The last month of Virginia’s election race on the post of governor, it seems, will be focused on issues such as the availability, abortion and rights of transgender people.
And then on Friday it turned out that the candidate from the Democratic Party, who was in the November vote for the post of general prosecutor, suggested that one of the leading lawmakers-republicans in the state To be killed in the head in text messages three years ago.
The development of events that even more acute emotions around Political violenceHe ensured an unexpected impetus on the finish line in the relatively calm election season in Virginia, one of the first large elections in the state, which took place after last year's presidential race.
The appearance of Democrat Jay Jones quickly caused criticism from the members of both parties, as a result of which Ebigail Spanberger, a candidate from the Democratic Party and the leader in the race for the post of governor, at the decisive moment took a defensive position and unexpectedly gave the potential discovery of its opponent-republican, lover-lover Winse Erl-Sirs.
Spanberger retained significant advantages over Earl-sire in polls and raising funds throughout the campaign. But since four more weeks are left before the election day, and early voting has already been going on, the development of events promises to become an important factor in the formation of the dynamics of the last days of the election race.
“This can definitely be qualified as something breakthrough, and few events are more like that,” said Zach Rodya, a republican strategist from Virginia, who does not work with the Erla-Sirsa campaign.
Rode said that the results of surveys and financial leaders of Spanberger are doing so that “she can afford to reduce her margin in certain key areas.”
Nevertheless, according to him, this news “absolutely tightens the race.”
A bipartisian reaction
The reverse reaction to Johns texts in 2022 – In which he suggested that the Republican Todd Gilbert, the then speaker of the House of Virginia, received “two bullets in the head” – was quick, harsh and bicoparty.
The story, first told National Reviewquickly attracted the attention of leading national Republicans, including President Donald Trump, who demanded on Sunday at Truth Social to Jones leaves the race.
Democrats also condemned this. In her statement on Friday, Spanberger said that she “frankly” spoke with Jones about her “aversion to what he said and wrote,” and “made Jay to understand that he should completely take responsibility for his words.”
“I also made it clear that as a candidate and as the next governor of our Commonwealth, I will always condemn aggressive statements in our politics,” she added.
But the Spanberger and other prominent democrats from Virginia did not call Jones to leave the party. On Monday, her election headquarters did not answer additional questions about whether she believes that Jones should abandon her application.
Earl-Sirs took advantage of this decision, urging Jones to refuse to participate and stating that the continuing support from Spanberger also deprives her of the right to run for the governor.
“Let me clarify: the ongoing support of Jay Jones by Spanberger deprives him of the right to occupy a higher post,” Earl-Irsa said at a press conference on Saturday evening. “She and the irresponsible behavior of her party brought us to this point.”
Erla-Sirsa campaign also began to show digital advertising dedicated to the news. One Additions together A series of news reports about Jones messages, interwoven with the past praise of Jones Spanberger.
Jones apologized for the texts that he sent before he took an elected position, saying in his statement that “having re -read these words, I got sick” and that he was “embarrassed, ashamed and sorry”.
Nevertheless, Jones' messages threaten to have a huge impact in the last weeks of the election race, especially after the murders of a conservative activist. Charlie Kirk Last month and Minnesota representative Melissa Hortman Over the summer.
“This is all that the campaign will do over the next 30 days,” Rode said about Jones's messages.
Even before Jones' messages were born, political violence was part of the final message of Erla-Sirsa.
Her campaign last week I released digital advertising Accusing the democrats of helping to inflate the flame of political violence, taking advantage of the comments of Spanberger last month, in which he urged his supporters to “allow his rage to nourish you.” (Ranbern campaign She said that her comments were Torn “tore out of context”).
It was a kind of turn from the main topic of her final message. Earle-Ears has become most strongly in recent weeks. In antibranster attacks. She focused on criticizing the position of Ranbert with regard to transgender participation in youth sports and the use of school locker rooms and public toilets. This is an attempt to repeat the policy of the governor-republican Glenn Yankina. Successful approach Four years ago, to focus on parental and cultural issues.
Meanwhile, the Spanberger constantly raises the issues of accessibility and economics, simultaneously connecting Erla-sires with Trump. In recent weeks, her final message also With an emphasis on reproductive rights Public safety and crime. And Spanberger tried to blame for the suspension of the federal government on Erla-Sirsa, connecting this with Trump's actions. federal reduction in laborwho had a huge impact on Virginia.
Problems for Erl-Sirs remain
But several operatives and strategists on both sides informed NBC News that the opening of Erla-Sirsa was most likely too insignificant and too late.
A The survey is published on FridayA study conducted before Jones's texts were published by the Washington Post and the state policy school of the University of George Mason, showed that Spanberger was ahead of Erla-sires from 55% to 43% among probable voters, which goes beyond the error of the survey.
Respondents said that, according to the survey, “Economics/Cost of Life/Work/Housing” were the most important issue for the elections for them, ahead of “Education/School” and “Policy in relation to Transgender students”. The survey also showed that 69% of the registered voters agreed with the position of Erla-sire that the transgender girls should be allowed to play only in sports teams corresponding to the sex with which they were born.
Democratic strategists note that Trump has not yet supported Erla-Sirsa, even after he visited Virginia on Sunday at an event dedicated The 250th anniversary of the Navy. Trump did not mention Erla-sire, who Present at the eventEven after earlier on the same day on Truth Social, he supported the opponent of Jones-Republican in the race for the post of General Prosecutor Jason Miyares.
Erl-Sirs “does everything possible to convey to Virginia the extreme program of Donald Trump to reduce jobs and increase expenses, but even he does not want to have anything to do with its desperate and failed campaign,” said Newton's Association of Governor-Democrats on Monday.
In addition, on September 19, an early vote began in Virginia, and as of Sunday, more than 355,000 voters voted. According to the Virginia public access project. This is more than 10% of all the votes filed in the elections. Governor's race of 2021.
The national democrat strategist, who participated in the election race, recognized the seriousness of the situation for Jones, but expressed confidence that this would not affect the Spanberger.
“Of course, issue No. 1 in the governor’s race is the economy,” said the strategist, not an authorized person to give public comments. “Spanberger seeks to reduce costs and protect jobs, while the SIRS is tied to a reduction in workplaces and healthcare Trump. This was the main issue for voters last week and again this week.”
The strategist predicted that “the same thing will happen every day before the election.”
