DGA attacks Snyder with a new website & Carroll Foy sends a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The latest in Virginia politics
DGA Launches TwoSidedSnyder.com in Virginia
The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) is launching a website Thursday that they say will “reveal Republican candidate for governor Pete Snyder’s true record as a longtime member of the Washington establishment and shady party insider.”
DGA says the website will highlight how Snyder “has been misleading Virginians by falsely calling himself an ‘outsider’ who runs a small business.”
The Democrats are attacking Snyder with less than two weeks until the nomination convention to decide the Republican nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.
“As the Virginia GOP’s nasty primary gets even more toxic, Pete Snyder will do or say anything to try to be more like Trump. That includes building his entire campaign around lying to Virginians about his real record, as this new website exposes,” said DGA Deputy Communications Director Sam Newton. “While Snyder falsely claims to be an outsider who runs a small business, the reality is he’s a longtime party insider who ran a consulting firm that represented lobbying groups and helped elect politicians who have been in Washington for decades. Just like how Virginians saw through Donald Trump’s lies, they’ll know two-sided Pete Snyder cannot be trusted.”
Lenze Morris, a spokesperson for Snyder provided the following statement in response. “Corrupt Terry McAuliffe is scared of one candidate in this race: Pete Snyder. Terry’s calling in favors from DC pals because he knows his time is up,” Morris said. “His career of cronyism and corruption ends this November.”
In addition to Snyder, state Sen. Amanda Chase, Del. Kirk Cox, and Glenn Youngkin are competitive for the nomination.
The party will be choosing its nominees when convention delegates turn in ranked-choice ballots at one of more than 40 remote voting locations across Virginia on May 8. The votes will then be tallied and counted the following days under armed guard with a live stream of the counting process at a central location.
Carroll Foy calls for DOJ investigation into Donovon Lynch’s death
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer Carroll Foy penned a letter to the United States attorney general joining in on the calls for an investigation by the Department of Justice into the death of Donovan Lynch.
Lynch was killed by a Virginia Beach police officer in March during a night of chaos at the oceanfront. The officer was wearing a body camera but it was not activated at the time of the shooting and VBPD has not provided any evidence that Lynch was brandishing a firearm when he was killed.
“As an attorney, concerned citizen, and mother of sons myself, I am asking you to ensure accountability and transparency on this tragedy — and more importantly, for the federal government to continue to play an active role in addressing fatal police-involved shootings,” Carroll Foy wrote in the letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland. “As Congressman [Bobby] Scott outlined in his request, questions remain regarding the use of the police’s body-worn camera, disputes about Mr. Lynch’s registered firearm, and alleged failures by the police to interview critical witnesses.”
The Virginia State Police are conducting an investigation of the incident.
Carroll Foy also asked Garland to look into the incident from December of last year when Second Lieutenant Caron Nazario was threatened and pepper-sprayed by police officers. “A federal investigation would ensure effective oversight and structural changes in combating these egregious practices,” she said in the letter.
One of the Windsor police officers involved in the incident was fired four months after it happened, just a few days after the video went viral. The Virginia NAACP is still calling for the resignation of the Windsor police chief and is planning a unity march at Virginia State University on Thursday.
The letter from Carroll Foy comes after the Department of Justice announced it would open investigations into the Minneapolis and Louisville Police Departments following the killing of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. “Bad actors within our police departments must be held accountable, and it’s going to take concerted efforts by our local, state, and federal governments to ensure community trust and safety,” Carroll Foy wrote.
Republican gubernatorial hopeful Glenn Youngkin Launches ‘Law Enforcement for Glenn’ Coalition
“Our law enforcement community is under attack in Virginia. Officers and frontline workers are being targeted by people who want to defund and demoralize them – even reducing the criminal penalties for assaulting them. These attacks will stop on my watch,” said Youngkin. “As governor, I will veto anti-police legislation and will fight to get them the funding, training and resources they need to do their jobs well and safely. I will make sure the brave men and women who seek to protect and serve their communities know that we have their back, because they have ours. I will oppose all efforts to end qualified immunity. I will hold bad actors accountable, but I will never abandon the heroes who head to work every day knowing it could be their final shift. This is the toughest job in America right now, and we must come together behind our law enforcement community like never before.”
The following law enforcement officials have endorsed Youngkin:
Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman
Page County Sheriff Chad Cubbage
Campbell County Sheriff Whit Clark
Fauquier County Sheriff Bob Mosier
Former Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Tracci
Jennifer Carroll Foy Launches New TV Ad for gubernatorial campaign
Terry McAuliffe announces plan that his gubernatorial campaign says will advance LGBTQ+ rights and build a more inclusive, open, and welcoming Virginia
The plan includes improving access to critical health services for LGBTQ+ people, repealing Virginia’s “conscience clause” and end discrimination against LGBTQ+ people wishing to foster or adopt children in need, enact an anti-bullying law to protect students, improve housing stability, and require health care professionals and law enforcement personnel to complete cultural competency training. Terry will also work with President Biden's Administration to improve data collection efforts to support LGBTQ+ communities and break down racial disparities.
EMILY’s List Endorses Delegate Hala Ayala’s Campaign for Lieutenant Governor
“The daughter of an immigrant, a single mom, and a dedicated Virginian invested in the wellbeing of her community, EMILY’s List is confident Hala Ayala is the right person to advocate for Virginia families as lieutenant governor,” said Emily Cain, EMILY’s List Executive Director. “After becoming the first Afro-Latina to be elected to the Virginia House, Hala led the way to expanding Medicaid — which she attributes to saving her son’s life — for 400,000 Virginians. She has also worked tirelessly to protect reproductive freedom, raise teacher pay, and expand gun safety measures. As a dedicated fighter for women’s rights with nearly a decade of experience advocating for equality, Hala founded the Prince William County chapter of the National Organization for Women, helped organize Virginia’s involvement in the Women’s March, and served as chief co-patron on the bill that made Virginia the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Hala is a champion for women and families and the EMILY’s List community is proud to endorse her run to become the first woman lieutenant governor of Virginia.”
“I am so honored to be endorsed by EMILY’s List,” said Delegate Ayala. “EMILY’s List has been with me from my first campaign for the House of Delegates in 2017, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support. Advocating on behalf of women and families, especially in regards to reproductive rights, has been a cornerstone of my political career. I will continue to fight for equal pay, access to reproductive health care and equality under the law as Lieutenant Governor."
Attacks on gay rights become issue in GOP campaign for lieutenant governor - Richmond Times-Dispatch
by Patrick Wilson
Attacks on gay rights bubbled to the surface of one of the GOP statewide campaigns ahead of a May 8 nominating convention, prompting rebukes for one of the party’s candidates for lieutenant governor from Democrats and some of his fellow Republicans.
Del. Glenn Davis, R-Virginia Beach, a candidate in the GOP nomination contest for lieutenant governor, posted on Twitter Tuesday evening that he had come under attack from one of his GOP rivals, Tim Hugo, a former delegate from Fairfax County.
More than 53,000 delegates register to vote in Virginia GOP convention - Virginia Mercury
by Ned Oliver
The Virginia GOP says 53,524 delegates have registered to vote in the party’s nominating convention next week, in which Republicans will select their candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Rich Anderson announced the number at a candidate forum on Tuesday evening, predicting the event would be “the largest state party convention ever in American history.”
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