Virginia Candidates Rush to Tie Opponents to National Figures

Trump and NYC Democrat Zohran Mamdani prove polarizing punching bags to local politicians.

Published July 9, 2025

Both Republicans and Democrats in Virginia are racing to tie their political opponents to controversial national figures such as New York Socialist Zohran Mamdani.

“Make no mistakes about it, the ideas my opponent has are socialist in nature because it’s all about what government is going to do and to take your money to do it,” said Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears at a rally in Vienna. “She is reckless and she is radical. I want to grow jobs and she wants to grow government. Folks, this is not hard. This is about freedom!”

Earle-Sears reiterated her story as a Jamaican Immigrant whose family fled Socialism.

I'm at the Virginia GOP's first rally w the whole ticket, kicked off by Gov. Youngkin, who has a new line on Abigail Spanberger: "Someone who reminds me very much of our mayoral candidate for the Democrats in New York."
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) July 1, 2025

Mamdani, the Democrat nominee for New York City Mayor has called for higher taxes on white residents, blamed America for terrorist attacks including 9/11, and refusing to condemn language calling for Jewish genocide.

“It is now crystal clear: The center of gravity of the Democratic Party is the radical Left. Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger can play moderate all she likes, but the radicals run her party,” said Virginia GOP activist Michael Ginsberg in the Daily Signal.

Ginsberg especially connected Democrat Lt. Governor candidate Ghazala Hashmi to Mamdani. Hashmi has built her campaign off of hard left stances including abortion funding, sidelining Jewish civil rights organizations, and opposition to merit-based academic programs in Virginia public schools.

Even some national Democrat strategists are sounding the alarm that Mamdani will “absolutely hurt our brand.”

Democrat Governor nominee Abigail Spanberger has emphasized some of the same campaign themes as Mamdani. (RELATED: Spanberger: Police Immigration Enforcement “A Distraction of Resources”)

For their part, Democrats continues to point toward President Donald Trump in when criticizing Earle-Sears and Governor Glenn Youngkin. At a series of weekend rallies Democrat candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General called out Youngkin’s support of federal budget cuts, Medicaid work requirements and support for President Trump’s agenda.

“No matter what Winsome Earle-Sears says, Virginians know that she will always put Donald Trump’s agenda before the commonwealth,” said Maggie Amjad, spokeswoman for the Democratic Party of Virginia.Polling shows Spanberger with a slight edge over Earle-Sears. Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin continues to enjoy high approval ratings while Democrat controlled General Assembly polls 13% lower. (RELATED: Spanberger Campaign for Governor Bankrolled by Big Business and Megadonors)