BUENA VISTA, VA – Supporters for both the Democratic and Republican parties showed out in full force on Monday for the Buena Vista Labor Day Festival.
This is the first time in over a decade that all six statewide candidates for office have attended and spoken to voters about why they should elect them this coming November.
The festival is known for its small-town charm, but it also carries big political weight. Every year, it marks the unofficial kickoff to Virginia’s election season.
“Politics is healthy. It’s good to have debate. It’s actually the symbol of a free society,” Attorney General Jason Miyares said.
This year, the spotlight is on the gubernatorial race.
The chants set the tone. Republicans throwing their support behind Winsome Earle-Sears, Democrats rallying for Abigail Spanberger.
Tensions flared as each side tried to drown out the other during speeches from the opposing party.
“They love everyone other than Republicans, apparently. They’re rude and they’re crude,” Earle-Sears said.
But even so, each candidate tried to stick to their messaging, honing in on the importance of winning Southwest Virginia, a historically red-leaning area.
“I am talking about the issues that frankly matter to all Virginians. As I like to tell people, I may be a Democrat, but you don’t have to be to vote for me,” Spanberger said.
“Every time I have gone through elections, the Southwest folks think that no one cares. We’ve made sure, the governor, myself, and the attorney general, we have been down in the Southwest,” Earle-Sears said.
Down the ballot, Lieutenant Governor candidates Ghazala Hashmi and John Reid made their case to voters.
“I thought that if I was going to talk the big talk for all these years, and I was so unhappy with how people were leading the state, then I should put my own butt on the line and get in the game,” Reid said.
“I have been in the Virginia Senate now for six years, and those six years have taught me exactly what we need to focus on,” Hashmi said.
Attorney general candidates Jay Jones and Jason Miyares also pitched their vision.
“The things that are coming out of Washington make us less safe and less secure. We need someone who’s gonna step up and be the champion for people all across Virginia,” Jones said.
“I get the honor of asking Virginians to rehire me, but I also get to remind Virginians of where Virginia was four years ago vs. where we are right now,” Miyares said.
Candidates 10 News spoke with said they are stressing the importance of getting out and voting early.
Early voting starts in just a few weeks on September 19th.