President Joe Biden said Tuesday he doesn’t believe his stalled agenda or his approval rating will play a role in the Virginia governor’s race.
The Virginia race between former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin is neck-and-neck in the latest polls, despite the fact that Biden won the state by 10 percentage points over former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. Biden has come out and campaigned for McAuliffe and tweeted Tuesday urging residents to vote Democrat in the Virginia and New Jersey elections.
“Do you see his [McAuliffe] problems as a rebuke of your presidency and could this signal … real losses for Democrats in the midterms?” a reporter asked Biden during his press conference overseas.
“We’re gonna win,” Biden responded confidently. “I think we’re gonna win in Virginia.” (RELATED: McAuliffe Spent $100K On Fake News Ads During Governor’s Race)
WATCH:
Biden admitted that the race is “very close” and said it will come down to “who shows up” to vote. The president acknowledged his overwhelming win in Virginia during the presidential election but declared that everyone knew this one would be “a tight race.”
“The off year is always unpredictable, especially when we don’t have a general election going on at the same time,” Biden continued. “That’s been the case up and down, you know, for a long time, especially as Virginia has turned more and more blue. But having said that, I don’t believe – and I’ve not seen any evidence – that whether or not I am doing well or poorly, whether or not I’ve got my agenda passed or not, is gonna have any real impact on winning or losing.”
Biden said even if his Build Back Better Agenda and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill – both of which have stalled as Democratic lawmakers struggle to come to an agreement – passed, he wouldn’t claim victory for the Virginia race. He reiterated that the race will be “very close” and once again expressed confidence that his party would come out on top.
Experts have suggested the race will be an indicator of things to come for the 2022 midterms, Axios reported. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama have all pitched in to help McAuliffe campaign.