As the calendar prepares to flip over to 2022 to make it officially a midterm year, the contours of the battle for the Senate and governorships have already been taking shape in the off-year.

A sour political environment for Democrats has buoyed Republican hopes, culminating in an upset victory for soon-to-be Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin in a state that Biden had carried by 10-points just one year earlier.

But while the GOP is eager to point to Youngkin's victory as a blueprint for 2022 — focusing on education, the economy and keeping former President Trump at arm's length — such a delicate dance won't be possible in many of the upcoming primaries. Youngkin was able to clinch the nomination at a drive-thru party convention that also utilized ranked-choice voting. As a result, a more pragmatic nominee emerged in Youngkin — who also had plenty of his own money at his disposal too.

That isn't shaping up to be the same case in 2022 primaries, as GOP candidates are battling to be the most Trumpian. The biggest

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