In Virginia, McAuliffe brings big names, Youngkin goes solo

NEW YORK — Democrat Terry McAuliffe has brought in the biggest names in Democratic politics to come to his aid in Virginia’s hotly contested gubernatorial race: Obama, Harris, Abrams, Biden. But Youngkin did not join him and Pence never mentioned the candidate’s name, even as he echoed the same message on parental rights in schools that Youngkin has made in the closing days of the campaign “The Youngkin strategy, I think, is a smart one in that he is focused intensely on state and local issues and taking it directly to voters in the suburbs and exurbs where the election will be decided,” said Mark J. Rozell, founding Dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University in Fairfax. He can’t say that openly because he doesn’t want to alienate the loyal Trump voters who right now are all in with Youngkin.” Indeed, last time Trump waded into the race — calling into a rally organized by conservative allies — McAuliffe’s campaign seized on the appearance, quickly cutting ads featuring Trump’s praise of the Republican, even though Youngkin hadn’t even attended the event. The tour would “highlight the contrast between the grassroots enthusiasm for Glenn Youngkin’s candidacy” and Terry McAuliffe’s dependence on Democrats like Stacey Abrams, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Barack Obama to draw a crowd. “They are in a position where in Virginia they really can’t welcome very many members of the Republican Party because it’s a party led by Donald Trump,” said McAuliffe campaign spokeswoman Christina Freundlich.