By Canadian Press

Nine months into Biden’s first term, all U.S. eyes on Virginia governor’s race

Nov 1, 2021 | 10:53 AM

WASHINGTON — Voters in Virginia are choosing their next governor Tuesday, a vote with wide-reaching implications for both the sitting U.S. president and his ever-present predecessor. 

Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump have a lot riding on whether former Democrat governor Terry McAuliffe or newcomer Republican Glenn Youngkin emerge the victor in what appears to be a neck-and-neck race. 

McAuliffe is seeking a return engagement after he was first elected to the post in 2013 — Virginia’s term limits prohibit governors from running for back-to-back terms. 

But recent polls suggest he may be trailing Youngkin, a self-proclaimed “political outsider” and Trump acolyte whose campaign has sought to distance him from the former president. 

A loss for Democrats will widely be seen as a repudiation of Biden, who is nursing dismal approval numbers, and a clear sign that control of Congress is likely to land in Republican hands after next year’s midterms. 

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And it could help to energize Trump, who is widely believed to be planning a political comeback of his own in 2024. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2021. 

The Canadian Press