Democrats Swarm Virginia Race to Blunt Ex-Carlyle CEO

November contest is close even after big Biden win last year
Obama, Stacey Abrams aim to stoke turnout for McAuliffe

Stacey Abrams, right, joins Terry McAuliffe, during a campaign rally in Norfolk, on Oct. 17.Photographer: Steve Helber/AP Photo

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By Ryan Teague Beckwith

October 18, 2021 at 6:00 AM UTC

Updated on

October 18, 2021 at 8:48 PM UTC

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Democrats concerned by the tight race for Virginia governor are rushing to bolster Terry McAuliffe’s campaign in a state that could set the national momentum for the critical midterms and the 2024 presidential election.

So much is hanging on the race between former governor McAuliffe and Republican political newcomer Glenn Youngkin, a former chief executive officer of the Carlyle Group Inc., that some of the Democratic Party’s biggest names are traversing the state on behalf of McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chair.