Amanda Chase comments on the governor race and McAuliffe faces continued GOP pushback for schools comment
The latest in Virginia politics
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Youngkin is attempting to mobilize parents against McAuliffe over school involvement
Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin announced a new effort Monday to mobilize parents against his Democratic opponent Terry McAuliffe. This comes after McAuliffe stated during the debate that parents should not be making the decisions on what is taught in Virginia’s schools.
“I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach,” McAuliffe said.
McAuliffe has not backtracked from the statement and Youngkin continues to hit him for it.
“Terry McAuliffe showed us his heart when he said that ‘parents don’t matter.' He immediately disqualified himself from office,” Youngkin said in a statement. “I believe that parents matter, and I’ll never put government bureaucrats or politicians between parents and their kids. As governor, I’ll empower parents and restore excellence and commonsense in education.”
Youngkin is trying to really take advantage of this situation by keeping it front and center on their platform. His campaign sent out a press release Monday with 23 different links showing people criticizing McAuliffe for the comments and they have been running an ad showing the moment from the debate for several days.
McAuliffe’s campaign touted the polls showing support for his policies in a statement. "A recent poll of Virginia voters showed parents support Terry over Glenn by nearly double digits because they know Terry is the only candidate who will keep their kids safe in schools and has a plan to invest in their education,” said Renzo Olivari, a spokesperson for McAuliffe. “If anti-vaccine advocate Glenn Youngkin had his way, our schools would be closing, children would be sick and quarantined, and our economy would be in the ditch. Terry McAuliffe is the only candidate with a real plan to end this pandemic, keep kids safe, and give every Virginia child a world-class education”
Election day is Nov 2.
Youngkin continues to walk the tight rope of keeping both the moderates AND Trump fans happy
Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin is keeping his distance from the NRA, not campaigning publicly on his abortion views, and was one of the first Republicans in Virginia to admit that Joe Biden actually won — several actions that could have alienated him from the more conservative base of his party.
But with less than one month until election day in a state that voted for Biden by 10 points last year, it appears that that conservative base remains with him as their de facto leader, Sen. Amanda Chase, continues to campaign for Youngkin when she is not pushing for an audit of the 2020 election.
After losing to him in the nomination convention in May, Chase gave her full support for Youngkin during a speech in Chesterfield last month by telling her supporters to help Youngkin. They were together once again this weekend at the Family Foundation Gala.
“Who on God’s green earth would want another four years of this hell the Democrat Party has put us through?” Chase said in a statement to Virginia Scope Tuesday morning. “Firing employees because they won’t get a vaccine, catering to criminals over law abiding citizens, teaching racism in our schools and not wanting input from parents. Nobody in their right mind would vote to continue this insanity. Voting for Youngkin is the only way to stop this clown show and put the adults back in charge.”
The Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA) pointed to some of Chase’s far-right views in a statement Monday. "It is when campaigning behind closed doors with Amanda Chase and the far-right, anti-choice Family Foundation that Glenn shows Virginians exactly who he is," said DPVA spokesman Manuel Bonder. "Youngkin has made it clear: he is all in on banning abortion, defunding Planned Parenthood, and dragging the Commonwealth backwards with his right wing agenda.”
Election day is Nov. 2.
Guzman and Cole stand behind support of Green New Deal policies
Two House Democrats running in tight reelection races expressed their support for a moratorium on fossil fuel use during a forum last week. Republicans are calling it irresponsible and disastrous.
“I support the Green New Deal because it is the only plan that calls for a complete moratorium on the burning of fossil fuels,” said Del. Elizabeth Guzman D-HD31 during the virtual forum to support the Green New Deal. “We need to stop burning oil and fracking for natural gas altogether.”
The Green New Deal is a set of policy proposals with the goal of bringing the world to net-zero emissions.
Guzman was first elected in 2017 by nine points and is one of the more progressive members of the House Democratic caucus. In 2019, her victory margin shrunk to five points. She is facing a challenge from Ben Baldwin this cycle.
Guzman did not respond to requests for comment for this article.
In addition to Guzman, Del. Josh Cole D-HD28, also facing a tough challenge this year, expressed his support for a moratorium on fossil fuel use. “A moratorium on fossil fuel infrastructure boosts renewable energy,” Cole said during the forum. “The climate crisis requires a decrease, not an increase in fossil fuel use.”
Cole was one of the sponsors of the unsuccessful legislation for the Green New deal during the 2020 legislative session.
“We are pushing for movement towards clean energy,” Cole said in an interview with Virginia Scope. “While I do want to see the legislation actually introduced and passed, we really want a conversation to get started about how we are going to move to clean energy and a 100% carbon-free emission society. That is one of the reasons I am pushing that legislation.”
Republicans have not been supportive of these proposals.
“The moratorium backed by Delegates Cole and Guzman would be laughable if they weren’t so serious about it,” said Garren Shipley, a spokesperson for the House Republican Caucus. “Regardless of what one thinks of carbon emissions, our day-to-day lives depend on gasoline, natural gas, and other fossil fuels. To suggest banning their use without a ready substitute isn’t just irresponsible. It’s dangerous.”
All Republicans on the House Labor and Commerce Committee voted against the Green New Deal legislation when it was introduced in 2020. The committee’s Democrats voted to refer it to House Appropriations where it died.
“We know how to phase things out so we can take a look at the legislation,” Cole said. I am not saying this is going to be an outright ban, but we can start doing some things to phase it.
“As we are fighting to protect the environment, the Republicans don’t care about the environment. So they are going to say this is dangerous and cost billions of dollars,” Cole said. They have been using scare tactics to scare their people for so long.”
“One way or another we are going to end up having to pay for it,” Cole continued. “Start today incrementally now, or don’t do anything about it, and then we all suffer.”
After losing by less than half a point in 2017, Cole won in 2019 by four points. Now in his first reelection bid, he is being challenged by Tara Durant.
‘We’re sort of stuck:’ Va. Redistricting Commission divided over race as deadline looms - Virginia Mercury
by Graham Moomaw
Last month, Greta Harris took a break from trying to corral the eight Republicans and eight Democrats on the Virginia Redistricting Commission to make an impassioned plea.
It wasn’t too long ago, she said, that Black Virginians like her were systematically denied the right to vote. Some of the new political maps up for consideration by the commission, she said, didn’t seem to reflect the moral imperative to protect the progress made by minority voters.
More on redistricting:
Public can comment on unfinished Virginia redistricting maps this week
Youngkin seeks to mobilize parents against McAuliffe after comments about school input
The latest maps: Public hearings set for this week; one Senate plan pairs Morrissey, Chase
More Virginia News:
Democratic challenger in 18th District proud of party's work
Roanoke Councilman Jeffrey faces new charges of defrauding city
Hospitals battling the COVID-19 surge sought state help for weeks. They haven’t gotten it.
Richmond Public Schools raises graduation rate to 78.8%; final tally below earlier projections
Improvement in state graduation rate comes with asterisk attached
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