Former Carlyle Group CEO could knock Democrats out of Virginia’s governor’s office. Here’s what to know

Another central issue in the race is Trump himself. The former president announced his endorsement for Youngkin in May, praising him for his “pro-Business, pro-Second Amendment, pro-Veterans, pro-America” approach. 

Youngkin accepted the endorsement but has kept Trump at arm’s length since winning the Republican Party’s nomination, showing little interest in rallying alongside the former president and his allies. 

For instance, Youngkin declined to appear at a “Take Back Virginia Rally” rally last week hosted by former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, according to NBC News. 

While Youngkin has avoided any criticism of Trump, he has also maintained a distance from the former president’s false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election. 

“There wasn’t material fraud, and I believe that the election was certifiably fair,” Youngkin said in the first gubernatorial debate last month. 

Youngkin’s efforts to separate himself from Trump are likely a tactic to help his odds in the race, according to Nicholas Goedert, an assistant political science professor of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. 

“Biden’s falling poll numbers haven’t really helped Trump increase his own popularity, especially in a state that has moved so far to the left over the last 10 years,” Goedert said. “Someone who is openly campaigning as a Trump ally is not going to do very well. Youngkin has realized that.” 

Despite Youngkin’s distance from Trump, McAuliffe has repeatedly called his Republican opponent a “Trump wannabe.” He cites their overlapping stances on issues such as Covid mandates and critical race theory. 

In response, Youngkin has lambasted McAuliffe for attempting to link him to Trump. 

“The only person invoking Trump,” Youngkin charged at the second gubernatorial debate, “is you.”

“Terry, you just made folks in Las Vegas a lot of money,” Youngkin said in the first gubernatorial debate a few weeks earlier. “There’s an over/under tonight on how many times you’re going to say ‘Donald Trump,’ and it was 10, and you just busted through it.”

Trump has warned Youngkin to more closely align with his Make America Great Again movement. 

“The only guys that win are the guys that embrace the MAGA movement,” Trump said in an interview with conservative talk show host John Fredericks last month. 

“They have to embrace it,” he continued.  

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/21/virginia-governor-race-what-to-know-about-terry-mcauliffe-vs-glenn-youngkin.html