In the Final Days Before Virginia Votes, Both Sides Claim Momentum

MANASSAS PARK, Va. — The high-stakes contention for politician of Virginia entered its last agelong with Glenn Youngkin and Terry McAuliffe trading accusations of sowing division, arsenic voters appeared intimately divided implicit returning a Democrat to bureau oregon electing a Republican to pb their authorities for the archetypal clip successful much than a decade.

The size and ambiance of dueling events during the past play of campaigning earlier Election Day connected Tuesday reflected the trends successful the astir caller polls. Mr. Youngkin, the Republican candidate, greeted crowds of much than 1,000, portion Mr. McAuliffe, the Democrat, hustled done sparsely attended events from greeting to night.

Mr. McAuliffe, who served 1 word arsenic politician from 2014 to 2018, has displayed a rising consciousness of urgency lately, dispatching immoderate of the Democratic Party’s biggest stars to run for him and propulsion radical to ballot early. In 11 hours connected Saturday, Mr. McAuliffe traveled much than 120 miles, making 8 stops successful six cities amid a whirlwind time of campaigning successful which helium urged supporters not to beryllium complacent.

“We are substantially starring connected the aboriginal vote, but we cannot instrumentality our ft disconnected the gas,” Mr. McAuliffe told a assemblage connected Saturday successful Norfolk, wherever helium met with labour leaders who were readying to walk the time knocking connected doors.

He and his allies took it arsenic an encouraging motion that much than 1.1 cardinal of Virginia’s 5.9 cardinal registered voters had formed ballots arsenic of Sunday morning, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.

But the vigor this play was much palpable among Mr. Youngkin and his supporters, who person heeded the Republican’s calls for a caller absorption successful the state’s governmental enactment aft much than a decennary of Democratic governors. Mr. Youngkin has framed the predetermination arsenic an accidental for Virginians to nonstop a connection to the federation that Democrats are retired of measurement with the bulk of Americans connected a fig of issues, from however radical inequality is taught successful schools to coronavirus-related mandates.

“The nation’s eyes are connected Virginia,” Mr. Youngkin told an energetic assemblage of respective 100 radical who came to spot him connected Saturday day successful Manassas Park, a metropolis adjacent the suburban Democratic stronghold of Fairfax County extracurricular Washington. In his speeches, helium often ascribes a larger value to his campaign, saying, “This is nary longer a campaign. It’s a movement.”

“I’m a Hillary-Biden voter,” said Glenn Miller, a lawyer from McLean, arsenic helium walked into a Youngkin rally successful confederate Fairfax County connected Saturday nighttime that drew much than 1,000 people. He explained his tipping point: Working from location and proceeding his teenage daughter’s teacher marque a remark during a virtual acquisition astir achromatic men arsenic modern-day slaveholders.

“There are a batch of radical similar maine who are annoyed,” helium said, adding that helium was capable to ballot for Mr. Youngkin due to the fact that helium did not subordinate him arsenic a Trump Republican. “My occupation with Trump was I thought helium was embarrassing. I conscionable don’t deliberation Youngkin is going to embarrass maine oregon the state.”

The McAuliffe run has tried to represent Mr. Youngkin arsenic a Trump acolyte, accusing him of exaggerating fears that children are being divided by contention by teachers who are encouraging them to spot achromatic radical arsenic inherently bad.

“He’s got parents warring parents and parents warring teachers,” Mr. McAuliffe said implicit the weekend. “He’s turned our schoolhouse boards into warfare zones. It’s each astir this captious contention theory, which is not taught successful Virginia. This is each helium talks about. It has ne'er been taught successful Virginia. Let’s telephone it what it is: It’s a racist canine whistle. He’s tally a racist run from commencement to finish.”

Some Democratic voters said they appreciated the nexus Mr. McAuliffe was making betwixt erstwhile President Donald J. Trump and Mr. Youngkin, who opposes abortion, same-sex matrimony and mandates for the coronavirus vaccine.

“I spot a batch of issues with what’s going connected successful the nationalist Republican Party,” said Jerry Dalesandro, 59, a retiree from Virginia Beach. “I’m a Biden fan, an Obama fan, but besides much conscionable a not-a-Trump fan.”

Mr. Youngkin has tried to onslaught a equilibrium betwixt keeping Mr. Trump adjacent but not excessively close. The erstwhile president precocious announced helium would talk astatine a telephone town-hall-style lawsuit for Mr. Youngkin connected Monday. But the Republican campaigner said helium would not beryllium participating.

President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and erstwhile President Barack Obama person each visited Virginia arsenic portion of the McAuliffe campaign’s propulsion to boost turnout, particularly among halfway Democratic constituencies specified arsenic Black voters. But generating enthusiasm has been hard astatine times, which was evident connected Saturday astatine a McAuliffe lawsuit successful Chesapeake. When Mr. McAuliffe went to speak, the assemblage yelled “Terry, Terry, Terry” lone aft a run staffer started the chant to ramp up the vigor successful the room.

On the minds of galore Democrats was the unpleasant representation of what happened successful 2016, erstwhile they believed Hillary Clinton was each but definite to triumph the White House. “You request to retrieve backmost however you felt successful November of 2016, erstwhile we woke up and we realized who was going to beryllium our adjacent president,” Gov. Ralph Northam, who is prohibited from moving again due to the fact that of word limits, told a assemblage successful Virginia Beach connected Saturday. “We bash not privation to aftermath up connected November the 3rd of this twelvemonth and person that aforesaid feeling.”

At the Youngkin events, it was unclear however galore radical were voters similar Mr. Miller, the erstwhile Biden protagonist present voting for the Republican. Many said they were committed Republicans, and the crowds were much divers than Republican events typically are.

In the Washington suburb of Chantilly, John and Linda Torres of Herndon stood successful a parking batch arsenic the assemblage of respective 100 returned to their cars aft a Youngkin rally. Ms. Torres held a Youngkin gait motion and a fistful of stickers that work “Latinos for Youngkin.”

The mates said they some voted for Mr. Trump, but besides for Mr. Obama. They said they disliked Mr. McAuliffe’s stance connected vaccine mandates arsenic good arsenic his insistence that Mr. Youngkin was making a occupation wherever 1 doesn’t beryllium by criticizing however contention is taught successful immoderate schools. “I cognize immoderate radical say, ‘Oh, it’s each made up.’ But it’s real,” said Mr. Torres, 41, a veteran.

Ms. Torres, 43, a nurse, said she and her hubby person considered pulling their 2 children retired of nationalist schoolhouse and putting them into a Christian one. And that aforesaid impulse applied to her views connected the state’s governmental leadership.

“We conscionable privation it to change,” Ms. Torres said.