Richmond, VA — Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Susan Swecker released the following statement on the results of today's Democratic gubernatorial primary: 

“The incredible outpouring of support Terry has received during this primary is just the latest sign that he has what it takes to win in November and keep moving Virginia forward. Terry has a proven track record of improving the lives of working families across Virginia - fighting for affordable health care, protecting reproductive rights, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs across the commonwealth, and much more.

Not only does Terry have a bold vision to continue that progress, he knows how to get it done. With Glenn Youngkin following in Trump’s footsteps and embracing the worst elements of the GOP’s extremism, we need a proven leader who will continue the progress Democrats have made. There’s nobody more ready to do that than Terry McAuliffe.

More candidates stepped up to run in this Democratic primary than ever before, and the depth of our field is a testament to the strength of the Democratic Party. I’m proud that this primary was focused on the issues that matter most to Virginians. All of the candidates focused their campaigns on exciting new ideas to continue building on Democrats' progress, and our party is stronger because of their work. Tonight’s results show that Virginia Democrats are united and ready to hit the ground running to win in November.” 

In contrast to Democrats' open primary, Republicans held a closed nominating convention dominated by party insiders that excluded hundreds of thousands of their own voters. Glenn Youngkin, the GOP's nominee, was immediately endorsed by Donald Trump and has refused to separate himself from the former president on any policy area. Youngkin has said that "Trump represents so much of why I'm running," and began his general election campaign by doubling down on his support for banning abortion and siding with the NRA against common sense gun safety laws. Youngkin also criticized the vital aid money in the American Rescue Plan as "unnecessary" even when it benefitted millions of Virginia families and small businesses across the commonwealth got relief funding to help them stay open. 

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