Competitive Virginia governor’s race to test Biden’s appeal

By WILL WEISSERT and SARAH RANKIN
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The first major test of how voters feel about Joe Biden’s presidency is unfolding in Virginia. Tuesday’s governor’s race was supposed to be an easy Democratic win but is instead ending in suspense. Polls show Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who served as governor from 2014 to 2018, deadlocked with Republican former business executive Glenn Youngkin. The GOP has not won statewide office in Virginia since 2009, but Youngkin’s campaign says it’s increasingly optimistic. McAuliffe has insisted he’s equally bullish — though anything less than a convincing victory is likely to be seen politically as a disaster for the president and his party.