NORFOLK, Va. — It might feel like the 2024 election just wrapped up, but voters in Virginia will head to the polls once again in the fall.
The eyes of the nation will be on the Commonwealth in the race for governor, with so far the presumptive nominees being Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Democratic former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger.
"The race for Virginia governor is held the year after a presidential election every four years, putting a spotlight on the Commonwealth," said Dr. Jesse Richman, a political science professor at Old Dominion University.
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Current Governor Glenn Youngkin is term-limited and cannot run for re-election.
"It looks like it's going to be a really interesting race as this develops," Richman noted.
Adding intrigue to the race is whether local Congressman Bobby Scott will enter the race to challenge Spanberger in a Democratic primary.
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Speculation about Scott's potential candidacy began in December when the political news site Punchbowl News reported that he was considering it.
In comments made Friday in Richmond, Scott did not provide a definitive answer. "So you're not a definite yes or no at this moment?" a reporter asked. Scott replied, "I'm doing my work. Y'all speculate."
Following initial news of Scott's potential run, influential Democratic State Senator Louise Lucas expressed her support for Scott, tweeting, "We are all screaming Bobby Scott!"
Scott has told reporters that he has not ruled out a run, and the last date to file to run is in April. The 77-year-old has served in Congress for more than 30 years.
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"What are you weighing when it comes to making that decision?" a reporter asked. Scott responded, "I'm not weighing anything. I'm doing my work. Everybody's interested in it; that's nice. Our focus is on doing the work as a member of Congress."
Richman noted that having a Black woman at the top of the ticket for the GOP may peel away votes from Democrats, suggesting that the buzz around Scott could try to balance that regardless of whether he runs or not.
"That appeal may be one of the things that would motivate Scott to make sure that Spanberger is paying close attention to the African American community in Virginia," he added.
So far, it appears this could be a close race.
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Historically, the party not in power in the White House tends to perform better in gubernatorial races, but recent polling shows the candidates separated by just a few points.
The Cook Political Report, which rates elections, is calling the race a toss-up.
"This suggests it's anyone's race at this point. Of course, it's very early; a lot of different factors are in place as this develops," Richman said.