Virginia candidates in final sprint before Election Day

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The candidates in Virginia's high-stakes, closely watched race for governor are in a final sprint before Election Day.

Republican Ed Gillespie and Democrat Ralph Northam are crisscrossing Virginia this weekend ahead of Tuesday's vote.

Both are seeking to rally supporters in what many polls have shown is a close race. Allied groups and political parties on both sides are touting unprecedented get-out-the-vote efforts.

Virginia is one of only two states electing new a new governor this year, and the contest is viewed by many as an early referendum on President Donald Trump's political popularity.

Democrats are eager to prove they can harness anti-Trump energy into success at the polls, while Republicans are looking to show they have a winning blueprint in a blue-leaning state.