For GOP candidates, there?s no escaping the influence of Trump

In Virginia, Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin, a former private equity executive and a political newcomer, was not the most pro-Trump candidate in the GOP field this spring, but his goal of pivoting toward the center after running on a hard-line conservative message to secure the nomination hit a speed bump when Trump immediately endorsed him. The endorsement is valuable to rally the Trump loyalists in Virginia and unite the party, but the Democratic nominee, who will be chosen in next week’s primary, won’t let Virginia voters forget Trump’s backing Youngkin, no matter how aggressively the Republican seeks center ground.