HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - We're one week out from Election Day and Democratic candidate for governor Terry McAuliffe says he's got the backing of musician Pharrell Williams and Vice President Kamala Harris.
McAuliffe made a campaign stop in Virginia Beach on Monday. On Friday, Williams and Harris joined him with their endorsement at an event on Friday in Norfolk.
When asked about the decision not to bring the Something in the Water festival back to the Resort City, which was a highly successful event during its first year in 2019, McAuliffe said he's had "a lot of discussions" with the musician, who hails from Virginia Beach. In a letter to Virginia Beach City Manager Patrick Duhaney, Williams said the city has been run by "toxic energy" for far too long.
"I mean, we gotta... every community needs to be open and welcoming to everybody. And if people feel there are tensions within one’s community, then they’re not going to grow, they’re not going to be successful. So, if all of these people are feeling there’s toxicity out there, as governor, as I did before, I’m going to break down walls. I’m going to make sure we’re open, inclusive. Every community here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. But I’ve spoken to Pharrell many times on this topic. He’s very upset. That’s one of the reasons why he’s supporting me for governor," McAuliffe said.
Also Monday, Republican challenger Glenn Youngkin campaigned through Hampton Roads, including making a stop in Virginia Beach, Portsmouth and Isle of Wight. Over the weekend, he held a rally in Chesapeake and a meet and greet in Newport News.
This comes after Youngkin kicked off a 10-day, 50-stop bus tour to finish his campaign.
"The way we're going to win this is for all of us as Virginians to recognize that this moment is for us - it is for us," he said.
The race for governor continues to be extremely tight.
Early voting ends Saturday.
Related: Planning to vote early? Here's a list of early voting locations in Hampton Roads
Click here for our full guide on the 2021 Virginia elections.