Democratic gubernatorial candidates go back and forth with GOP candidates, McAuliffe receives first VA congressional endorsement, and Snyder receives former-Trump official's endorsement
The latest in Virginia politics.
Democratic gubernatorial candidates issue joint statement condemning GOP candidates, Republicans respond accordingly
Democratic gubernatorial candidates took a break from running primary campaigns against each other Thursday to condemn their Republican counterparts. Jennifer Carroll Foy, Jennifer McClellan, Lee Carter, and Terry McAuliffe released a joint statement with direct criticisms of GOP gubernatorial candidates Amanda Chase, Glenn Youngkin, Kirk Cox, and Pete Snyder.
“At a time when Virginians across the Commonwealth are struggling in the face of this devastating pandemic, Virginia Republicans are inexplicably opposing the president’s American Rescue Plan and critical relief that will allow us to beat COVID-19 and build a better future for everyone in our communities,” the Democrats wrote in their statement. “This position is a testament to the reality that Virginia Republicans will always put far right politics over people and solutions.”
They then made direct statements about each of the Republican candidates. “From Pete Snyder lying to the IRS to hide information about his organization’s finances and Glenn Youngkin’s commitment to voter suppression, to Amanda Chase’s racist tirade against Sen. McClellan and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and Kirk Cox’s embrace of policies that hurt Virginia working families — the Republican candidates are proving one thing: they are wrong for Virginia,” the Democrats said in their statement.
Macaulay Porter, a spokesperson for Youngkin, accused the Democrats of trying to score political points. “Republicans and Democrats have both raised concerns about the integrity of our elections in recent years, and Glenn is proposing real solutions to restore faith in the process and ensure every legal vote is counted quickly and accurately,” Porter said Thursday. “If the liberals in Richmond were as focused on election integrity as they were scoring political points and playing partisan games we could actually get something accomplished for a change.”
Snyder’s campaign feigned surprise in their response to the statement from the Democrats. “Shocking these left-wing Democrats found time to parrot talking points but can’t find a second to stand up to teachers unions and special interests groups to open our schools and our economy. Their radical agenda for our state will continue down the road of failure paved by Northam and McAuliffe,” said Lenze Morris, a spokesperson for the Snyder campaign.
Chase agreed with the Democrats, just not in the context they intended.
Elaine Luria is the first member of Virginia’s Democratic congressional delegation to endorse in the gubernatorial primary.
Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) on Friday endorsed former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) in his latest bid for the governor's mansion, becoming the first member of the commonwealth’s congressional delegation to endorse in the Democratic primary.
“As governor, Terry will work to create jobs, invest in workers, make childcare more affordable, and rebuild Virginia's thriving network of small businesses, especially, here, in my home of Coastal Virginia,” Luria said in a statement obtained exclusively by The Hill. “As we continue to work on future COVID-19 relief packages in Congress, I can think of no better partner and advocate for Virginians in the governor’s office than Terry McAuliffe.”
Former Trump-White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders Endorses Pete Snyder for Governor
Sergio De La Peña, immigrant who grew up on 'dirt floors,' says he's only Republican who can win VA gov
by Evie Fordham
Retired Army Col. Sergio De La Peña is a different kind of candidate for Virginia governor and has the ability to reach the state's immigrant community for Republicans, he told Fox News in an interview.
"The reason I’m running for governor is I want to protect the American dream. I was born in Mexico. I grew up in a house with dirt floors and no running water," he said. "I came to this country not speaking English and in one generation became a senior executive at the Pentagon."
McAuliffe announces climate plan, McClellan says it is being built on her work
Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Terry McAuliffe announced a plan Thursday that he says will help combat the harmful effects of climate change in Virginia. The plan includes an effort to secure a clean energy future for Virginia by setting a target to reach 100% clean energy by 2035, aligning the Commonwealth with President Biden’s climate goals and efforts to pass a federal climate and infrastructure bill this year.
The plan received pushback almost immediately, however.
State Senator Jennifer McClellan championed the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) in 2020. The VCEA requires Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to be 100 percent carbon-free by 2050 and that nearly all coal-fired plants close by the end of 2024.
McClellan, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, said in a statement Thursday that McAuliffe failed to take any actions to address climate change when he was governor and accused him of building a plan based on her work.
“Gov. McAuliffe failed to make climate change a priority as governor. Now his new plan is entirely built on the Virginia Clean Economy Act that Del. Sullivan and I passed,” she said Thursday. “I’m proud to have been the chief patron of the Virginia Clean Economy Act, the most significant climate bill in Virginia history,” she continued.
The plan that McAuliffe announced Thursday includes investing in energy efficiency, restructuring Virginia’s regulatory structure to protect consumers and incentivize the transition, and decarbonizing Virginia’s transportation sector.
“Securing our clean energy future is critical to securing our future, and I promise you that Virginia will lead the nation in tackling climate change and transitioning to clean energy,” McAuliffe said Thursday in a statement. “We’re going to get Virginia to 100% clean energy by 2035 by partnering with President Biden and investing critical federal dollars, secure our vital coastal communities like Hampton Roads, tackle inequities and environmental racism, and build a brighter future for all Virginians.”
Both McClellan and McAuliffe have stated that they believe 13,000 new jobs a year will become available to help Virginia transfer to new energy. Part of McAuliffe’s plan includes collaborating with Virginia’s institutions of higher education and clean energy industries to expand capacity for relevant courses, develop curriculum, and expand apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs for those jobs.
McAuliffe also said he also wants to prioritize re-training for the 24,000 Virginians who currently work in predominantly rural fossil fuel industries so they can access clean energy jobs in the future.
State Delegates Alex Askew and Shelly Simonds spoke alongside McAuliffe on Thursday in a Facebook live conversation. “Virginia needs bold, proven leadership that can bring us out of this climate crisis and into a stronger, more equitable future. That’s why I’m so proud to support Terry and his plan,” Askew said in a prepared statement.
Askew and Simonds both represent districts in Hampton Roads, a part of the state with a disproportionally higher chance of experiencing the negative impacts of extreme weather events fueled by climate change. “Fighting against climate change and fighting against racial injustice are deeply intertwined. I think the communities, as [Terry] mentioned, that are affected most by COVID, or by pollution, or any respiratory disease, are the ones who will be impacted by extreme weather events,” Askew said during the Facebook live event. “In Virginia Beach and across Hampton Roads, climate change disproportionately affects these communities.”
McClellan said she appreciates the effort that McAuliffe is making now, but she believes voters have an obvious choice as to who is the better candidate on climate change. “I’m glad to see Gov. McAuliffe supports the principles of the VCEA, but if voters want a candidate who has led the biggest climate progress in Virginia history, there is a clear choice in this election.”
IBEW Local Unions in Virginia Endorse Delegate Jay Jones for Attorney General
The Virginia Association of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Unions endorsed Delegate Jay Jones for Attorney General. IBEW Locals released the following joint statement through their President, Jeffrey Rowe:
“Jay is a champion of labor, and a proven ally to working families and union members. He will stand with workers, not big corporate donors, on key issues like repealing right to work, raising the minimum wage, and worker misclassification. The Virginia Association of the IBEW looks forward to standing side by side with him all the way to victory this November.
“Our state has come so far in the past few years regarding workers’ rights and civil justice and we trust Jay Jones to lead us further down that path than we are today. Jay knows that talk is cheap, and Union members will know that Jay Jones is the candidate who is willing to walk the walk and stand up for them and against worker exploitation. Jay Jones will make sure the Attorney General’s office does everything it can to strengthen our unions and lift up working families across our entire state. The time is right for a change, and the time is right for Jay Jones.”
Jones is seeking the Democratic nomination to run for attorney general. He is facing two-term incumbent Mark Herring in a June 8 primary to decide the nominee.
Northam Looks to Move Up Marijuana Legalization to July 1 - VPM News
by Ben Paviour and Whitney Evans
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to ask the legislature to legalize the adult possession of an ounce or less of marijuana beginning on July 1, according to several sources with knowledge of the administration’s ongoing discussions with lawmakers.
Lawmakers passed legislation last month that wouldn’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2024. That roadmap that got a cold reception from criminal justice advocates.
Black leader in Va. Beach says Democrats should back off endorsement of former Republican - Richmond Times Dispatch
by Patrick Wilson
A Black leader in Virginia Beach called on local Democrats who endorsed a former Republican in a primary for the House of Delegates to rescind their support and “let the voters of the 84th district decide” who their nominee will be.
Gary McCollum, a member of the Virginia Beach Interdenominational Ministers Conference and a former state Senate candidate, posted his comments about the Democratic primary for that seat on his Facebook page on Tuesday.
Rachel Levy Officially Launches Campaign for the 55th Virginia House of Delegates District - Blue Virginia
“As a mother, I felt helpless when my child was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes six
years ago- helpless to prevent him from getting the disease, helpless that there
was no cure, and helpless about what this meant for his future. But then I realized
there were legislative solutions. As a private citizen, I fought with other parent
advocates for the passage of the insulin cap bill to lower and cap insulin prices to
$50 dollars. But that was just a small drop in the bucket. There is so much more I
can do. Diabetes, disease, healthcare needs don’t know a party. As a legislator in
the House of Delegates, I will be the opposite of helpless. I will be empowered to
fight for the healthcare rights of every Virginian, no matter how they vote.”