CNN: “The level Democratic campaigns in Virginia have focused on Trump over the last few months has turned the off-year elections into the biggest test yet for whether the former President, who motivated historic Democratic turnout for the years he was either on the ballot or in power, still motivates the party’s base to vote in extraordinary numbers.”

“This lesson, determined by how the tight Virginia’s races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general end up on November 2, will reverberate within the Democratic Party for years, as both official party committees and outside organizations try to understand how to motivate voters after four years of Trump in the White House.”

“A creeping sense of worry among Democrats about the Virginia governor’s race spilled into the open on Wednesday, after the release of a new Monmouth University poll showing former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe deadlocked with Republican Glenn Youngkin less than two weeks before Election Day,” Politico reports.

“And the panic may be a good thing, some of them say.”

“Despite — or because of — the warning signs, Democrats hope the news will wake up slumbering supporters the way it did in California last month, when Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom appeared to be slipping into dangerous territory in polls before generating high turnout to beat back a recall attempt with ease.”

Axios: Reading the fundraising tea leaves in Virginia.

Ron Brownstein: “The two candidates in the Virginia governor’s race are talking more about Donald Trump, the former President, than they are about Joe Biden, the White House’s current occupant.”

“That disparity in the dialogue between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin points toward an unusual, even unprecedented, dynamic looming over this November’s gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, and next year’s midterm contests for control of Congress and dozens of governorships.”

“No defeated president has ever been as visible immediately after his term ended as Trump — nor hinted so quickly that he intends to seek the job again in the next election. That visibility has positioned Trump to become a greater factor in elections under his immediate successor than any former president in modern times — and maybe ever.”

Politico: “The death of the 84-year-old lawmaker in April created a rare opportunity for Democrats in Florida: an open seat in Congress in a majority Black district that is unlikely to undergo major revisions in next year’s redistricting process.”

“That prospect has sparked a free-for-all, with 11 Democrats — including several state legislators and local elected officials — all jumping into the race for a the seat, which connects several Black cities and neighborhoods in Palm Beach and Broward counties, as well as some nearby farming communities. The winner of the Nov. 2 primary is expected to easily win the January special election. Any number of the Democrats has a shot at victory.”

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe rolled out an ad invoking his response as governor to the 2017 far-right riots in Charlottesville in his latest effort to tie his GOP opponent Glenn Youngkin to former President Trump, The Hill reports.

New York Times: “With former President Donald Trump out of office, congressional Democrats in a bitter standoff and Virginia Democrats having claimed every political prize, Mr. McAuliffe is straining to motivate the liberal voters in his increasingly blue state.”

“At the moment — one that is being watched closely by both parties for clues about the elections next year — he is bumping up against a fatigued electorate.”

“Virginia has elections every year, because its state campaigns are in odd-numbered years while its federal elections are, as everywhere, in even years. But voters here are drained from the Trump administration’s round-the-clock drama, which they felt more acutely because of their proximity to Washington, where the local news is also national news.”

CNN: McAuliffe fights to engage politically exhausted Democrats.

“Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) announced Friday his endorsement of Rep. Karen Bass (D) in the mayor’s race, arguing that Bass’ nearly half-century of public service makes her the most qualified candidate to lead the city,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

A new Fox News poll in Virginia finds Terry McAuliffe (D) leads Glenn Youngkin (R) in the race for governor, 51% to 46%.

“Virginia gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin steered clear Wednesday night as former president Donald Trump phoned into a rally for the state’s GOP ticket, headlined by onetime Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon,” the Washington Post reports.

Said Trump: “Glenn Youngkin is a great gentleman. We won in 2016. We won in 2020 — the most corrupt election in the history of our country, probably one of the most corrupt anywhere. But we’re gonna win it again.”

The event kicked off with the Pledge of Allegiance — to a flag that was present at the Capitol insurrection.

Punchbowl News: “What happens in Virginia will have a big impact on Biden’s presidency. It may or may not be a harbinger of what’s to come in 2022, but it will certainly impact lawmakers’ behavior in the short term. Members of Congress aren’t always logical actors, and we may see some of that behavior in the weeks and months to come.”

Washington Post: “Some Democratic leaders believe the Virginia race could have a tectonic impact on the party’s legislative agenda and political standing heading into next year’s midterm elections, suggesting a defeat would be close to devastating.”

“Prominent Democrats from across the country are mobilizing to try to lift Terry McAuliffe to victory in the final weeks of the Virginia governor’s race, a critical election that has put Democrats on edge and carries significant national ramifications for the party,” the Washington Post reports.

“Former president Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for McAuliffe later this month as part of an effort to boost turnout among Black voters. So will Stacey Abrams, a rising Democratic star from Georgia, and Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta. First lady Jill Biden will also stump for McAuliffe, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will host a fundraiser for the gubernatorial hopeful.”

Jon Dunwell (R) won a special election to fill a state legislative seat controlled for decades by Democrats, the Des Moines Register reports.