; I’ve made minimum wage.”
Carroll Foy grew up in Petersburg, one of the state’s poorest cities and was among the first women to graduate from the traditionally all-male Virginia Military Institute. She’s also been a foster parent and worked as a public defender.
She will face a challenge on the left from Del. Lee Carter, the state’s lone elected Democratic socialist, who announced Friday he’s running for governor.
State Sen. Jennifer McClellan, a soft-spoken pragmatist who often has a hand in high-profile legislation and is well-liked by many Democrats, is the more moderate alternative to McAuliffe.
Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who has denied two allegations of sexual assault made against him in 2019, is also running.
Carroll Foy, McClellan and Fairfax are Black. Black politicians have never had more influence in state politics, with African American lawmakers holding key leadership positions at the General Assembly.
But many older Black elected officials are backing McAuliffe, who is seeking to emulate President-elect Joe Biden’s strategy for winning the Democratic nomination.