McAuliffe v Youngkin
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."
"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."