The series of scandals began at the start of the month, when racist imagery was unearthed in Gov. Ralph Northam's 1984 medical school yearbook. And after toying with the idea of resigning for more than a week, Northam has apparently come to a decision not to step down.

Speaking to "CBS This Morning" in an interview to be broadcast on February 11, Northam said he had considered resigning in the wake of the political fallout but said he had learned from the controversy.

In an attempt to remark on the history of slavery in Virginia, Gov. Northam referred to Africans kidnapped, tortured, and forced against their will to work as "indentured servants" which caused King to correct him for the gaffe and inform the doctor that would be referred to as "slavery".

"It's been a horrific week for Virginia".

The Washington Post-Schar School poll, conducted Wednesday through Friday, found Virginia's broader population to be split evenly about Northam's fate, with 47 percent wanting him to stay and the same percentage wanting him to resign.

The second woman to accuse embattled Virginia lieutenant governor Justin Fairfax of sexual assault claims the alleged incident occurred a year after she said she was also raped by an unnamed Duke basketball player, A.J.

"It must take tremendous courage for women to step forward and talk about being the victim of sexual assault", Northam said. It's very. something like that is serious.

If Fairfax were to leave, it's unclear who could replace him as lieutenant governor. The photo from his yearbook showed one person in blackface standing next to a masked person in Ku Klux Klan robes.

"I have learned from this", he said.

"If I had it to do over I would step back and take a deep breath", he said.

He continued, "We have worked very hard".

"There are ongoing inequities to access to things like education, healthcare, mortgages, capital, entrepreneurship".

Republicans, including Trump, have predicted the scandal plaguing Virginia's top Democratic officials will give them the opportunity to make political gains in a state that's increasingly voted for Democrats in recent elections. He told reporters that he's asked his Cabinet to come up with suggestions on how he can improve his commitment to eliminating racial bias within the state of Virginia, and "address issues of inequality" in various state programs.

"We don't even know where to take the conversation from here", community organizer Chelsea Wise said at a meeting of Democrats in Richmond on Thursday.

Northam has been in seclusion all week, using tunnels to shuttle between the mansion and the nearby building where he has an office.

Some, like Reverend Dwayne Whitehead, the African American pastor of Richmond's World Overcomers Church, argue forcefully against punishing Northam for decades-old wrongdoings. He said he has reflected on his own origins and tried to confront his lack of understanding.

Virginia's Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam considered resigning amid a scandal that he once wore blackface, but the pediatric neurologist said Sunday that he's "not going anywhere" because the state "needs someone that can heal" it. "I have a lot more to learn".

"It is obvious that a vicious and co-ordinated smear campaign is being orchestrated against me", he said in a statement.

Northam, who is starting to appear publicly again after spending almost a week in seclusion, addressed the scandals facing his fellow elected officials.

Northam has now also said he can't be man in blackface because he's left handed and both people are holding beers in their right, according to reports. "And that's why I'm not going anywhere". In a sign that he meant to return to business as usual, he also announced more than a dozen appointments to state boards. "What really bothered me was the change in story".