The two wildcards shaping the tail end of the Virginia race for governor
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ARLINGTON, Va. — Only two states, Virginia and New Jersey, hold their elections for governor the year after the presidential election and the year before the midterms. The races are often seen as a test of voter sentiment, but just weeks out from the election, two late-emerging issues in Virginia may be reshaping that state's contest.
Abigail Spanberger, a former member of Congress, is the Democratic candidate, and Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican candidate, is the commonwealth's current lieutenant governor.
Democrats are hopeful that history may be on their side. The party in power in the White House typically loses the race for governor in Virginia. That trend, plus frustrations over the government shutdown and the Trump administration's effect on the state's large federal workforce, could propel them over the finish line.
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Meanwhile, Republicans may have received a boost from reporting on violent text messages sent in 2022 by the Democratic candidate for attorney general, first published in the National Review..
The stakes of the election are high. Governors have become key figures in either supporting the Trump administration's policies or opposing them.
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