That is by no means a safe distance for McAuliffe in a state that is widely understood to reflect national sentiment.
Although this comment proved unpopular with voters, The Washington Post published an analysis finding that McAuliffe's stance on education likely had little impact on how parents voted.
Virginia was, at the time, one of 12 states with , barring ex-offenders from voting even after their sentences are complete.
McAuliffe vetoed a similar bill in 2017.
It may look to Republicans like Terry McAuliffe and the Democrats are panicking about the Virginia gubernatorial race because Republicans want to believe that's what's happening.
Terry McAuliffe with his wife Dorothy Swan.