Virginia has turned so blue in recent elections that former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe could win again, according to one of the state’s last Republican governors.
Jim Gilmore, just home from serving as former President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said that poor GOP messaging has nudged the state left.
“I think there is a real challenge right now, and that is: Virginia has changed, and it’s voting Democrat right now, just like Maryland does,” he told southern Virginia Republicans in a Zoom conference Secrets was invited to listen in on.
Virginia does not allow back-to-back four-year terms for its governors, and McAuliffe is running to be just the second former chief executive to win a second term.
“He may be able to do it because of the way the dynamics are running right now,” said Gilmore. A victory could set McAuliffe up for a potential presidential bid.
As Ambassador James Gilmore prepares to depart Vienna, the staff at the U.S. Mission to the OSCE would like to thank him for his leadership during a period of unprecedented challenges in Europe and Eurasia as we look back at some of the moments that marked his tenure. pic.twitter.com/fqJhKJbYyZ
— U.S. Mission to OSCE (@usosce) January 18, 2021
In 1998, Gilmore was elected governor with a very popular issue. He promised to end the state car tax. He said the issue helped to broaden the GOP base in the state.
Gilmore, however, isn’t planning to join this year’s race, which is typically a bellwether on the popularity of new presidents. Instead, he plans to help the party develop a winning message and put a Republican back into the governor’s mansion in Richmond.
“I’d like to do something to turn Virginia around. It’s really embarrassing to have a national election where the Democrats are able to hold the Rust Belt,” he said.
There are several Republicans and Democrats running in the gubernatorial race. Among Democrats, McAuliffe is leading, but most voters are undecided.
During the online meeting, Gilmore, who has long been a foreign policy and defense specialist, also had high praise for Trump’s efforts on the international stage, including putting pressure on Russia.
He also addressed China. “That is a country basically run by a political party that are gangsters. They are committing genocide against the Uyghurs. Frankly, I think they are guilty of crimes against humanity,” said Gilmore.
And he warned about a crisis situation in Europe. Gilmore said, “Europe is very, very tense. War could break out there at almost any time.”
