Chantilly, Virginia
—
The federal government shutdown — and the escalating battle over which occasion bears probably the most blame — has injected a significant new query mark into the governor’s race in Virginia, home to a whole bunch of hundreds of federal workers.
Early voting is already underway in the race between Democratic former Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Along with the New Jersey governor’s race, it represents a crucial gauge of the nation’s political temper one 12 months into Donald Trump’s presidency.
The state is home to greater than 300,000 federal workers — greater than another state however Maryland. That actuality means anxiousness over authorities shutdowns and their financial fallout runs particularly deep in northern Virginia’s densely populated suburbs outdoors Washington, DC.
Mike Magee, a 72-year-old retired former protection contractor from Aldie, stated he was fascinated about the specter of a shutdown Tuesday as he solid his early poll for Spanberger.
“If we shut down, we lose essential services that are important. As taxpayers, we lose the services of the people that do the work that we’re budgeting, and it’s just a real shame that the parties can’t work together to come up with a way to keep the government going,” he stated. “I absolutely blame the Republicans.”
He stated he believes Spanberger is a formidable candidate but in addition wished to “send a message to our country that we need a change in direction.”
Robert, a 71-year-old Navy veteran in Leesburg who requested to solely be recognized by his first identify, stated a shutdown was “one of the things on my mind” as he voted Tuesday.
“If the government does get shut down, you can blame it on (Sen. Chuck) Schumer,” he stated. “He wants everything to go back to the way it was under Joe Biden, and that’s not the direction this country should be going in.”
Races for governor in Virginia are sometimes seen as barometers of the nationwide temper: The state limits governors to one time period, so it’s all the time an open-seat race. Once a Republican-leaning state, Virginia now favors Democrats in presidential elections however stays aggressive, as Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin proved together with his 2021 victory.
Already, Trump’s administration has slashed many federal jobs by means of Department of Government Efficiency-led firings and buyouts. The menace of additional cuts looms after a memo issued last week by the White House’s price range workplace stated a shutdown would function a authorized justification for sweeping new layoffs.
“Given the impact of the tariffs, the impact of DOGE, the impending impact of the so-called ‘one big, beautiful bill,’ I as a candidate for governor am focused on the fact that a government shutdown is just one additional element that will create and continue to create dire circumstances for so many Virginians,” Spanberger informed The Hill this week.
Earle-Sears was amongst 14 Republican lieutenant governors who signed a letter dated Monday to Senate leaders in each events, calling for Democrats to help a “clean” persevering with decision to hold the federal government funded into November — the strategy favored by congressional Republicans.
“It’s the Democrats who are holding this up when all we want is a clean continuing resolution so that we can continue to negotiate,” she informed NCS at a marketing campaign occasion final week.
The menace of a shutdown might power the 2 gubernatorial campaigns to deal with the identical challenge — a rarity in a race that has seen Spanberger search to drive an economics and affordability-focused message, tying Earle-Sears to Trump’s insurance policies, whereas Earle-Sears has hammered her Democratic rival on cultural points, notably trans participation in youth sports activities. One advert casts Spanberger as “for they/them, not for us.”
Still, NCS’s conversations with early voters made clear {that a} shutdown, and the following battle over who’s to blame, is way from the one issue being thought of by voters — a lot of whom made up their minds way back.
Peter Gustafson, a 72-year-old retired graphic designer who lives close to Leesburg, stated “of course” he was fascinated about the shutdown when he solid his vote for Spanberger on Tuesday.
However, he stated, the shutdown didn’t change his opinion on the governor’s race.
“I think it’s the best alternative to the criminal we have in the White House right now,” he stated.
David Mohr, a 68-year-old data know-how skilled in Leesburg, stated Earle-Sears was his selection as a result of “her values, in terms of moving Virginia forward, keeping our kids safe in school — those are important for me.”
He stated he isn’t positive which occasion he blames for the shutdown.
“It’s just, like, par for the course,” he stated.