(CNN) The Democratic National Committee announced Thursday that it plans to spend at least $5 million in Virginia ahead of the key off-year elections in the commonwealth, a significant investment that signals how critical Democrats view the November contests. "The DNC is committed to making sure Virginia Democrats have the resources they need to once again win up and down the ticket in November," Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement to CNN. Virginia has tilted toward Democrats in recent years, with Republicans losing every statewide election in more than a decade. Every Democratic presidential nominee has won Virginia since 2008, including President Joe Biden in 2020. That shifted in 2013 when McAuliffe won his first term just a year after Barack Obama won his second term in the White House.

Source: CNN July 22, 2021 18:56 UTC