JF in the News: Republicans Eager to Take on Spanberger in Virginia
Members of the Republican establishment viewed Chase as a threat during the party’s gubernatorial convention earlier this year. In fact, Chase and her supporters accused members of the GOP establishment in Virginia of undermining her by holding a convention with ranked-choice voting instead of a primary.
“The only scenario to wrest the nomination away from Chase is a convention that includes ranked-choice voting,” said talk show host John Fredericks, who served as former President Trump‘s 2016 and 2020 Virginia campaign chairman.
Still, Chase campaigned publicly alongside Youngkin during the general election, evidence of her strong standing with the Trump wing of the party.
“In a six-, seven-, eight-person field, Amanda Chase is the favorite,” Fredericks said. “People will walk over glass for her. No one else has that.”
But others point to the rural-suburban dynamic in the race, arguing that it will ultimately be decided in Chesterfield and Henrico, where they say a center-right candidate is more palatable.
“I think that the Youngkin model is what a Taylor Keeney has going for her,” Martin said. “He demonstrated that the base is ready to win again, but you need a candidate who can go where this race will be decided, which is the suburbs of Henrico and Chesterfield.”
But one Democrat involved in Virginia politics said Chase’s candidacy could force the other Republicans in the race to move further to the right during the fight for the base.
“She’s going to pull everybody to this election conspiracy theory, forensic audit world,” the Democratic source said. “She coming into this race is going to bring that front and center.”
Democrats also note that while Spanberger is considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the country, her election to the district after Brat’s tenure in Congress and her subsequent reelection was a feat itself.
“Spanberger is the best possible Democrat to run in a district like that,” the source said. “She knows her district extremely well.”
However, Republicans hit Democrats like Spanberger for her vote in favor of the Build Back Better social spending bill on Friday, tying her to progressive Democrats.
Read the full report courtesy of The Hill.