WHAT TO WATCH IN VIRGINIA’S GOVERNOR’S RACE
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent
The Old Dominion has elected 73 governors in its history, leaders who have gone on to win U.S. Senate seats and three presidencies.
True to that historic form, Virginia’s choice this year could have broad implications for both the Capitol and the White House. The state has been Democrats’ foothold in the south for the past two decades and what happens there could be portentous or fortuitous to their chances of keeping Congress and the presidency. Democrats have dominated for years: Since 2001, Virginia has held 17 major statewide elections (governor, U.S. senator, president) and Democrats won 14 of them.
But as President Joe Biden’s approval ratings wane, Republicans are threatening to take back the Richmond governor’s mansion in this year’s vote.
The race has developed into a fault line over schools, something we looked at on the show last night. But we also want to highlight five other things to watch for in today’s voting and the coming election results.
[Find live election results for Virginia here, starting at 7 p.m. ET.]
Northern Virginia turnout. A key, glaring question in this election and the next: Are Democratic voters motivated enough to show up in the numbers they did in 2020? In Virginia, that question is especially important in the suburbs and exurbs around Washington D.C., which are both Democrats’ most-concentrated and largest areas for votes. Several hundred thousand voters have already cast ballots in the region, which is record early-voting turnout. But that still leaves a few hundred thousand ballots or more to be cast. Democrats still need significant Election Day turnout in order to keep in charge in Richmond. They must win Northern Virginia with something on the order of 60 to 66 percent of the vote in order to be victorious in the state at large. If you’d like to watch a single county, make it Fairfax County, the largest in Northern Virginia.
Swing areas. The Old Dominion is blessed with gorgeous scenery — the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, the Atlantic Ocean in the east and rolling rivers from north to south. Its political landscape is just as scenic. Out of the state’s 11 congressional districts, three are nationally-known swing districts, including two where Democrats hold the Congressional seat but voters have also backed former Republican President Donald Trump in at least one election. Particularly watch how voters cast their ballots (and how many of them do) in the growing areas around Norfolk and the southern coast, where Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria will be a top Republican target next year. Another good spot to check: Henrico County, around Richmond, from which Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger also will need some strong Democratic love in 2022.
Trump talk. The former president has sent out more messages and even participated in a conservative call-in show to support Youngkin in the past few days. This comes despite the Republican gubernatorial candidate himself avoiding references to Trump, much less campaigning with him. Republicans believe the more Trump enters the Virginia atmosphere, the worse it would be for them in the generally moderate state. It will be telling to see how much Trump is in headlines, if at all, related to the race.
Voter fraud or intimidation complaints. As is now usual practice, both parties have set up call-in lines and assembled legal teams in preparation for either voter intimidation or fraud claims. In addition, both have raised accusations that the other is ready to contest the election, while asserting such action is beneath them. We’ll be checking on Twitter for any allegations of election wrongdoing or hijinks. If the election is close, watch any and all statements on how each party handles the results. This is especially important if the race remains close and counting (as well as possible recounting) could take days.
Anger. Whichever party wins, the Virginia races are a temperature check for the nation’s political emotions. The commonwealth long prided itself on the “Virginia way,” a political honor system which centered on trust of and decorum by individuals. The principle puts principle and statesmanship over politics and hostility. But in the past year, Virginians have seen raucous school-board meetings, in particular in Loudoun County, and rising anger from all parts of the spectrum. That’s not the traditional Virginia way and is especially notable in a state known for a more even temper. Reactions to today’s elections could tell us something about the nation, and its mentality at large.
PSYCHEDELICS ON THE BALLOT
By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, @fkwang
Communities reporter, Dearborn/Detroit
Much like the wave of marijuana decriminalization that has swept the country in recent years, a growing number of cities and states are considering similar resolutions involving psychedelic substances.
While entheogenic plants and fungi remain illegal at the federal level, some state and local governments have been decriminalizing them in various forms in the last several years. This means that they are still illegal, but they are often ranked the lowest of police and prosecutor priorities.
In November 2020, Oregon voters passed ballot measure 110, which made personal non-commercial possession of a controlled substance no more than a Class E violation (a maximum fine of $100). In 2021, Rhode Island passed a bill that authorized a pilot program to create “harm reduction centers” where people may safely consume controlled substances under the supervision of health care professionals. New Jersey passed a bill earlier this year to decriminalize possession of under 1 ounce of psilocybin mushrooms. And several local governments, including Ann Arbor, have decriminalized the use of entheogenic plants and fungi including the cities of Oakland, Santa Cruz, and Arcata in California; Northampton, Somerville, and Cambridge in Massachusetts; and Denver, Seattle and Washington, D.C. A similar bill was introduced to the Michigan legislature this fall.
This Election Day, a citizen’s initiative in Detroit will be on the ballot. Known as Proposal E, it would decriminalize the use of entheogenic plants and fungi, including ayahuasca from South America, ibogaine from Africa, peyote and mescaline from certain cacti, and psilocybin from certain mushrooms with vision-producing capabilities.
Opposition to such measures tends to cite fears that loosening penalties will lead to increased drug use and crime among the public. But recent studies suggest that ibogaine can reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms, psilocybin can relieve major depression, psilocybin can decrease depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer. MDMA combined with psychological counselling, other research shows, can give marked relief to patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. The FDA has given psilocybin the designation of breakthrough therapy which can accelerate the process of drug development and review. Esketamine has been approved by the FDA for treatment-resistant depression.
While many voters across the country are skeptical about these substances’ medicinal applications, a Hill-HarrisX poll released June 1 found that 35 percent of registered voters polled think that psychedelic substances such as “magic mushrooms” do have medical uses. That percentage goes up among younger voters aged 18 to 34 (53 percent) and 35 to 49 (41 percent).
Read more about what’s up for consideration this year, and how Michigan has shfited on this issue in recent years,
in our full story.
#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Tess Conciatori, @tkconch
Politics producer
Virginia is one of the oldest states in the country and home to a number of history’s most well known American politicians, many of whom served as the state’s executive.
Our question: Virginians head to the polls today to elect their 74th governor. Who was the first?
Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.
Last week, we asked: Which president was the first to host public children for a White House trick-or-treat?
The answer: Richard Nixon
Congratulations to our winners: Noreen McGowan and Michael Giove!
Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.
