538’s latest polls show 47.9% for Youngkin, 47% for McClintonite, and 1-2% for Princess Blanding of the Liberation Party.
(The Center Square) – Although most of the talk around Virginia’s 2021 gubernatorial race has focused on Republican Glenn Youngkin and Democrat Terry McAuliffe, voters will have a third name to choose from on their ballots next week – Princess Blanding.
“I am a working class Virginian and the only candidate who will fight to uplift the voices and address the needs and concerns of the working class, our Black and Brown community members and our most marginalized community members,” Blanding told The Center Square in an email. “I am the only candidate that will put people over profit and politics to ensure that liberation is a human right, not a privilege for all Virginians.”
Blanding, who is running in the newly formed Liberation Party, is trying to capture votes from Virginains who feel left behind by the two party system, particularly those who care about racial justice, social justice and environmental justice. Although she has not broken past 2% in most major polls, she is running further to the political left than McAuliffe and could have an impact on the final results as polls are showing a virtual tie between the two frontrunners.
Being on the “swing state” front lines over the past few elections means that the Democrats have been able to build an impressive GOTV operation. I hope it saves them from having picked a Terry McAuliffe-type candidate.