Inside the most closely watched race in America -- and what it can tell us about politics in 2021

Beyond Politics

Every four years, political analysts obsess about the Virginia governor's race, the first and usually closest big election after we elect a President. This year, the race is balanced on a knife's edge. Operatives around the country will be poring over data in the coming weeks to understand what is happening, what's working, what's not working, and where the 2022 midterms could be headed. One of the very top experts on the state is Mark Bergman, a political consultant who has worked around the country but has his deepest roots in Virginia. He explains how the pros are watching the race, what it could turn on, how to judge which way it's going in the next month, and why the results are such a good barometer for politics in America. We also cover why Ralph Northam survived the photo scandal, how to navigate a media firestorm, and why things have gotten so much harder for campaigns in the last ten years.