Highlights from the Democratic debate and more from Virginia politics
The latest in Virginia politics
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Highlights from the Democratic gubernatorial debate
Democratic gubernatorial candidates met last night for their fourth and final televised debate.
Jennifer Carroll Foy talked in her opening statement about the November election and hinted that she does not think McAuliffe would be able to beat Glenn Youngkin in the general election.
“We jeopardize our majority and the governorship if we do what Republicans want and nominate a former governor who failed to keep his promises, and who almost lost his election to an extreme, Trump Republican,” Carroll Foy said during the debate. “To beat Glenn Youngkin, we need to elect an inspiring leader who has bold ideas, who will get our people to the polls. And I have a record of getting things done for the people of Virginia, and I will never stop fighting for you as Governor.”
Carroll Foy also knocked McAuliffe for often touting his restoration of rights accomplishments during his first term. “We are more than restoration of rights...We need a Governor who will treat us in a holistic way to root out the inequities in our healthcare, in our economy, in our environment, in all of the systems...to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to thrive here in Virginia.”
More from the Carroll Foy campaign:
Carroll Foy shared her commitment to real police reform: “One year ago, George Floyd was not supposed to be a martyr. But he was murdered during a police encounter. Since then, hundreds of people have been killed during police encounters, including Donovon Lynch in Virginia Beach, whose father, Wayne Lynch, is here with me tonight as my special guest. No parent should ever have to bury a child. That's why as a legislator, I passed a bill to prohibit the use of chokeholds by law enforcement officers, so we don't have an Eric Garner situation here in Virginia. But as your Governor, I will be bold and transformational. I will pass a Donovon Lynch bill which would mandate civilian review boards throughout Virginia, and have them apply to sheriff's offices as well. I will end qualified immunity, and I will make the necessary investments in the communities that have been most hurt and harmed by mass incarceration, disinvestment, and the war on drugs.”
Her closing statement: “In order for people to know that their quality of life will improve, is to be sure that you elect the governor who understands. Most of us have legislative successes, but I have the lived experience – working multiple minimum wage jobs just to get by, being able to afford the high cost of healthcare, living in communities that have been redlined, so I will put forth intentional policies to uplift our communities in a real way, and I've done it before.”
State Sen. Jennifer McClellan also knocked McAuliffe after his response to a question about helping workers return to work. McAuliffe’s response didn’t mention anything about child care. which has been one of McClellan’s top priorities during her campaign. “What I didn’t hear in [McAuliffe’s] answer is what 40% of our workers desperately need right now—and that is access to childcare,” McClellan said during the debate. “Before COVID, too many parents didn't have access to childcare, and COVID has decimated the childcare industry. That is why the first plan I rolled out as a gubernatorial candidate is a universal child care plan.”
More from McClellan’s campaign:
ON HER EXPERIENCE: “For the past 15 years, I have taken what I've heard out in communities all across this Commonwealth and put it into action. That is what people are looking for in the next governor, that is what people are looking for in the next leader of this party—someone who will invest in the party everywhere in a true coordinated campaign that leaves no Virginian and no part of Virginia behind.”
ON POLICE REFORM: “We've got to make sure when there's police misconduct and especially an officer-involved shooting or death that we have mandatory transparent independent investigations, either through civilian review boards in the localities, or through a regional civilian review board if a locality doesn't have one, or through a default statewide one, or by giving the Attorney General more investigatory power, but there has to be an investigation. And we've got to end qualified immunity because until there are consequences, we will not fully end this scourge.”
ON UNEMPLOYMENT DELAYS: “Our economic and health care safety nets were starved under at least two decades of Republican leadership in the General Assembly. That's why we weren't ready. We had a computer system at VEC that was over 20 years old [...] People call a state government agency or state government official to solve a problem, and if we are not prepared to solve the problem because we have let our systems atrophy, then we are the problem.”
From the McAuliffe campaign:
Terry McAuliffe: “Glenn Youngkin’s Running Because of Trump, I’m Running Because of You”
“I worked with reasonable Republicans to get things done here in Hampton Roads, but let me be clear: Glenn Youngkin is not a reasonable Republican. He is an extreme, right-wing Republican. He is a loyalist to Donald Trump.”
Youngkin announces large fundraising haul
Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin announced on Tuesday that his campaign has raised $15.9 million in total since he officially announced his candidacy in January. According to his campaign, contributions came from 131 counties and cities in Virginia and 39 other states from around the country. Over $11 million of that total is a loan from Youngkin, however.
“Our campaign has received an outpouring of support from people in Virginia and across the country because they understand the opportunity we have this year to rebuild our Commonwealth, reignite our economy, restore excellence in education, and reestablish our commitment to public safety,” Youngkin said in a statement Tuesday.
According to the Youngkin campaign, as of May 27, they had more than $4.3 million cash on hand after taking in more during April and May than they did during February and March. $4.3 million cash on hand means that Youngkin has already spent eight figures on this race.
Youngkin’s own fortune is a reason for concern for Democrats — his large personal wealth can be a weapon for the political newcomer. One downfall to being new to Virginia politics is a low name ID across the Commonwealth — only 35,000 people participated in the nomination convention this year compared to the 365,000 that participated in the primary in 2017 to choose Ed Gillespie — meaning very few people actually voted for Youngkin compared to the number of Republican voters in the Commonwealth.
There is a way to help with that, however. Youngkin made a large 7-figure ad buy recently in an apparent attempt to boost his name ID across the state and introduce himself to regular voters. In the ad, Youngkin talks about himself and where he wants to take Virginia, while mostly ignoring the negative rhetoric that has become the norm in recent years for political ads.
On June 8, Democrats will choose their candidate who will try and keep Youngkin out of the executive mansion. Democrats are looking to win a third straight election while Youngkin hopes to entice enough Independents and middle-of-the-road Democrats to make him competitive in November. “I’m so thankful for everyone – Republicans, Democrats, independents – for investing in our movement to bring a new day to Virginia,” Youngkin said Tuesday. “Unlike Terry McAuliffe, I’m a political outsider and real business leader.”
ICYMI: Jennifer Carroll Foy hopes to reach the undecided voters that are just now tuning into the race
Former state Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy officially announced her candidacy for governor over a year ago. Now there is less than a week until that year’s worth of work either comes to fruition or falls short in her bid for the Democratic nomination. Carroll Foy is hoping to reach the voters that are just now tuning back into politics ahead of the June 8 Democratic primary.
“Our campaign is ramping up at just the right moment to reach undecided voters who are now tuning in and making their choice in this primary: between Jennifer Carroll Foy, an inspirational candidate who has walked in Virginians’ shoes and will move the Commonwealth forward, or a politician of the past,” said Sharon Yang, communications director for the campaign.
Carroll Foy has focused in part on her relatability to Virginians by highlighting her childhood in Petersburg; or describing tough moments in life that she has experienced and overcame, like her grandmother becoming a quadriplegic or her childhood friend being shot.
EASTERN ATLANTIC STATES REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS UNION ENDORSES ATTORNEY GENERAL MARK HERRING FOR RE-ELECTION
“Attorney General Mark Herring has been making important progress on combating wage theft and worker misclassification in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said William C. Sproule, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters. “Our union supports those who will commit to enforcement on these issues that harm too many workers across the region. We look forward to continuing to work with the Attorney General and other Virginia leaders to ensure the rights of workers are protected.”
Total Raised by Statewide Candidates through May 27 - VPAP
The total money raised by each candidate for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General from January 2020 and through May 27, 2021.
Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls take final swings at McAuliffe in last primary debate - Virginia Mercury
by Graham Moomaw
The fourth and final debate of Virginia’s Democratic primary for governor was the most contentious yet as progressive candidates tried to portray frontrunner Terry McAuliffe as out of step with the type of message the party needs to deliver to keep the state blue.
One week out from the primary, it remains to be seen whether the attacks on the former governor will dramatically alter the race, which McAuliffe seems to have dominated ever since he announced he was making the rare move of seeking a second term after leaving office in early 2018.
Terry McAuliffe embraces Biden in bid for second term as Virginia governor - CBS News
by Aaron Navarro
Inside the Champion Brewing Company in Charlottesville, Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, the former Virginia governor who's running for his old job, was talking to owner Hunter Smith last week when a staffer handed him a mask for "continuity" with everyone else.
"The president says don't wear masks inside," McAuliffe parried before putting on the mask. "I don't like to argue with Joe Biden."
Bennett-Parker says Levine mailer on Commonwealth of Virginia letterhead is ethics breach - ALX Now
by James Cullum
An annual mailer from Del. Mark Levine to Democratic voters in the 45th District has his opponent, Alexandria Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, raising concerns of an ethical breach of conduct.
Levine is running for lieutenant governor and his seat in the 45th District. The 17-page annual update is written on Commonwealth of Virginia letterhead, and asks for support in the upcoming June 8 Democratic primary. The letter also includes his campaign websites markfordelegate.com and levineforvirginia.com, but not a disclaimer stating that it was paid for by his campaign.