How the Virginia governor’s race became a microcosm of national issues

Amna Nawaz:

Virginians heads of the polls this coming Tuesday, voting for the state's next governor. But the results may also serve as a referendum on the president's first 10 months in office and offer clues of what to expect across the country in next year's midterms.

Liz Landers catches up with the candidates and the voters.

Liz Landers:

As Virginia schools kick off homecoming celebrations, just beyond the goalposts, the state's off-year race for governor plays out along the sidelines and at the tailgate parties.

We're at Hampton University . This is a historically Black college in the Tidewater region in Virginia. And Abigail Spanberger is campaigning here today during their homecoming weekend.

She's doing what she's done for the better part of the year.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Gubernatorial Candidate: Hi. I'm Abigail.

Liz Landers:

Introducing herself to voters and keeping the focus on health care and the economy.

Spanberger is a former CIA officer who won a seat in Congress in 2018 in a district that hadn't elected a Democrat in decades.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger:

I'm proud of the work that I did in the bills I had signed into law, and all of it took coalition building.

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R-VA), Gubernatorial Candidate: I see all my rowdy friends are here.

(Cheering)

Liz Landers:

A few miles down the road, but a world away politically…

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears:

Abigail voted not to send those who are criminals and illegally here home.

Liz Landers:

… Winsome Earle-Sears is running as an ally of Donald Trump. A Marine Corps veteran, Earle-Sears made history four years ago when she became the first woman of color elected to a statewide office as lieutenant governor on a ticket with Glenn Youngkin.

Man:

And the next governor of the great Commonwealth of Virginia!

Liz Landers:

The Republican gubernatorial nominee is running on the Youngkin economy, a simple message, to keep a good thing going, and by leaning into culture war issues that swept Republicans into office four years ago and turned Northern Virginia school board meetings into fights over parental rights on transgender students in bathrooms and sports.

Man:

I am disgusted by your victory and your depravity.

Liz Landers:

Recent bullying doesn't show the issue resonating as deeply with voters this year, earlier this month, at a school board meeting, mostly empty seats.

But Earle-Sears has still made trans issues a major focus of her campaign.

Narrator:

She voted to allow men in girls' sports, bathrooms and locker rooms.

Matt Malone is running for Loudoun County School Board. A parent of two, the battles over parents rights four years ago inspired him to run.

Matt Malone (R), Loudoun County School Board Candidate: (OFF-MIKE) issue, no boys in girls spaces.

Woman:

Agree on that.

Matt Malone:

You agree on that?

Woman:

Yes.

Matt Malone:

Thank you. I tell my kids, don't hate anybody. Don't hate anybody and don't judge anybody. But there are boundaries.

My daughter wants to play sports. She's 9. She wants to play volleyball and basketball and I want her to feel safe in the locker room and the bathroom.

Liz Landers:

Malone likes what he hears from Earle-Sears.

Matt Malone:

I think that she has a backbone of steel. And we need someone who can fight for kids in the governor's office.

Liz Landers:

The Williams Institute estimates that, in Virginia, 18,200 youths age 13 to 17, or 3 percent, identify as transgender.

Michael Brown, Spanberger Supporter:

I don't really agree with boys in the showers with girls and all that kind of stuff.

Liz Landers:

It's an issue even some Democrats express concern about.

What is your message to Democrats on this issue?

Rep. Abigail Spanberger:

There's nothing more important than the safety of all of our children. And I do believe that so many of the decisions that we're talking about are best made at the local level by parents, by teachers, by administrators.

Liz Landers:

But it's the economy that she says needs her most urgent attention, with unemployment rates going up and the federal government shutdown now in its fifth week looming over this race. About 320,000 federal government workers live in Virginia.

Daniel Davis was one of them until he was fired by Elon Musk's DOGE in July.

Daniel Davis, Former Federal Worker:

It's been a very challenging time. I have been working on health policy for older adults and people with disabilities for the past 15 years. And to not be able to be serving those people and helping them to get the care they need really hurts.

Liz Landers:

He believes Spanberger cares more about the plight of federal workers, and that's why he's backing her.

Daniel Davis:

Abigail Spanberger, as a former federal worker, really sees federal workers. She gets the sacrifices we have made, the challenges that we face.

Liz Landers:

Meanwhile, Earle-Sears blames Democrats for the shutdown.

My question for you, though, is, should the Trump administration continue to shrink the federal work force through any mechanism?

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears:

My question is, where are the five Democrats that we need to keep the federal workers in their jobs so that they can pay their bills?

Liz Landers:

But for many voters, this race is not just about the two women on the ballot. It's about the man in the White House.

Woman:

For me, Trump is a factor. Enough said.

Man:

I personally wish he wasn't making news every day and confusing everyone.

Woman:

I am worried about our democracy, and I'm worried about authoritarianism right now.

You positioned yourself as a consensus builder, someone who works across the aisle. Would you work with President Trump on areas like job creation?

Rep. Abigail Spanberger:

I think that you don't work with the arsonist who burns down the house to rebuild it. And in this particular case, the individual who's responsible for an absolute attack on the federal work force is not the right person to help rebuild our economy.

Liz Landers:

Earle-Sears is fighting an uphill battle. Only one time in the last 50 years has Virginia elected a governor of the same political party as the president.

Donald Trump, President of the United States: Well, I think the Republican candidate is very good, and I think she should win.

Liz Landers:

President Trump has not formally endorsed Earle-Sears.

Would that be helpful, do you think, for you if the president was out campaigning for you?

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears:

Well, of course. That's a good strategy, don't you think? Of course.

Victoria Nicholls, Earle-Sears Supporter:

There's so much talk of Trump. Trump's really staying out of it. And he should, because you know what? This ticket can run Virginia.

Liz Landers:

Another wild card? A blockbuster story downballot about a series of violent text messages sent several years ago by Jay Jones, the Democrat running for attorney general in Virginia. In the messages, Jones described the former Republican speaker of the House hypothetically being assassinated.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger:

The comments that Jay Jones made are absolutely abhorrent.

Liz Landers:

Jones has apologized and expressed remorse. Spanberger has denounced the texts, but not the candidate.

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears:

When are you going to take Jay Jones and say to him, you must leave the race?

Liz Landers:

No matter who wins Tuesday, history will be made. Virginia has never elected a Woman governor until now.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Liz Landers in Virginia.