“People are still struggling with all kinds of things right now - burying family members because of Covid, getting back to work, getting back to school. “We have seen an uptick in the last couple of weeks, but I’ve had some concerns about what has felt like a real lag” among Black voters in Virginia, said Adrianne Shropshire, executive director of BlackPAC, which invested $1.6 million into turning out voters of color through field operations and digital ads. While some involved in Virginia have taken heart in a late upswing in energy, others stressed that Black voters are exhausted from the fight against Donald Trump and frustrated with a lack of progress in Washington. Not only did McAuliffe win a prior term as governor with the overwhelming support of Black voters, especially Black women, every national election since then has proved how critical they are to Democratic chances of victory in close races.
The focus on Black voters in the final stretch of the campaign illustrates the critical role they’ll play on Tuesday.
The group - one of several on both sides trying to dampen base enthusiasm for the other party - did not respond to a request for comment. The anti-McAuliffe mailers - featuring an image of a Black man’s face, pushed into the pavement - are paid for by Our First Principles Fund, a nonprofit group whose only previous known spending came during the fight for the Virginia GOP’s gubernatorial nomination, when the group spent six figures attacking one of eventual nominee Glenn Youngkin’s primary opponents. It appears Republicans are trying to take advantage. Against that backdrop, McAuliffe and Black Democratic surrogates are racing across Virginia before Tuesday’s election to drive up Black turnout and support. In interviews with POLITICO, more than a dozen top Democrats involved in the Virginia campaign - from strategists on the ground to House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) - expressed concern that Black support for McAuliffe is weaker and less enthusiastic than it could be in a razor-thin race in a blue-trending state. Mailers attacking Democrat Terry McAuliffe for being “on the side of abusive police officers” are popping up in Virginia voters’ mailboxes, urging support for third-party hopeful Princess Blanding - and highlighting a fierce battle for Black votes in the final days of the tight governor’s race.
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