Why did Democrats under-perform in the election last week? A former governor weighs in...
Former Governor Terry McAuliffe says the numbers tell a story, and it's one that's not good for Democrats. In 2020, Democrats won young people in Virginia with a margin of 23 points. This year, it was only eight points. In the last election, Democrats won women by 15 points. This year, it was only nine.
"Our party way overestimated the Dobbs decision and the power that that was to motivate people to go to vote," McAuliffe says.
Regrets? He's got a few. And he was not shy about mentioning them to a group of students at George Mason University this week.
"I think there's a good debate about the Liz Cheney thing. I didn't really think that was the smartest thing ever for a closing argument to have Liz Cheney," McAuliffe says. "I didn't think it was a great idea the night before the election to have a big Beyoncé concert. Most of the people at home can't afford to go to a Beyoncé concert. You should have been going door to door."
He says Democrats looking for a ray of hope can expect a good performance in 2025, when Virginia voters will elect a governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general – plus all 100 seats of the House of Delegates.
The party that wins the White House usually loses the race for governor of Virginia – with only one exception in recent years – and that Terry McAuliffe, who was elected governor the year after Barack Obama was reelected to the White House.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
