Virginia’s voters will pick the state’s next governor in November. The choice couldn’t be clearer and neither could the national implications of this race in a bellwether state.  Not only is the Virginia election a curtain-raiser for the midterm elections of 2022, it’s also the biggest test so far of whether the Trumpified GOP can win major races.

The Democratic candidate, Terry McAuliffe, had a successful term as governor. The Republican candidate, Glenn Youngkin, is a super-wealthy businessman trying to buy his way into power.

Sound familiar? On one issue after another, voters can contrast Youngkin’s unproven claims with McAuliffe’s proven record.

Take voting rights. During his 2014-2018 term, McAuliffe overcame Republican resistance and Jim Crow-era voting laws to restore voting rights to 173,000 Virginians.

What about Youngkin? He refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of President Joe Biden’s victory for months—until after he won the GOP nomination—and has helped promote false right-wing claims about voter fraud that are being used by Republican legislators to justify restrictive voting laws around the country.

Just last month, Youngkin spoke at an “election integrity” rally organized by a Trump supporter who was outside the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection. No wonder Trump has so enthusiastically endorsed Youngkin.

Youngkin promotes himself as if Virginia needs him as some kind of savior to pull the state out of the “ditch” he claims it is in. The Washington Post’s editorial board said Youngkin’s claim is “flatly contradicted by a tsunami of evidence to the contrary.” That sounds like a polite way of saying Youngkin is lying. The state has a budget surplus, lower-than-average unemployment, and a AAA bond rating. This summer CNBC declared Virginia the top state in the country for business.

The real danger of the state dropping into a ditch comes from Youngkin himself. His desire to abolish the state’s income tax would slash the state’s ability to provide services to its residents.

When McAuliffe was governor, he was so successful at attracting economic development and generating new jobs that he was named “Public Official of the Year” by “Governing” magazine in 2017.

The magazine honored McAuliffe “based on his success navigating an opposition Legislature, creating new jobs, and persevering in restoring the civil rights of more than 168,000 Virginians.” McAuliffe credited his team for helping him “build a stronger, more inclusive Virginia.”

In his previous term as governor, McAuliffe also oversaw record spending on education and created the country’s first workforce training program to help people without a college education get access to jobs in high demand. He is pledging to build on that track record by raising teacher pay above the national average, expanding access to preschool, and getting all students online.

Meanwhile, Youngkin’s search for ways to fire up right-wing voters has led him down another divisive road paved by Trump. Youngkin has joined Trump, Fox News, and right-wing activists who are trying to stop schools from having honest conversations about racism in our history, culture, and institutions. They’re hoping to inflame conservative white voters to drive up turnout, and Youngkin has made it the centerpiece of his campaign.

His dishonest comments about Virginia schools show us that he will say or do anything to get into power, no matter how much damage he does along the way.  Youngkin fails another test that is of vital importance to Virginians’ health and economic future: dealing responsibly with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Youngkin opposes vaccine mandates and doesn’t think schools should require students to wear masks. He said he would follow the lead of Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, whose irresponsible policies have encouraged an upsurge in hospitalizations and deaths. McAuliffe knows that you can’t rebuild the economy if the pandemic is allowed to ravage the workforce and disrupt our lives and jobs.

Virginia voters rejected Donald Trump twice and I believe they will reject Trump’s pick for governor. McAuliffe, whose successful record as governor reflects his commitment to a Virginia that works better for everyone, deserves Virginians’ votes, and the nation will be watching.

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way.

Isabelle Price

Posts by Isabelle Price