ARLINGTON, Va. – President Joe Biden campaigned in Arlington Tuesday as new polls show Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the race of his life against Republican Glenn Youngkin.

While McAuliffe had earlier acknowledged voter dissatisfaction with the president, the two campaigned side-by-side and repeated familiar themes.

Biden framed the Virginia governor’s race as a repudiation of his predecessor, trying to tie the Republican candidate to former President Donald Trump.

No Republican has won statewide office in Virginia in more than a decade and Biden carried the state by a comfortable margin in 2020. But polls show Youngkin and McAuliffe tied with the election less than a week away.

How much help Biden will offer McAuliffe is unclear, though. Polls show the president’s own popularity is on the decline.

In the final days of the race, both candidates are focused on turning out their base supporters, with Republicans pressing the need for parents to have a say in what their children are taught.  McAuliffe, who previously served as governor from 2014 to 2018, continues his effort to link Youngkin to former President Trump.

A loss by McAuliffe would be an ominous sign for Democrats already likely facing stiff political headwinds in next year’s midterm elections, when their narrow control of the House and Senate will be on the line. The party that wins the White House historically losses congressional seats in the next election, and Virginia, this cycle’s top off-year race, is seen as a key test of whether Democrats can head into 2022 with momentum.