VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden told graduates at a Virginia Beach high school on Thursday not to believe it when they hear that the United States’ future is not as bright as its past, echoing a key election-year theme that the country is on the right track to success.

It was Biden’s second speech to area high school students in the past three months, an indication of how critical Virginia is to President Barack Obama’s re-election efforts. High-level administration officials regularly make appearances in the state and the airwaves have been flooded with political advertisements for months.