Frustration with D.C. Democrats has infected Virginia voters ahead of Tuesday's election


There's just one day left in the race to become the next governor of Virginia, and while the fight between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin is ostensibly concentrated locally, many state voters have expressed disappointment with the party at large — including the lawmakers on Capitol Hill and President Biden himself, reports The Washington Post. All in all, the "profound sense of frustration" is "dragging down hopes of another party victory and making the state look, once again, more like a battleground than a Democratic stronghold."
"I don't think a lot of people have a lot of faith in Biden, like they were expecting at first," said 2020 Biden voter Eutopia Hall. "Nothing has changed and we're just stuck in the same place."
Other voters also expressed disappointment that the "benefits of Democratic control" hadn't found their way into "their lives or their wallets."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"I voted for Biden. Really, I was going to vote for anybody but Trump. But it seems like it was all talk," said Tia Scott of Norfolk. "Just because you say you can do all that stuff on an ad doesn't mean you can do it."
Some fear the party infighting is hurting not only progress, but also the president's reputation. Al Riutort told the Post that while he still favors Biden, he's had a difficult time highlighting the president's accomplishments outside of simply being different from Trump. "I think the Democrats not being able to move forward with some important bills is really hurting him and it's going to hurt McAuliffe," Riutort said.
Similarly, Kayce White said it's upsetting to her to watch progress stalled by "a minority of people," in reference to Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.). "Them not finding a way forward, that part of it is very frustrating for me."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
What is the Federal Reserve and what does it do?
The explainer The decisions made by the United States' central banking system have very real economic effects
-
'Natural disasters don't happen only in the movies'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump vs. the arts: Fresh strikes against PBS and the NEA
Feature Trump wants to cut funding for public broadcasting and the arts, which would save a little but cost a lot for red states
-
Trump vows to lift Syria sanctions
speed read The move would help the new government stabilize the country following years of civil war
-
Senate rejects Trump's Library of Congress takeover
speed read Congress resisted the president's attempts to control 'the legislative branch's premier research body'
-
Hamas frees US hostage in deal sidelining Israel
speed read Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier, was the final living US citizen held by the militant group
-
White Afrikaners land in US as Trump-declared refugees
speed read An exception was made to Trump's near-total ban on admitting refugees for the white South Africans
-
Democrats: How to rebuild a damaged brand
Feature Trump's approval rating is sinking, but so is the Democratic brand
-
'Two dolls': Can Trump sell Americans on austerity?
Feature Trump's tariffs may be threatening holiday shelves but they've handed Democrats a 'huge gift'
-
Qatar luxury jet gift clouds Trump trip to Mideast
speed read Qatar is said to be presenting Trump with a $400 million plane, which would be among the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the US government
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin