Virginia’s gubernatorial race has taken a dramatic turn as Democrats scramble to save their candidate from an increasingly competitive challenge by a Republican rival who could make history.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee for Virginia governor, once appeared to have a clear path to victory.
Now, her campaign faces mounting challenges that have forced party leaders to deploy their most prominent figures to the Commonwealth.
Former President Barack Obama will campaign alongside Spanberger on Nov. 1 in the Hampton Roads area.
His involvement signals growing concern among Democrats about the state of the race.
Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears has been gaining momentum in recent weeks.
Recent polling from Virginia Commonwealth University shows Spanberger leading with 49 percent support compared to Earle-Sears’ 42 percent among registered voters, narrowing from a nine-point advantage in September.
Obama’s decision to enter the Virginia race has generated controversy on social media.
Critics have pointed to his recent comments during the 2024 presidential campaign when he addressed black men about their support for Kamala Harris.
“I watched Obama sit there and chastise black men saying, y’all don’t want to support this woman, but at the same time turn around, go to Virginia and campaign against a real natural black woman,” said one local on TikTok.
Social media users have highlighted what they perceive as inconsistency in Obama’s political involvement.
One X user called out the former president for previously chastising black men about supporting Harris while now campaigning against a black woman in Virginia.
The Spanberger campaign encountered significant turbulence earlier this month involving the Democratic nominee for attorney general.
Jay Jones, the party’s attorney general candidate, became embroiled in scandal over text messages in which he wished death on the then-Republican speaker of the Virginia House of Representatives, Resist the Mainstream previously reported.
Spanberger condemned Jones’ statements but did not call for him to withdraw from the race.
This response generated widespread criticism and raised questions about her campaign’s judgment.
Democrats have mobilized significant resources to support Spanberger’s candidacy.
The Daily Mail highlighted that Bill and Hillary Clinton headlined a fundraiser in McLean, Virginia, on Oct. 13 that raised a record-breaking $2.2 million.
The event took place at former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe’s home and attracted more than 350 donors. According to Politico, it became the largest gubernatorial fundraiser in Virginia history.
Earle-Sears has focused her campaign on women’s safety issues, particularly regarding transgender policies.
The topic has become prominent in the state following an incident in Northern Virginia where a convicted sex offender identifying as a woman exposed himself in a locker room.
During a Saturday interview on Newsmax, Earle-Sears addressed the polling numbers and Democratic reinforcements.
“You can tell more about a campaign from their panic than from any poll,” Sears stated.
She also noted that if “Abigail really believed those polls, she wouldn’t be flying in half the Democrat Party to save her.”
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The NAACP’s endorsement of Spanberger over Earle-Sears has also drawn criticism.
X user The Black MAGA Preacher wrote that “the NAACP just endorsed a liberal white woman over the conservative Black woman running for Virginia governor,” adding that “The NAACP is a joke — it should be dismantled.”
Another social media user, EllieKayUSA, suggested that if “Winsome Sears were a Democrat, she’d be on every magazine cover & mainstream media would be extolling her at every opportunity.”
She added that “since Sears has an (R) next to her name, they pretend she doesn’t exist, & if Spanberger loses, it’s due to misogyny.”
Earle-Sears aims to continue Governor Glenn Youngkin’s legacy in Virginia while potentially making history.
Spanberger is attempting to position herself as a moderate Democrat while maintaining support from her party’s progressive wing.
The Virginia gubernatorial election next week, along with races in New Jersey, will receive close attention from political observers nationwide.
