Government shutdown threatens to upend Virginia's race for governor

This is not the first time Virginia voters have braced for a government shutdown in a partisan standoff over Obamacare just a few weeks before they elect their next governor.

This is not the first time Virginia voters have braced for a government shutdown in a partisan standoff over Obamacare just a few weeks before they elect their next governor.

In October 2013, the federal government shut down for 16 days after lawmakers failed to reach a deal to fund it. President Barack Obama and other Democratic leaders loudly blamed Republicans in Congress, dubbing it the “tea party shutdown” — and polls showed that the public overwhelmingly agreed.

Weeks later, Democrat Terry McAuliffe eked out a narrow win in the Virginia governor’s election, defying a historical trend. In 11 of the last 12 Virginia governor’s races, voters elected the candidate of the party out of power in the White House. The lone exception was in 2013.

Fast-forward to the present. Republicans control the White House, the federal government barreled into a shutdown at midnight Wednesday morning, and a race for governor in Virginia is weeks away. Democratic former Rep. Abigail Spanberger has so far led Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in both polling and fundraising.

We’d like to hear from you about how you’re experiencing the government shutdown, whether you’re a federal employee who can’t work right now or someone who is feeling the effects of shuttered services in your everyday life. Please contact us at tips@nbcuni.com or reach out to us here.