{"id":133218,"date":"2021-07-24T02:23:01","date_gmt":"2021-07-24T02:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=133218"},"modified":"2021-07-24T02:23:01","modified_gmt":"2021-07-24T02:23:01","slug":"biden-tests-political-muscle-with-campaign-stop-for-virginia-governor-candidate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/markets\/biden-tests-political-muscle-with-campaign-stop-for-virginia-governor-candidate\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden tests political muscle with campaign stop for Virginia governor candidate"},"content":{"rendered":"
ARLINGTON, Va. (Reuters) – President Joe Biden tested his political muscle in the state of Virginia on Friday in a campaign stop for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, who Biden said was running against an \u201cacolyte\u201d of former President Donald Trump.<\/p> The off-year state race could be a sign of Democrats\u2019 strength or weakness ahead of the 2022 midterm congressional elections, as well as a test of the political strength of the president and his Republican predecessor.<\/p>\n Democrats hope next year to keep control of the U.S. House of Representatives, in which they have a slim majority, and the Senate, in which there is a 50-50 split, while Republicans hope to take over leadership of both chambers.<\/p>\n Biden traveled the short distance from Washington to a park in Arlington, Virginia, for the event for McAuliffe, a long-term fixture in Democratic politics who is running for a second term as Virginia governor in November\u2019s election.<\/p>\n \u201cTerry and I share a lot in common. I ran against Donald Trump and so is Terry,\u201d Biden said. \u201cI whipped Donald Trump in Virginia and so will Terry.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump lost Virginia in both 2016 and 2020.<\/p>\n McAuliffe\u2019s opponent in the governor\u2019s race is Virginia businessman Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who has been endorsed by Trump. \u201cThe guy Terry\u2019s running against is an acolyte of Donald Trump for real,\u201d Biden said. \u201cI don\u2019t know where these guys come from.\u201d<\/p>\n A poll released earlier this month by the Trafalgar Group said the race was tight, with McAuliffe at 46.8% support and Youngkin with 45%. Virginia in recent years has been trending Democratic based on overwhelming support from the northern part of the state. Biden won the state in 2020.<\/p>\n \u201cTerry McAuliffe must be worried about his terrible poll numbers if he\u2019s already calling in political favors this early in the campaign,\u201d said Youngkin\u2019s spokesperson Macaulay Porter.<\/p>\n Biden kicked off his remarks by tweaking some conservatives who have recently begun recommending vaccination against COVID-19.<\/p>\n \u201cSome of our very conservative friends have had an altar call. They\u2019ve seen the Lord,\u201d he quipped.<\/p>\n The Virginia race is likely to be seen as a referendum on Biden\u2019s first year in office and a test of strength for the Democratic president. The party that holds the White House usually loses seats in Congress in the first midterm elections after a new president takes over.<\/p>\n McAuliffe eagerly sought to inject Trump into the race. McAuliffe said of Youngkin: \u201cHe\u2019s not running for you. He\u2019s running for Donald Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n McAuliffe, who has raised millions of dollars for Democratic candidates and was a close ally of then-President Bill Clinton, is running four years after ending his first term. State law forbids a governor from running for re-election.<\/p>\n