Senator Tim Kaine recently sent out a fundraising email where he quoted the Washington Post that the Virginia “elections are seen as a referendum on the Trump administration.” This suggests that voters should cast their ballots based on how they feel about our current President, rather than the pressing issues facing our Commonwealth today. This kind of rhetoric may play well with partisan crowds and national talking heads, and it may attract donors, but it does a disservice to Virginia voters who deserve a debate focused on real leadership on state issues, not recycled grievances about the President’s agenda.
With the primary elections behind us, it should be clear: Donald Trump was not on the ballot, and he will not be on the ballot in November. What is going to be on the ballot is the direction of our Commonwealth — critical decisions about Virginia’s economy, energy availability, education and schools, taxes, public safety, infrastructure, and the role of government in our daily lives. These are not abstract questions; they are concrete policy choices that will affect every Virginian regardless of party affiliation. And, as the President drives more decisions and control down to the states – state policy should be the primary concern of Virginia voters now more than ever.
Reducing this election to a contest about President Trump distracts from the job at hand. Virginians deserve candidates and campaigns that answer to them, not the national political echo chamber. Our children’s education doesn’t hinge on the President — it hinges on who we elect in Richmond. Our small businesses don’t need ideological battles — they need clear, predictable policies on energy and taxes to grow and thrive. And our families don’t care about who gets the most cable news airtime — they care about whether their neighborhoods are safe, their jobs secure, and their energy bills affordable. If voters want to send a message to President Trump, show up in next year’s elections where federal policy, and the Trump agenda, will be on the ballot. This year, vote on who will address the unique (and critical) issues facing Virginia.
This elections should be about ideas for Virginia, not idols across the Potomac. Senator Kaine’s framing reduces the dignity and importance of state-level leadership to a political popularity contest. That may be good politics in Washington, but it’s not good governance in Virginia.
Instead of allowing this election to be hijacked by national polarization, Virginians should insist that candidates speak to our concerns. In education, which candidate has a more credible plan to improve education – as spending grows and our current outcomes continue to fall? Who will ensure our students and parents are given an honest assessment of their students’ performance? Who will better address the recent warning that Virginia may face blackouts within the next year due to the closure of hydrocarbon energy plants and the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources coming online next year? Who will ensure that workers keep their right to work, and taxes aren’t raised through a tax code that fails to adjust to inflation? Who will deliver results, not just Trump soundbites?
Virginia has a long and proud history of thoughtful, pragmatic leadership from both parties. We don’t need to outsource our political judgment to the latest White House actions – whether supportive or not. We need to elect people who understand our Commonwealth and are ready to serve it, not their party or their national brand.
This election is not a referendum on Trump. It’s a referendum on who is best prepared to lead Virginia forward – and that’s the conversation we should all be having.
Derrick Max is the President and CEO of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy. He may be reached at [email protected].