There is no doubt in our minds that the Democrats on the ballot for Virginia’s three statewide officers are vastly preferred over their Republican counterparts. If for no other reason, the release this week of the Woodward/Costa book, “Peril,” should remove any doubt that to the extent any Republican holding or seeking public office in the U.S. that does not explicitly denounce and distance themselves from Donald Trump is patently disqualified from being elected.

This goes all the way up and down any tickets in U.S. elections for the foreseeable future. To the extent anyone identifying as a Republican in this highly precarious moment in our national history fails to clearly and without ambiguity denounce and repudiate Trump and his ongoing plans for a rightwing coup against our democracy, such person is considered personna non grata as far as seeking public office is concerned in the eyes of this newspaper, and we urge our readers to adopt a similar posture.

The Trump coup agenda is operative to this day, as “Peril” makes clear. What form it takes over the coming period will depend on the force of the national will, and that means each and every one of us, to reject it.
No, there is no room for equivocating on the fact that the Republican candidates for statewide office in Virginia — gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin, lieutenant governor candidate Winsome Sears and attorney general candidate Jason Miyares — to the extent they have not gone on record publicly repudiating Trump and his coup agenda are not only unfit, but morally (if not legally) disqualified from being considered for election.

Now, in this election the Democratic candidates are truly superior. Gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, lieutenant governor candidate Hala Ayala and attorney general candidate Mark Herring all bring proven track records of smart and compassionate leadership deserving of widespread support. By contrast, the highest profile GOP challenger Youngkin is a failed chief executive and devotee of typical anti-woman rightwing GOP policies. Yes, he would bring the Texas model of anti-abortion laws to Virginia if given the chance.

By contrast, in our view, McAuliffe and Herring have track records from past performances in the offices they now seek that are stellar and in the best interest of Virginians. Both have been outstanding and Ayala will be, too. They have been responsible for this state’s advancement into the ranks of our nation’s truly great entities, breaking any and all from old ties to the pro-Confederacy deep south’s backward and racist sentiments and aligning with the promises of tomorrow grounded in science, technology, democracy and equal rights for all.

We have been truly heartened to be part over the last two decades of this state’s growth economically and morally into a leadership role nationally and worldwide. It is our great pleasure to heartily endorse McAuliffe, Ayala and Herring in this fall’s election