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VA Governor Stumping for Candidates After Blackface Scandal Fades

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is actively campaigning for Democratic legislative candidates ahead of Election Day.

It's a sign of how far he's come since a blackface scandal almost forced him from office in February.

There were nearly unanimous calls from within his own party to resign over the yearbook photo that shows someone in blackface and another person in a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe. He first admitted he was in the picture, and then denied it the next day, but also acknowledged putting on blackface to imitate Michael Jackson at a dance contest decades ago.

Now the governor and First Lady Pam Northam are spending their weekends helping fellow Democrats canvass and get out the vote. His political action committee is making big donations to several candidates.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.