Violent Texts Won’t Tilt Virginia Red: Nia-Malika Henderson

The race to lead the Commonwealth of Virginia just got a little bit more intense. There’s the government shutdown, which shows few signs of ending. And there’s the disturbing text messages sent by the Democratic candidate for state Attorney General. Both have given the GOP slate of candidates new talking points. What’s unclear is whether any of this will change the fundamental dynamics of the race, which favor Democrats.

Former Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger has held a clear lead for the last many months over Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears in their dueling bids to become Virginia’s first woman governor.

The most recent poll by the Washington ...