State and National Government
Photo: Chris Hurst Facebook
Allegations of a Democratic candidate stealing signs the night before today’s elections shouldn’t move the needle much. That’s according to our political analyst as WFIR’s Ian Price reports:
News outlets are reporting that Democratic State Delegate Chris Hurst was pulled over last night after Radford City Sheriff’s deputies observed a woman messing with campaign signs at the Radford Rec Center. According to WDBJ-7, a deputy saw the woman get into a car, allegedly driven by Hurst. The delegate was issued a notice that his license was suspended. We have reached out to Delegate Hurst for comment.
Republican Glenn Youngkin made a stop in Roanoke today with less than 24 hours to go until Virginia highly-watched gubernatorial election. We spoke with Youngkin just ahead of that stop, and says we can expect more diversity in who votes for the GOP Statewide ticket. WFIR’s Ian Price has details:
During a campaign stop this morning in Roanoke outside the Sweet Donkey Coffee shop, former Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe – seeking a second term tomorrow – dismissed what some pundits are now saying, that he has spent too much time trying to tie Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin to Donald Trump, and not enough focusing on past accomplishments when he was the Governor. Lt. Governor candidate Hala Ayala and incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring joined McAuliffe on his campaign stop; Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea Sr. and State Senator John Edwards introduced the trio to the party faithful.
Photo: Eileen Filler-Corn Twitter
With the polls tightening – or reversing – and election day tomorrow for those that haven’t voted early, the Network NOVA activist group invited some Democrat heavyweight hitters to their latest on-line “Power Lunch” on Friday. WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
(from Roanoke College) Just a few days before Election Day, the race for Virginia governor is a statistical tie. Former Democrat Gov. Terry McAuliffe holds a 1-percentage point lead over Republican Glenn Youngkin (47%-46%) with 6% undecided, according to The Roanoke College Poll.[1] The downticket races are also within the margin of error, with Del. Hala Ayala (D) ahead of former Del. Winsome Sears (R) 46%-44% for lieutenant governor and Attorney General Mark Herring (D) leading Del. Jason Miyares (R) 46%-45% in the race for attorney general. The Institute for Policy and Opinion Research interviewed 571 likely Virginia voters between October 14 and October 28 and has a margin of error of +4.1%.
Republicans hold an advantage in being extremely enthusiastic about voting (49% to 32% for Democrats), while most partisans say they are almost certain to vote or have already voted (76% of Republicans vs. 77% of Democrats). Likely voters see the economy (38%) and education (22%) as the most important issues in the election ahead of COVID (13%), health care (11%), and race relations (7%). Most voters (73%) decided who to vote for more than a month ago, but 19% decided in the last month or the last week.
McAuliffe’s favorable rating is 44%, while his unfavorable is 43%. Youngkin is at 45%/37% favorable/unfavorable. Former President Donald Trump’s rating is 37%/54% favorable/unfavorable. Half of those polled (50%) disapprove of the job Joe Biden is doing as president, while 44% approve.
When asked who should have control over the curriculum in public schools, teachers (43% great deal of control and 44% some control) and parents (41% great deal of control and 41% some control) scored the highest. School boards (27% great deal/54% some) and administrators (29% great deal/51% some) rated higher than local, state or federal governments.
Analysis: “Turnout, turnout, turnout. With both candidates claiming more than 90% of the votes from their party, it is a question of who votes,” said Dr. Harry Wilson, senior political analyst of the Roanoke College Poll. “Youngkin leads among Independents, so McAuliffe needs to turn out more Democrats. Virginia Democrats have done that for several elections in a row, but the significant enthusiasm gap suggests they may not be able to do it in 2021. It could be a very late Election Night…or week.”
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The anti-Donald Trump group The Lincoln Project took credit Friday for five people appearing with tiki torches at a Charlottesville campaign stop by Virginia’s GOP candidate for governor, a stunt recalling white supremacists who descended on that city amid violence in 2017.
Charlottesville TV station WVIR covered the campaign stop and reported candidate Glenn Youngkin was inside a restaurant when the group dressed in matching hats, khakis and white button-down shirts appeared beside his campaign bus. The former private equity executive and political newcomer is in a close race against former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe as Tuesday’s Election Day nears.
Photos showed the group holding large tiki torches. Their appearance recalled two days of chaos in August 2017, when white supremacists gathered in the college town for a “Unite the Right” rally ostensibly to protest the planned removal of a Confederate monument.
McAuliffe staffers promoted a reporter’s tweet about the group’s appearance, using it to attack Youngkin and suggesting that those holding the torches were his supporters. Youngkin staffers accused the McAuliffe campaign or Virginia Democrats of being involved, drawing disavowals.
“What happened today is disgusting and distasteful and we condemn it in the strongest terms. Those involved should immediately apologize,” McAuliffe campaign manager Chris Bolling said in a statement. The Democratic Party of Virginia issued a statement saying neither the party nor its “coordinated partners and affiliates” had anything to do with “the events” at the campaign bus stop.
The Lincoln Project then weighed in, saying it was behind what it called a “demonstration.”
A new statewide poll from Fox News shows Republican Glenn Youngkin leading Democrat Terry McAuliffe by eight percentage points, 53-45%. All other recent polls have shown the governor’s race to be a dead heat, so the Fox News one is currently an outlier. At Christopher Newport University’s Wason Center Poll, Research Director Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo says different polls use different methods in determining who really are likely voters, but she doesn’t question any pollster’s intent to be accurate. She says the Fox poll was taken a few days more recently than the others, and voter shifts are certainly possible in that time, but an eight percent shift in that time would typically be unlikely. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
Click here for full Fox News poll results and methodology
Photo: WFIR/Gene Marrano
A former Republican Governor who was also the father-in-law of Democratic US Senator Tim Kaine has passed away. Linwood Holton Jr. was Governor in the early 1970’s, when he also signaled support for desegregation by placing his children – including Tim Kaine’s future wife Anne Holton – in mostly back Richmond Public Schools. Holton practiced law in Roanoke before entering politics and four years ago “Linwood Holton Plaza” was dedicated downtown across from Elmwood Park, featuring quotes from the former Governor.
Despite their different party affiliations, Tim Kaine said in a statement that Linwood Holton was his “public service role model.”
Photo: Chris Hurst Facebook
Jason Ballard
Many of the House of Delegate Districts in the area are considered “safe” for incumbents who are either unopposed or represent a district heavily tilted towards their party – but in the New River Valley a familiar face could have a stiff challenge as he seeks a third term. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
While candidates continue last-minute campaign stops ahead of Tuesday’s election, one claims that Southwest Virginia has more pull if people show up at the polls. WFIR’s Ian Price has more: