RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — With President Joe Biden out of the 2024 race for the White House, and Vice President Kamala Harris seemingly now in as the Democratic nominee for president, what are the Democrat’s chances of winning Virginia in November?
“The truth is nobody knows and nobody could know right now,” said Larry Sabato, Director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, to 8News. “Any polls that come out now should be discarded, because we don’t know who the vice presidential candidate is and people haven’t had a chance to get to know Harris better.”
Sabato says reliable polling may not be available until after the Democratic National Convention next month. However, he says prolific fundraising numbers show she has energized the Democratic base.
“You just look at her. She’s younger. She’s got a lot of energy,” Sabato said. “She can campaign vigorously. In fact, now the old guy is Donald Trump.”
Sabato adds the game plan for Harris in Virginia and across the country will be trying to appeal to young and minority voters, some of whom were skeptical about voting for Biden.
“Kamala Harris should help with all minorities, with women, particularly with educated women and actually with educated men too, college and graduate school educated men,” Sabato explained.
It’s been 20 years since a Republican presidential candidate won Virginia, when George W. Bush beat John Kerry in 2004.