Northam Clings To Power But Grip Appears Tenuous

(The Hill) Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) held an increasingly tenuous grip on his office Monday amid nearly unanimous calls for his resignation while the man who would succeed him fiercely denied allegations of sexual assault. On Monday the first workday after a racist photo in Northams medical school yearbook was published by a conservative website Northam convened two Cabinet meetings as he fought to hold on to the job he assumed just a year ago. Northam attended his home church on Sunday a historically black church on Virginias Eastern Shore. He met with the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus an influential group of lawmakers who reiterated their demand that he step down. And he met with minorities who work in his administration to assess whether he could still govern effectively according to The Associated Press. Northam spent Monday on the phone with community leaders attempting to shore up support but finding little help according to sources with knowledge of Northams day. In a sign of just how far he had fallen Northam and the College of William & Mary decided the governor should not appear on Friday for the inauguration of the colleges president.