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Update: With 95% of the vote counted, a run at the Virginia Governor’s seat by Liberation Party candidate Princess Blanding has netted the third-party candidate around 23,000 votes or less than 1 percent.

By Nick Shereikis

RICHMOND, Va. 鈥� If you鈥檝e listened to the radio, read a news story or watched television lately, you might have heard or seen the names Republican Glenn Youngkin and Democrat Terry McAuliffe. As Virginia careens toward what promises to be a nail-bitingly close gubernatorial election, both leading candidates are ramping up their outreach, and their advertising is reaching staggering proportions鈥攂ut there鈥檚 also one name you might not have heard yet.

鈥淚 just heard about her this past Wednesday, or something like that,鈥� Petersburg School Board Ward 4 Representative Celeste Wynn said when asked about third-party candidate Liberation Party candidate Princess Blanding. 鈥淚 had no idea there were even three candidates until that Wednesday or Tuesday.鈥�

As Virginia鈥檚 Liberation Party candidate, Blanding has struggled to attract voters鈥� attention. Still, her presence alone could play an outsized role in a startlingly close gubernatorial election. With a showing McAuliffe just one point ahead of Youngkin鈥攅arning 49 and 48 percent, respectively, though both numbers fall solidly in the poll鈥檚 margin of error鈥擝landing鈥檚 could be just enough to tip the scales. And if it does, it will most likely break the race in favor of Youngkin, considering the distinct overlap between the remaining candidates鈥� progressive platforms and voter bases.

鈥淭he Democratic Party is a big tent,鈥� Democratic Party of Virginia Executive Director Andrew Whitley told journalists on Saturday, speaking to potential division in the party. 鈥淲e have a lot of voters who feel very passionately about a lot of different issues.鈥�

Blanding, an educator, added the activist title to her work after her brother, a 24-year-old high school biology teacher named Marcus-David Peters, was fatally shot by a Richmond police officer. Peters was having a mental health crisis and ran unarmed into rush-hour traffic. He ran toward a police officer, threatening to kill him before the officer shot him. (Prosecutors later found the shooting justified.)

And even if voters are falling in line for McAuliffe now, it doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean they鈥檙e happy about it.

鈥淚 mean, Terry鈥檚 not the most inspiring, you know, person. Personally, I voted for Jen McClellan in the primary,鈥� 56-year-old Virginian author and educator Cheryl Ware said at a McAuliffe event in Henrico County this past weekend, before quickly adding, 鈥淎nd I unenthusiastically voted for Terry.鈥�

In 2013, McAuliffe beat Republican Ken Cuccinelli by just 2.6 percent of the vote. Libertarian Robert Sarvis won 6.5 percent, almost three times that margin, presumably drawing votes away from Cuccinelli鈥檚 more mainstream conservative campaign. Now, despite the lower third-party polling numbers, that spoiler effect is again a real concern鈥攅xcept this time, it could hurt McAuliffe.

鈥淏eware the third party,鈥� Virginian political communications strategist Tucker Martin told reporters on Saturday. 鈥淎ny votes that are coming for the third party are coming in, for instance, for Blanding. So the question is, if she gets a point or two鈥�that could be the difference. That could be the ball game.鈥�

Still, many of the state鈥檚 top Democrats say they don鈥檛 believe Blanding鈥檚 candidacy will hurt them.

Thank you, Virginia, for your support and enthusiasm. Stay tuned for the next chapter as the Liberation Party is here to stay!

鈥� Princess Blanding (@PrinBlandingVA)

鈥淚ndependents in this state are just disaffected Republicans,鈥� Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said in a recent interview, suggesting a belief that third-party voters are of less concern to establishment Democrats than one might think.

And former McAuliffe campaign strategist George Chieffo agrees: 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 given it much thought,鈥� he said at a recent McAuliffe event in Richmond.

It鈥檚 an attitude that conforms to a now-familiar vein of political thought鈥攖hat more progressive voters, while maybe displeased with Democratic candidates鈥� moderate positions, will still vote blue to prevent their state from flipping red (an even worse outcome, in their eyes, than centrism). Whether or not this will prove true in Virginia remains to be seen.

鈥淚 have not looked into her,鈥� Wynn said. 鈥淢y heart says [McAuliffe] led us in the right direction before. It鈥檚 like reapplying for a new job you already had, right? You have the references.鈥�