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Virginia Elections: Control of state legislature up for grabs
Republicans hope to gain full control of the state legislature and clear a path for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to enact his proposals on key policy priorities. Democrats seek to maintain control of at least one chamber and possibly flip the other to continue to serve as a check against Youngkin’s agenda. FOX 5’s Bob Barnard has a preview.
ARLINGTON, Va. - The nation's eyes are on Virginia as the state gears up for Election Day.
On Tuesday, voters will decide to either give the GOP full state government control for the first time in a decade or empower Democrats to keep a check on Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Republicans hold a slim majority in the House of Delegates, while Democrats hold an equally narrow majority in the state Senate.
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Countdown to Virginia's Election Day
Millions of dollars in ads are airing across the region ahead of Tuesday's Election Day in Virginia -- and the stakes are high for both Democrats and Republicans, plus Governor Glenn Youngkin has a lot on the line. J. Miles Coleman from the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia is Jim's guest on "The Final 5."
Many analysts are looking at Virginia as a predictor for races across the country. The Commonwealth's off-year elections often serve as a bellwether for national races, as both parties test out messaging ahead of presidential elections.
This year's major touching point is abortion. Earlier this year, Youngkin unsuccessfully pushed a 15-week abortion ban, with some exceptions, that the Democrats blocked in the state Senate.
While Virginia’s vote could lead to prognostications on where the nation is on abortion, someone else will be paying close attention to these results: Youngkin.
"It really will determine the final half of Governor Youngkin’s time in office,"said Michael Pope, reporter with Virginia Public Radio, to FOX 5. "Will he get a lot of his big agenda items, more tax cuts, potentially even services for mental health, perhaps even launch a presidential bid. So the rest of Glenn Youngkin’s time in office really will be determined by this election."
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Key races ahead as Virginia State elections approach
In just two weeks, some key races will play out in the Virginia State elections. Teo Armus covers Virginia politics for The Washington Post and joins On The Hill to discuss what we could see come Nov. 7.