ALEXANDRIA, Va. — As prominent Virginia Democrats celebrated Hillary Clinton’s blowout win in the state’s primary, they also began looking toward the state’s role as a swing state in November.
Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, former Congressman Jim Moran, and current Congressman Bobby Scott joined Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe at an exclusive party for close friends of the Clinton campaign Super Tuesday to watch results roll in across the river from Washington D.C. on the Alexandria waterfront.
Warner compared her overwhelming victory to President Obama’s 2008 campaign, but warned of the battle ahead, cautioning “this going to be a long road tonight until November.”
“This is going to be a very, very serious close race. I was glad to see senior members of the Clinton campaign acknowledging that as it remains up in the air,” Warner told the Washington Examiner after his speech to the crowd.
On the trail McAuliffe often warns voters of Trump’s dishonesty and untrustworthiness, claiming that he’d be a difficult opponent in a general election. If Clinton continues her trajectory and wins the general nomination, her popularity will help her take on the Republican nominee, as Virginia is known to be a fickle swing state.
“Virginia will determine the next president of the United States of America. WE have that responsibility. The nation is looking at Virginia,” McAuliffe said as he pumped up the crowd. “Tonight you delivered for Hillary Clinton and were going to do it again in November.”
After Kaine jokingly told the crowd they could take “12 hours off” to celebrate the primary win before gettng back to work for Clinton tomorrow McAuliffe re-upped him saying Clinon supporters are so enthusiastic all they need is “two hours off.”
