The audio at the top of this newsletter is an interview with David Toscano, the former state delegate for the 57 House district based in Charlottesville. Toscano was the House Democratic Leader during Terry McAuliffe’s first term as governor and provides his analysis of this year’s gubernatorial race. He also discusses redistricting, and his new book, Fighting Political Gridlock: How States Shape Our Nation And Our Lives.
Listen at the link above as Brandon Jarvis and Henrico County Democratic Committee Chairman Marques Jones interview Toscano.
Thank you so much for supporting this newsletter. With the election coming to a close soon, stay with Virginia Scope and this newsletter as we cover the transition to a new governor in Virginia — whoever that may be. In addition to covering the new governor and General Assembly, we will also be providing in-depth coverage of the congressional elections across the commonwealth as Democrats hope to keep the gains they have made since 2018. Become a paid subscriber today or continue paying your subscription to continue to stay in the loop on Virginia’s government and elections.
Virginia’s Democratic congressional delegation calls on Miyares to renounce support from a group that was involved in promoting the Jan. 6 rally
Virginia’s entire Democratic congressional delegation condemned the Republican attorney general nominee for receiving half a million dollars from the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) Action Fund, a group that received $150,000 from a person that funded the Jan. 6 rally in Washington D.C. The group allegedly used part of that money for robocalls promoting a march during the Jan. 6 rally.
“It’s unconscionable that Republican Jason Miyares, who wants to be our next Attorney General, would accept money from the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), an organization that financially supported and stoked the January 6 insurrection and Donald Trump’s Big Lie,” the joint statement from Reps. Elaine Luria, Bobby Scott, Donald McEachin, Abigail Spanberger, Don Beyer, Jennifer Wexton, and Gerry Connolly.
In the press release from the delegation, they cite this specific paragraph from a Washington Post article highlighting the donations. “A wealthy Trump donor who helped finance the rally in Washington on Jan. 6 also gave $150,000 to the nonprofit arm of the Republican Attorneys General Association, records show, funds that a person familiar with the contribution said were intended in part to promote the rally. The nonprofit organization paid for a robocall touting a march that afternoon to the U.S. Capitol to “call on Congress to stop the steal.’”
“The nonprofit organization paid for a robocall touting a march that afternoon to the U.S. Capitol to ‘call on Congress to stop the steal,’” according to the Washington Post. The Democratic delegation called on Miyares to return the money and renounce support from RAGA.
“Miyares should immediately refund their contribution, condemn Trump and the Big Lie, and renounce support from this organization that is putting the public at risk and undermining our democracy,” the joint statement reads. “Democrats and independents across Virginia must vote to re-elect Attorney General Mark Herring this fall.”
RAGA is Miyares’ largest donor.
Mark Herring, the two-term Democratic incumbent who is seeking a third, held a press conference Thursday afternoon to directly call out Miyares on accepting the money.
“Virginians need to know that Jason Miyares is running to be attorney general, and is being funded by RAGA, which helped pay for Jan. 6,” Herring said. “Miyares has made no effort to distance himself from Donald Trump, or Donald Trump’s lies that inspired Jan. 6.
The campaign for Miyares called the Democrats comments desperate and said their candidate had nothing to do with Jan. 6. “This baseless attack shows how desperate Mark Herring’s failing campaign really is that he’s trying to connect Jason to an event that he had nothing to do with and was hundreds of miles away from,” said Victoria LaCivita, a spokesperson for Miyares. “We have been very clear – there is no place for violence and Jason condemned the violence when it happened. This pathetic attack is a desperate attempt to distract voters from a losing campaign and from Mark Herring’s failed record that led to the violation of Virginians’ rights when the corrupt Parole Board released horrendous murderers, rapists, child abductors, and cop killers back into our communities, without notifying victims.”
Election day is Nov. 2.
Chase calls Democrats “Snowflakes” after Terry McAuliffe received a death threat
State Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) called Democrats “Snowflakes” after news broke that gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe received a death threat Wednesday. “These snowflake Democrats whine and cry about threats yet are the first to restrict law abiding citizens 2nd amendment right to defend themselves and then defund the police,” Chase said in a tweet.
McAuliffe’s press secretary Renzo Olivari responded to Chase shortly after on Twitter. “This is sadly what we have come to expect from Donald Trump and his supporters,” Olivari said. “Glenn Youngkin needs to immediately denounce his top surrogate for these horrific comments about a death threat.”
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