Though the Virginia gubernatorial election is more than six months off, it’s shaping up as a crucial indicator of political winds ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and a test of President Donald Trump’s and fellow Republicans’ political strength a year after he won a second, nonconsecutive term.
Virginia and New Jersey are the only states with governor’s races this year. The commonwealth has another distinction — it is the only state where governors aren’t allowed consecutive terms.
Four years ago, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), a wealthy private equity executive and political rookie, blocked former Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s comeback attempt after the Democrat had been out of office for nearly four years. Youngkin won the 2021 governor’s race by under 2 percentage points, but it was
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