After talking to multiple people with knowledge of the information, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has become a highly sought-after endorsement for 2021 Gubernatorial candidates.
According to sources, the Governor’s approval rating among Democratic primary voters is very high, surpassing 90%, with favorability numbers just a few points lower.
“After Trump, it seems that now, more than ever, partisans are happy to forgive ‘their guys’ if they deliver on policies and political victories,” said Richard Meagher, Associate Professor of Political Science at Randolph-Macon College. “Still, Northam has always been a beneficiary of the increasingly blue demographics of the state, as well as the anti-Trump wave that has driven Democratic activism and turnout over the past few years.”
This comes just two years after the Governor was called upon by nearly every Democrat in Virginia to resign. Now, the campaigns are lobbying hard for his endorsement, showing that Northam has successfully put the yearbook scandal behind him.
“Still, the one problem that faces the party would be a Northam endorsement of McAuliffe,” said Meagher. “Progressives are already bristling at McAuliffe’s entry into the race, arguing that it’s time for new blood – and particularly a woman of color – to be Governor. Northam’s endorsement of McAuliffe might seem like a betrayal of the promises the Governor made after the blackface scandal, and could further drive a wedge between the progressive and moderate wings of the party.”
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