Republican investment in Virginia coming ahead of election, GOP Chair says

Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin doubled down on an idea that has been kicked around among pollsters and campaign folks recently: The commonwealth is in play for conservatives in the 2024 General Election.

Virginia has trended blue during presidential races since 2008 but some in the Republican Party believe that could change in November. And a recent poll conducted by Roanoke College shows the two presumptive nominees, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, neck-in-neck with each garnering support from 42% of voters surveyed.

On CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper on Thursday, Youngkin echoed the optimism of Trump’s campaign manager, Chris LaCivita, who told NBC in May that Republicans have an opportunity to expand the map in Virginia.

“It is pretty stunning that in 2020 we saw Joe Biden win by 10 points, and I was fortunate enough to win by two [in 2021], but now we see Virginia very tight,” Youngkin said. “I think America and Virginia is ready to really give President Trump the White House back.”

The Democratic Party of Virginia disagreed with Youngkin’s assertion and said the governor has kowtowed to the former president throughout his term as head of the commonwealth.

“Youngkin’s governorship is over and while he continues to beg for attention from Trump and his cronies, like Chris LaCivitia, Virginia Democrats will beat Republicans and Trump just like they did in 2020,” Democratic Party Chair Susan Swecker said.

Both parties investing in the commonwealth?

Virginia’s Democratic Party, though skeptical of Trump’s ability to win in November, isn’t taking the election for granted. Virginia Democrats, along with the Biden-Harris campaign, have invested resources in the commonwealth over the last few months.

The Biden-Harris campaign has opened six offices across Virginia in both rural and urban areas with more expected to be opened in the coming months. The campaign has also launched a Black voter outreach program in Virginia.

“Trump is toxic and has no campaign presence in Virginia, while the Biden campaign is working to win every vote across the commonwealth,” State Senate President Pro tempore Louise Lucas, a Democrat, said. “[Trump is] welcome to waste his time campaigning here.”

And while it’s true that the Trump campaign has yet to invest heavily in the commonwealth, money, manpower and energy are coming soon to Virginia, Republican Party Chair Rich Anderson said.

“They are building out their operation in Virginia and will soon unveil their team and other particulars. My state party staff and I will meet with them in the near term to nail down the role that RPV will play in partnership with the RNC and the Trump 2024 team,” he said.

Trump’s campaign has said publicly and affirmed to Anderson privately that it considers Virginia to be a top-tier, in-play state, Anderson said.

What about Trump’s convictions, Nikki Haley’s voters, and Independents?

When asked by Tapper, Youngkin predicted that Independent voters in the commonwealth would vote for Trump. Independent voters made up 27% of those surveyed in the recent Roanoke College poll that saw the two presumptive nominees neck-in-neck.

He pointed to the economy, national security, energy policy and the southwestern border as reasons why he believes Virginia will swing red in November.  

Roughly 35% of voters in Virginia’s Republican primary voted for Nikki Haley. A number of those voters who attended campaign rally in February in Richmond told USA Today that they would not vote for Trump even if he were the Republican nominee.

Youngkin told Tapper that he believes the Republican Party in Virginia is coming together to support the presumptive nominee, regardless of past candidates and differences of opinion. He also said that he believes voters won’t be swayed away from the former president despite his 34 felony convictions on counts of falsifying business documents.