The Virginia gubernatorial race is seen as an early referendum on the Trump administration and a lot of money is expected to pour into the race, especially from outside groups. “Over 540,000 people voted in the Democratic primary for governor, which is a nonpresidential primary record in the state of Virginia,” said Geoffrey Skelley, an associate editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at UVA’s Center for Politics. “That fits into the building narrative that Democrats around the country are very engaged at the moment.”