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Political Hindsight: Leaders of Youngkin, McAuliffe Campaigns Take the Stage at Mason

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Three people on a stage in front of a blue sign.
Julie Carey, left, moderates the 鈥楢fter Virginia Votes鈥 panel, featuring Will Ritter, center, and Michael Halle. Photos by Shelby Burgess/Creative Services
A guy in a Red Sox hat looks happy.
Will Ritter: Youngkin鈥檚 campaign did not 鈥榡ump on a gaffe鈥 by McAuliffe.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin鈥檚 successful campaign was 鈥渁 slow march up鈥 while Democratic opponent Terry McAuliffe鈥檚 was 鈥渁 slow march down,鈥 compounded by a miscalculation on issues that resonated with Virginia鈥檚 voters, said Will Ritter, Youngkin鈥檚 media strategist, during a public post-election examination called 鈥淎fter Virginia Votes.鈥

Ritter shared the stage at 亚洲AV鈥檚 Merten Hall Tuesday night with Michael Halle, senior advisor to McAuliffe, during the event, a production of the Richmond-based, nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) and hosted by Mason鈥檚

More than 1,000 viewers tuned in via live streams on GMU-TV, Facebook, and YouTube while 50 invited guests listened to the discussion in person, in accordance with Mason鈥檚 pandemic protocols. Cox Communications, one of the event鈥檚 sponsors, will re-broadcast the 90-minute event in select markets this week.

Flawlessly moderated by NBC4 Northern Virginia Bureau Chief Julie Carey, the conversation between the upbeat Ritter and the understandably glum Halle provided insights to key moments in the bellwether, $100-million election that led to political newcomer Youngkin鈥檚 defeat of McAuliffe, who was running for a second term as governor, by 63,503 votes.

The conversation was followed by a second panel that included veteran Virginia political analysts Quentin Kidd, director of the Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University, and , dean of the Schar School.

Among other topics, Carey asked how national issues affected the state election, including the pandemic, the election of Joe Biden as president, the teaching of 鈥渃ritical race theory,鈥 the January 6 insurrection, and the withdraw from Afghanistan. For his part, Youngkin, Ritter said, was adamant about keeping the issues local while McAuliffe鈥檚 camp continually attempted to attach Youngkin to Donald Trump and the extremist wing of the Republican Party.

Three people discuss politics on a stage.
Schar School Dean Mark J. Rozell makes a point during a discussion with Julie Carey, left, and Christopher Newport University鈥檚 Quentin Kidd.

In particular, the local issue of education became a lightning rod following a heated September 28 debate in Alexandria, partially sponsored by the Schar School, in which McAuliffe suggested, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.鈥 Until then, a showed McAuliffe with a slight lead, 50 percent to 47 percent.

Ritter said his campaign did not 鈥渏ump on a gaffe鈥 but the line crystalized the direction to domestic issues. 鈥淲e had a choice to make and we chose to run on Virginia issues,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e predicted McAuliffe would 鈥榥ationalize鈥 the race, we anticipated the celebrity endorsements, but we decided to stick with Virginia issues.鈥

In the end, Ritter said, 鈥淲e had a secret weapon. We had Glenn.鈥

Kidd and Rozell, both of whom had been writing about and commenting on the election in the press for months, provided additional insight regarding what Youngkin鈥檚 election might mean to the Commonwealth.

鈥淎s a new governor, you want some early wins鈥 in the state house, Kidd said, suggesting Youngkin is likely to focus on what Rozell called 鈥渒itchen table issues, bread and butter issues,鈥 such as his promise to eliminate sales tax on groceries, lower the gas tax, and raise teacher salaries.

State appointments made by the new governor, Rozell said, might be designed to 鈥渁ppease Trump supporters.鈥

Youngkin will be sworn in as 74th governor on January 15, 2022.