RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Labor Day is often considered the unofficial start to campaign season, and that means Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates are entering the final sprint to Election Day.

“Every mistake is heightened, every bad message, every waste of dollars matters more than it did six months ago,” said Randolph-Macon Political Science Professor Rich Meagher.

Meagher said the final days and weeks of the campaign are a chance for Republicans, including gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears, to hit reset and show voters a unified front.

Earlier this year, Earle-Sears and the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, John Reid, didn’t speak for weeks after Gov. Glenn Youngkin asked Reid to drop out of the race.

“After a difficult year, I think they're saying that we can do th

See Full Page