Gubernatorial candidates spend $90K on Facebook ads in seven days, Youngkin announces campaign finance numbers, and Jones calls on Herring to support ending qualified immunity
The latest in Virginia politics
Gubernatorial candidates spent $90K in the last week on Facebook ads as the nomination battles heat up
With the COVID-19 pandemic hampering campaign voter-outreach efforts, digital ad campaigns have become a prominent part of political candidate’s voter outreach efforts. Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates have collectively spent close to $90,000 on Facebook advertisements over the last seven days as they work to reach potential voters.
While Democrats can spend their money to encourage voter turnout for their primary election, Republicans are trying to reach a smaller pool of potential voters that are willing to participate in a convention.
After vowing three weeks ago to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in the primary race on digital ads, former Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy has yet to follow through with the commitment. “Our campaign is excited to be the first in this race to make a several hundred thousand dollar investment in digital persuasion ads to meet voters where they are and introduce them to Jenn’s historic candidacy and her fight for working families,” Carroll Foy’s communications director said on March 21.
But since that time, the Carroll Foy campaign has spent very little on Facebook ads — spending only $146 in the seven days prior to this article being published. The campaign did not provide a reason for the discrepancy in ad spending compared to what they told Virginia Scope in early March, but they said they still plan to invest in digital advertising.
State Senator Jennifer McClellan is also spending very little on Facebook ads with zero active ads in the last seven days. Del. Lee Carter and Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax have also not spent any money recently on Facebook advertising.
Former Governor Terry McAuliffe, however, has spent more on Facebook ads than all of his primary and Republican opponents combined. Facebook is reporting that McAuliffe has spent $50,500 in the last seven days.
McAuliffe is also the front runner in the only public polling that has been released for the primary race.
The primary election where voters across Virginia will choose the Democratic nominee takes place on June 8. The winner will be facing off against the Republican candidate that is set to be chosen in a May 8 unassembled convention — a completely different process that consists of vetted Republican voters choosing the nominee with a ranked-choice ballot that they turn in at one of 37 voting locations across Virginia.
The Republican nomination race is more competitive with no clear front runner due to the convention process and ranked-choice voting method.
Former Speaker of the House Kirk Cox has spent $4,047 over the last seven days. Cox, a longtime member of the House of Delegates benefits from personal relationships for the convention, but his challengers with less experience in state politics could potentially have the money to make up for that advantage.
Pete Snyder, a venture capital that recently announced his gubernatorial campaign has over $6 million in cash has spent $19,308 on Facebook ads in the last seven days. He has also built a large staff of Virginia Republican Party insiders with experience in winning tough nominating conventions.
Glenn Youngkin, a former executive at The Carlyle Group that is capable of self-funding from his personal fortune has spent $14,709 in the last seven days on Facebook. Youngkin has also amassed a large staff that consists of Republican operatives and activists.
State Senator Amanda Chase, the statistical frontrunner in the only public polls released in this race does not have the option to run Facebook ads after the social media company permanently banned her campaign page with over 100,000 followers earlier this year. Her page was banned due to her posts questioning the results of the 2020 presidential election along with her comments after the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington D.C.
But with an insider process determining the nominee, the widespread social media advertising could potentially be excessive when the majority of people that will see it are not participating in the voting process. Richard Meagher, associate professor of political science at Randolph Macon College said the benefits could still be worth it for the candidates.
“In these races with multiple candidates, and especially ranked-choice, literally every vote counts,” Meagher said. “Many of these candidates are still unknown and name recognition is crucial. A Facebook ad by itself probably won’t win you a vote — but it could get you a crucial second or third spot on a ranked-choice ballot and that could put you over the top.”
Republicans are looking to win the executive mansion for the first time since 2009 and Democrats are trying to retain control of the state government after two years of power. Republicans choose their nominee on May 8 and Democrats on June 8. The general election takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Glenn Youngkin announces that his gubernatorial campaign raised over $7.5 million - without noting how much of that was from Youngkin himself
In the race for governor, Glenn Youngkin, the former executive of The Carlyle Group announced on Monday that his campaign raised over $7.5 million as he seeks the Republican nomination. After inquiries due to his large personal fortune, the campaign declined to say how much of that money was from Youngkin himself.
The announcement says that 1,140 contributors representing 117 counties and cities in Virginia donated to Youngkin prior to the March 31 filing deadline. Additionally, the announcement says they received $1 mil in donations from individuals in the first 10 days of the campaign.
“The grassroots support we’ve seen for our campaign since we launched in late January is amazing, and I’m so thankful for everyone who has invested in our mission to end the McAuliffe-Northam administration and bring a new day to Virginia,” Youngkin said in his announcement. “With this broad base of financial support, there is no question that our campaign is the best equipped to take on the McAuliffe political machine and put a Republican in the governor’s office for the first time in more than a decade.”
Youngkin is vying for the nomination with state Senator Amanda Chase, former House Speaker Kirk Cox, and venture capitalist Pete Snyder. Snyder recently announced that his campaign raised $6.4 mil prior to March 31, but he also declined to indicate how much of that was his own money.
The nominee will be chosen in a May 8 unassembled convention where voters submit a ranked-choice ballot at one of 37 voting locations across Virginia.
VA Attorney General Candidate Jay Jones Calls on AG Herring to Support Repeal of Qualified Immunity
Qualified immunity provides protections to police officers to shield them from civil lawsuits for actions they take while on duty. Democrats attempted to get rid of these protections during the special session in 2020, but they failed to garner enough support within their own party to pass the legislation. Now state Del. and candidate for attorney general Jay Jones released a statement calling on Attorney General Mark Herring, his primary opponent, to join him in calling for an end to qualified immunity:
“Today, I’m calling on Mark Herring to support the repeal of qualified immunity in Virginia and fight to bring true accountability to policing in our Commonwealth. Too often, justice before the law is denied to Virginians who have suffered at the hands of law enforcement because of the outdated practice of qualified immunity. It’s time to tear down this dark relic of the past and instead build true trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve by holding responsible officers who abuse their position,” Jones said in a statement Monday. "Despite numerous instances of police misconduct coming to light, Mark Herring has refused to take action on police accountability. Instead of fighting for reform, he has played political games, pointed fingers, and sought to dodge responsibility however he can. Our Commonwealth needs an Attorney General who understands we cannot continue down the same path of unaccountable police brutality if we are going to truly embrace the new Virginia decade.”
The Virginia NAACP released a statement over the weekend saying they will be launching a campaign to end qualified immunity across the commonwealth. "We watched with horror the so-called traffic stop in Windsor,” said Virginia NAACP President Robert N. Barnette, Jr., referring to the now widely-circulated video clip of Caron Nazario, a Black Army second lieutenant who was pulled over in Windsor, Virginia. Despite being in uniform, Nazario immediately had guns drawn towards him by two town police officers.
A press release from the Windsor Police Department says that the officer involved in the incident has been terminated, though it is unclear if that termination took place before or after the video went viral causing national outrage against the actions of the officers.
Herring released a statement over the weekend saying he is monitoring the situation.
Virginia’s Governor Ralph Northam says he directed the Virginia State Police to conduct their own independent investigation of the incident. “At the Chief's request & Governor's directive, [Virginia State Police] is initiating a thorough & objective criminal investigation into the 12/5/20 traffic stop conducted by the Windsor police officers,” the Virginia State Police said in a statement Sunday.
Speaker of the House Eileen Filler-Corn raised over half of a million dollars in the first three months of 2020.
Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn released her first-quarter fundraising numbers showing the most cash on hand of any Virginia Speaker of the House entering the second quarter of an election year.
Filler-Corn has over $1.75 million cash on hand in her combined accounts after raising over $580,000 in the first three months of 2021, which included a prohibition during the General Assembly Session. The Speaker has committed to using every resource at her disposal to ensure the House of Delegates’ remarkable progress is protected for future generations.
“Virginians have seen Democrats govern effectively these last two years, delivering on promises they made to voters during the 2019 campaign,” said Tyler Javonillo, a campaign spokesman for Speaker Filler-Corn. “This incredible show of support is a clear sign that House Democrats have the energy and momentum needed to effectively communicate their record to voters, as well as defend and expand their majority.”
Brownies, revenge and a doctor’s touch: inside the close vote to legalize marijuana in Virginia - Virginia Mercury
by Ned Oliver
It was a few hours until the General Assembly would vote on final amendments to legislation that would make Virginia the first state in the South to legalize marijuana and Sen. Adam Ebbin, one of the bill’s Senate patrons, was feeling confident.
As a joke, he stopped by a Richmond bakery to pick up a plate of brownies, commonly associated with the drug they were about make legal. “I thought it would maybe lighten the tone,” Ebbin, D-Alexandria, said. “Several members asked what was in them and I told them they were placebos.”
A tale of two Holly Hazards running for House of Delegates - The Free lance-Star
by AdeleUphaus
Holly Hazard hadn't yet announced her campaign for the House of Delegates when a friend called her to report that, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, she was already a candidate.
"They said, 'You're already listed as a candidate in the 38th District,' " Hazard recalled recently. "I said, 'I don't live in the 38th District!'"
New Virginia law would set up retirement accounts for people whose employers don’t offer one - The Virginian-Pilot
by Ana Ley
A new law being considered by Gov. Ralph Northam would set up a retirement savings plan for private-sector workers whose employers don’t give them one.
The so-called VirginiaSaves program would allow Virginia to offer IRA accounts to people with no other options to save for retirement. The bill lets the state take a no-interest treasury loan of up to $2 million each year until it is self-sustaining. Eligible businesses wouldn’t have to chip in, and employees will be automatically enrolled but they have the option to opt out of investing.
Lawmakers push Biden for federal money to help Virginia avoid delays as it digs deeper shipping channels - The Virginian-Pilot
by Gordon Rago
Talks about the Port of Virginia deepening and widening its shipping channels to make room for larger cargo vessels have spanned several years.
It was welcome news, then, when dredges hit the Chesapeake Bay in December 2019 to start digging, the first step in a project that aims to make Hampton Roads’ port the deepest on the East Coast.
Enslaved people built the University of Virginia. Now there’s a monument honoring them. - Washington Post
The Rotunda, with its tall columns and domed roof, is the centerpiece of the University of Virginia’s idyllic campus, a building designed by Thomas Jefferson, who modeled it after the Pantheon in Rome, as he sought to build a school that embraced rigorous intellectualism and egalitarianism. But in a grotesque contradiction, enslaved laborers brought that vision to life.
The Rotunda now has a brick-and-mortar counterpoint, a memorial where visitors can honor the lives of the 4,000 enslaved people whose forced labor built the stately campus. On Saturday, in a prerecorded virtual ceremony, the university dedicated the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, the product of more than a decade of advocacy by students, historians, activists and descendants.
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