Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds is starting to "turn the corner" in Virginia's governor's race, one former Democratic governor said Thursday.Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who served as governor of Virginia between 2002 and 2006, asserted his would-be successor has begun to surge from behind in the state's closely-watched race.
"I actually think Creigh is starting to turn the corner," Warner said this afternoon during an interview on MSNBC. "Creigh Deeds was underestimated in the Democratic primary."
"I think you're going to see him charge and come out in these last few weeks," Warner added.
Deeds has trailed former Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell (R) in the polls for the bulk of the race, with McDonnell having opened up a wider margin in newer polls after Deeds had narrowed the gap by attacking McDonnell's graduate school thesis.
The race, along with New Jersey's gubernatorial election, have been seen as bellwethers for GOP and Democratic fortunes nationally amidst an increasingly competitive political landscape in recent months.
"It's a challenging race, it's a challenging year," Warner said.