RICHMOND, VA — (AP/WMAL) President Donald Trump’s hardline position on immigration is influencing Virginia’s race for governor.

Candidates in both parties are adjusting their focus to more closely match or oppose the president.

Democrats Ralph Northam and Tom Perriello are promising fierce resistance to Trump’s immigration positions. They are embracing policies such as allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. Traditionally, Democrats have been silent on the issue.

GOP frontrunner Ed Gillespie has vowed to be “very strong” on immigration enforcement, promising greater cooperation between Virginia law enforcement officials and federal immigration officers. He’s also promised to undo state policy that allows children of undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public universities.

While it is possible to interpret this polarization as a local Virginia issue, it seems to point to the much broader impact that President Trump has had on the Republican Party’s stance on immigration – making it a front-and-center issue in elections both today and in the foreseeable future.

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