The governor's race that could define the Democratic Party's future - By John Podesta
By John Podesta March 17 at 12:44 PM
John Podesta, the chair of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, served as counselor to President Barack Obama and chief of staff to President Bill Clinton.
The recent race for Democratic National Committee chairman was frequently presented as a fight for the party’s future between its activist wing, which backed Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.), and the establishment wing, which backed former labor secretary Tom Perez. That framing was misleading: Ellison and Perez are both longtime progressives. It was a big choice, but one thing was always clear about the Democratic Party’s direction: Progressivism would win.
Now, in Virginia, another battle for the future of the Democratic Party is being waged by two progressives: Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and former congressman Tom Perriello. Both are strong candidates for Virginia governor, but Perriello is the better choice for the party’s future during a Trump presidency.
Each candidate has impressive credentials. Northam has served his country as an Army physician for eight years and the commonwealth of Virginia as an elected official for the past nine years. He has the support of much of Virginia’s senior elected officials, including Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Perriello was elected to the House of Representatives in a conservative district in 2008. He was defeated two years later because he put people before politics, casting politically courageous votes for the Affordable Care Act and President Barack Obama’s stimulus package. He later served with distinction in the Obama administration’s State Department.
Because, as with Ellison and Perez, both men are progressives, the differences on issues are relatively minor, particularly compared with the gulf between Democrats and Republicans. But picking the best nominee is crucial, because Virginia provides the first big electoral test of the Trump presidency. It’s the first chance to take to the ballot box and make President Trump the thing he hates most: a loser. Historically, Virginia’s off-year gubernatorial election has foreseen big trends to come. In 2005, Tim Kaine’s victory set the table for the 2006 Democratic wave, when the party regained control of the House and Senate. In 2009, Robert F. McDonnell’s victory presaged the tea party wave of 2010, when those Democratic majorities were decimated.
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