Candidates in Virginia gubernatorial race outline priorities ahead of Election Day

Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin will be on the ballot this November

ROANOKE, Va. – On Nov. 2, Virginians will head to the polls to choose between former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and businessman Glenn Youngkin for the next governor.

Recovering from the pandemic is top of mind for democratic nominee McAuliffe.

“The key is we’ve got to get everybody vaccinated. I’ve called for every teacher in K-12 and staff to get vaccinated. I’ve called for everyone who works in our health care delivery system, that they need to be vaccinated. I’ve said everybody in my campaign needs to be vaccinated,” McAuliffe said.

McAuliffe says mask mandates and vaccines are the best way to prevent disease and help reopen the economy.

“The only way we are going to end this horrible pandemic is to get everybody vaccinated so everybody who doesn’t have a legitimate religious or health reason, they need to get vaccinated,” McAuliffe said.

Republican Glenn Youngkin made a stop in Salem Thursday afternoon.

While he did not make time to take questions from 10 News he did say he supports the choice to get the vaccine, but not mandates.

“Terry believes in mandates. I actually believe people should get the vaccine, I got the vaccine. It was a decision I made, but I’m going to respect your decision to make that decision for yourself,” Youngkin said.

According to a poll from the Wason Center for Politics, McAuliffe holds a lead of nearly ten points over his Republican opponent.

The poll shows that Youngkin is holding strong in the southwest region, while McAuliffe leads in northern Virginia.

While it may seem like a long way until the polls open, experts expect the race to pick up over the next several weeks.


About the Author:

Annie Schroeder joined the 10 News team as a reporter in June 2020 and is no stranger to Southwest Virginia.