Virginia Democrats are banking on anger toward President Trump pushing them over the finish line in next month’s off-year elections following a last-minute texting scandal that has threatened to roil the race. On Monday, Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones rolled out an ad tying incumbent state Attorney General Jason Miyares to Trump, reflecting what has become his campaign’s go-to strategy for attacking the Republican. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger, who is running against Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R), has also invoked the impact of Trump’s second administration on Virginians. Both candidates repeatedly hammered their opponents over the president during their respective debates. The strategy reflects the president’s high unpopularity in the commonwealth, and his history of dragging Virginia Republicans down when he is in office. But Democrats argue the attacks also tie into the anxiety over the administration’s policies in Virginia, especially when it comes to federal job cuts. “The Trump piece is a through line there, but it’s not the whole story,” said one Democratic operative. Spanberger’s campaign unveiled an ad on Tuesday that said, “Virginia is hurting because of Trump policies that Sears backs.” In the spot, the campaign cites Trump’s policies contributing to the rise of the cost of homebuying, renting and unemployment. The ad wraps with audio of Earle-Sears saying, “I’m supporting what the president is doing.” The effort to tie Republicans to Trump is also being seen in races for the House of Delegates. Elizabeth Guzmán, the Democratic candidate for the 22nd District, tied her opponent Ian Lovejoy to federal layoffs and Medicaid cuts in the president’s reconciliation package. “I think the strategy is more distinct and nuanced than just saying Donald Trump is bad,” said one national Democratic operative. “The thing that is unique about Virginia this year is that what President Trump is doing is not some faraway national political issue. It is policies that are directly hurting people in Virginia in their own backyards.” “It’s given Virginia Democrats an opportunity to not only tie the Republicans to Trump because they’ve refused to stand up to him but to go on offense on the economy where the lane is wide open,” the national operative added. Jones’s effort to link Miyares to Trump has been the most visible in recent weeks.