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Election Forecaster Changes Virginia Race to ‘Leans Republican’

Election Forecaster Changes Virginia Race to ‘Leans Republican’

Sabato’s Crystal Ball, an elections forecaster and newsletter at the University of Virginia, has changed its rating for the Virginia governor race to “Leans Republican” from “Leans Democratic,” which the race had been listed as since March.

The center called the race “one of the most vexing races we can remember” and said it “has provided clues for the upcoming midterm, but it does not always predict the future.”

The most interesting outcome might happen if the race breaks clearly one way or the other. A Youngkin win by several points “would offer confirmation that the political environment has broken wide open against Democrats” whereas a McAuliffe win by several points might indicate “Biden’s poor approval ratings are not as much of a drag on Democrats as one might otherwise think,” Sabato’s Crystal Ball said.

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