It looks like Herring is going on TV, LG candidates respond to Northam's endorsement of Ayala, and more updates from Virginia politics

An afternoon update on Virginia politics

Apr 26, 2021

Mark Herring is going on TV

Sources say that the Democratic Attorney Generals Association (DAGA) and Mark Herring have made a joint media buy starting this week. They are spending over $100K in total, breaking that up between the Norfolk, Richmond, and Roanoke media markets. Additionally, they have purchased $26,000 in ad buys on cable networks. (BET, CNN, ESPN, FOOD, HGTV, LMN, MSNBC, OWN, TBSC, TNT, TV1, USA)

DAGA gave Herring $2.8 million in 2017 and they have donated $33,264 to him this year.

Delegate Dan Helmer Endorses Del. Sam Rasoul For Lt. Governor

Delegate Sam Rasoul (D-11) announced Monday he has received the endorsement of Delegate Dan Helmer (D-40) in his bid for lieutenant governor.

"Sam's integrity, bold leadership, and compassion have been rock-solid throughout his years of service to the people of Virginia. He will put in the work every day to deliver for Virginians—and I am proud to support his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor," said Del. Helmer.

"Delegate Helmer has earned the reputation of a progressive leader who always keeps his constituents front of mind," said Rasoul. "He has stood up for the immigrant communities in his district, and fought to expand health care and raise teacher pay. I'm thankful for his support in this campaign.”

Lieutenant governor candidates respond to Northam’s endorsement of Hala Ayala

Governor Ralph Northam endorsed Hala Ayala’s campaign for lieutenant governor on Monday. Northam is by far the most popular Democrat in Virginia according to internal polling from several statewide campaigns. This means that with the majority of Democratic voters still undecided in the lieutenant governor’s race, Northam’s endorsement could have a significant impact.

Some of the other candidates in the race responded shortly after the announcement was made Monday:

Sean Perryman

“I jumped into the race for Lt. Governor because we need leadership in Richmond who can meet this moment, not because I think I deserve a promotion or because I wanted a stepping stone to a higher office. I spent years as an activist on the ground, successfully fighting for change in my community without the power of an elected office. But I was moved to run because our people are hurting and our elected officials are failing to rise to the occasion. Every week, we see another Black person brutalized or shot by police. We see people struggling to get out of this pandemic alive. We see workers go underpaid and underprotected. We see families being evicted from their homes. We see communities on fire, frozen over, or flooding due to the climate emergency. And all the while, we see those at the top of the system become more and more powerful. I’m running for Lt. Governor because I’m the only candidate in this race who will meet all of these crises with truly progressive ideas that redefine what is possible in our politics and return our government and economy to the people.”

“My decision to run can be summed up by opposition to one phrase: ‘The Virginia Way.’ That’s what we call the operating status quo for both parties in Virginia, where the establishment sticks together and ensures nobody rocks the boat. Agendas are mostly decided by what polls well and protects those in power. Progress can no doubt be made, but only if it is made with the approval of special interests like big businesses and Dominion energy. I have no doubt that the endorsements made today are a continuation of this Virginia Way.”

“I have great respect for Governor Northam and the Democratic leaders, but this heavy-handed and coordinated effort to influence this election is reminiscent of the Byrd Machine and their attempts to control the outcomes of our elections. I cannot imagine that it is coincidence that the party leadership is coming out in force against progressive candidates. The event later today to announce this endorsement will resemble a coronation. Nevertheless, our democratic process continues and we hope to bring our transformative ideas to the voters because we believe that this party is ready for a new set of leaders."

“Our campaign has a very clear path to victory. It’s the voters who will decide this race, not party bosses. We have more endorsements than any other campaign in both Fairfax County and Hampton Roads, crucial strongholds of Democratic primary voters. We have an extensive ground game and volunteer operation in every corner of the Commonwealth. We have an unmatched, organic digital presence that we will leverage for every vote we can. And most importantly, we have a substantive message that confronts business as usual instead of coddling it.”

“With a Democratic trifecta in Richmond, we shouldn’t be limiting ourselves. Virginians deserve someone among the next crop of statewide elected officials who will work with leadership on our shared values while standing up and speaking out when the Virginia Way rears its head at the expense of Black, Brown, and indigeneous people, working people, LGBTQ+ people, and people who are disabled. That’s the kind of progressive Lt. Governor I will be. Despite this effort to hand-select the candidate for Lt. Governor, I look forward to working with Democratic leadership should I become the nominee.”

Andria McClellan

“I’m running to expand access to opportunity, address Virginia’s historic inequities, and break down barriers. I bring 30 years of leadership experience in the private sector, non-profit arena and local government - representing the largest constituency of any Lieutenant Governor candidate - and I will be a strong voice for cities, counties and towns. As the only candidate in this race from Hampton Roads, the state’s second largest voting bloc, I provide a much needed perspective to Richmond. I am ready to put my experience and knowledge to work on day one to provide a pathway to opportunity for all Virginians.”

Sam Rasoul

“Our campaign is leading the way with over 100 endorsements from elected officials and grassroots leaders, with bold policies like the Marshall Plan for Moms to help Virginians, and in fundraising - despite not taking a single dollar in corporate or PAC money - thanks to the thousands of individual contributors excited about our historic run.”

WATCH: Jennifer Carroll Foy Joins MSNBC

Terry McAuliffe @TerryMcAuliffe

My message for Virginia Democrats is simple: Don't let up. We've got to show everyone that Trumpism has no place here in Virginia.

Republican gubernatorial hopefuls Glenn Youngkin and Kirk Cox both say they would fire everyone at the Board of Education involved in the latest talks of restructuring things for high school students.

"Two years ago Virginia had some of the best public schools in the country. Accreditation rates were rising, our students were outperforming the national average on college entrance exams, and more students than ever were getting two and four-year degrees," said Cox. "In spite of all this success, Virginia Democrats have set out to fundamentally remake our education system – injecting far left ideas like Critical Race Theory, lowering academic standards, and now talking about ending advanced math courses just because they supposedly aren’t fair. This is simply insane."

Hugh Hewitt @hughhewitt

Just talked w/ @GlennYoungkin about VA's crazy plan to hold back math geniuses. Really. He promised that, if elected, he'd fire everyone he could who's involved w/ this idiocy:

foxnews.comVirginia moving to eliminate all accelerated math courses before 11th grade as part of equity-focused planThe Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is moving to eliminate all accelerated math options prior to 11th grade, effectively keeping higher-achieving students from advancing as they usually would in the school system.

The political revival of Ralph Northam: How an ostracized governor became a progressive champion - CNN

by Dan Merica

When Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam looks back at his tenure, the inflection point between being a run-of-the-mill executive and the progressive leader he has become is a painful one.

The scandal -- born of the discovery of a decades-old yearbook photo that featured someone in blackface -- was an existential crisis for Northam and his administration. After initially saying the person in question was him, he denied it but admitted to darkening his skin as part of a Michael Jackson dance contest in 1984. Almost every Virginia Democrat called for his ouster as the state examined its racist past. Those closest to Northam said he was close to resigning.