Youngkin is spending a lot of money already

The latest in Virginia politics

May 25, 2021

Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin is spending $1.6 million on an ad buy to advertise the video below, statewide. This is what the Democrats have feared, Youngkin’s money. While they still believe that Virginia is a blue state, Youngkin’s personal wealth, estimated to be more than $300 million, is intimidating and multiple strategists have said on background that they are not taking Youngkin for granted, at all.

Washington Post endorses Sam Rasoul for Lieutenant Governor

The Washington Post said the following in their endorsement:

In the nominating contest for lieutenant governor — a job that entails presiding over and breaking ties in the state Senate and stepping in if the governor becomes incapacitated — we support Del. Sam Rasoul, the first Muslim to serve in Virginia’s legislature. Elected in 2014 to represent a heavily poor and working-class district in Roanoke, Mr. Rasoul’s somewhat unbending stands have sometimes exasperated fellow Democrats; for instance, he opposed a clean energy bill, arguing it would saddle rate-payers with excessive bills, even though it ended up making Virginia a climate-change leader among the states.

Yet in contrast to several of his rivals, there is no doubt about Mr. Rasoul’s command of complex issues; his skills as an organizer in his district; or his detail-oriented legislative work to strengthen free health clinics, safeguard drinking water and boost aid to struggling families. He also stuck to his support for bipartisan redistricting reform even as other Democrats, eager to redraw the electoral map in their favor, abandoned that position after their party won control of the General Assembly. Mr. Rasoul has guts; with a little more pragmatism he could become a force in Virginia politics.

Ayala Releases Plan to Protect Reproductive Rights and Expand Access to Care

Delegate Hala Ayala, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, released a plan Monday that she says will protect reproductive rights and expand access to care.

Ayala’s plan includes:

Passing a constitutional amendment codifying Roe v Wade,
Ensuring access to contraceptive care,
Ending Discrimination Based on Reproductive Decisions,
Starting a Paid Family and Medical Leave Program,
Fighting to End Fake Clinics in Virginia, and
Addressing Maternal, Fetal, and Infant Mortality.

“The Supreme Court decided last week to hear a case that will directly challenge Roe v Wade,” said Delegate Hala Ayala. “It is more important than ever before for our leaders to be outspoken about protecting Virginians’ right to bodily autonomy. I’m proud to release my plan today to protect reproductive freedom and expand access to reproductive care for every Virginian. As Chief Deputy Whip, I have been a champion for reproductive rights and care, and as Lieutenant Governor, I will continue to fight tooth and nail to protect and expand reproductive freedoms.”

You can read more about Ayala’s plan and her record here.

Washington Post endorses Mark Herring for Attorney General

Read what WaPo said below:

In the attorney general’s contest, our pick is the eight-year incumbent, Mark R. Herring, whose bold progressive record has been instrumental in reversing the state’s hidebound opposition to abortion rights, same-sex marriage and access to affordable education at state-supported colleges for undocumented students who grow up in the commonwealth. No Virginia attorney general in recent memory has made such a positive difference in the lives of ordinary people.

Mr. Herring, 59, faces a promising young opponent in Del. Jerrauld C. “Jay” Jones, a bright Norfolk attorney who, four years ago, won a House of Delegates seat once held by his father. Mr. Jones is 32 years old, just six years out of law school; credit him with ambition for seeking an office with almost 300 attorneys, more than nearly every law firm in the state.

His campaign is based on what he calls his “lived experience” as a Black man, and his contention that Mr. Herring, who is White, has been too cautious in pressing for criminal justice reforms. In fact, Mr. Herring, facing a GOP-dominated General Assembly for the first six years of his term, could hardly have done more. When Democrats took control of both legislative chambers last year, he quickly asked for, and got, legislation empowering his office to investigate local police departments for systematic civil rights offenses. Few attorneys general nationally have been so ambitious.

Read the full endorsement article here

Trump-Biden rematch by proxy? A governor’s race is shaping up as a key post-Trump test - Los Angeles Times

The Republican candidate is a wealthy businessman and political novice who questions the integrity of the electoral system.

The Democratic frontrunner is an old-school career politician with deep roots in the party establishment.

Sound familiar?

Jennifer Carroll Foy Statement on One Year Anniversary of George Floyd’s Murder

On the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy released the following statement remembering Floyd

“A year ago today, the world watched as George Floyd was murdered under the knee of a police officer, a horrific eight minutes and 46 seconds. As a public defender, this brutality was all too familiar, having defended clients who were bloodied and bruised when police cameras were off. In the year since the murder of George Floyd, Virginians, Americans, and people across the globe have rightfully joined together to mourn, protest, and fight for accountability and justice.

“Yet, even after a guilty verdict against Derek Chauvin, this same year has shown just how much work there is still to be done. From the shooting of Donovon Lynch and the assault of Lt. Caron Nazario, to those who have been hurt and harmed whose names never made the headlines, racial injustice still persists in our broken system.

“While true justice would mean still having George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many more with us, the fight for real systemic change must continue. Today, I’ll hold my own sons closer. It’s for Xander and Alex, my husband Jeff, and for everyone who has been marginalized by an unjust system, that I will not rest until we have built a Commonwealth that is fair and just for all Virginians.”

Five Measures of Lawmakers' Wealth - VPAP

Lawmakers are required to list all stocks, mutual funds, bonds and other securities valued at more than $5,000 on Schedule C. Each security is assigned a value range. VPAP summed the lower value of each legislator's holdings to arrive at a minimum value. Because of the ranges, actual values are likely much more than what is shown here.

Youngkin rallies near Dumfries with top of Virginia GOP ticket - Potomac Local

by Uriah Kiser

The top of Virginia’s Republican ticket rallied a standing-room-only crowd in Prince William County.

Glen Youngkin, the GOP nominee for governor, stood at the front of standing-room-only crowd at Montclair Tabernacle Chruch in Prince William County. Wearing a pair of brown cowboy boots and a blazer, the crowd cheeered when he spoke of returning Virginia to the top of the best states in which to live and in which to do business.

McAuliffe Meets With Black Heritage Project Leaders - Daily News-Record

by Jessica Wetzler

Former governor Terry McAuliffe met Saturday with several local leaders to hear about how the Valley’s Black history is being preserved and the nonprofit organizations working to tell those stories.

McAuliffe is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in this year’s election.

Mary Sue Terry on women in politics: "There's something wrong with this picture" - Martinsville Bulletin

by Bill Wyatt

Mary Sue Terry spoke on Sunday to a group at the Martinsville-Henry County Heritage Center and Museum about stereotypes, gender disparity, the past and her concern for the future.

“If a UFO came and stayed long enough to observe our situation, one gender has most of the power and the majority is second-class,” Terry said. “There is something wrong with this picture.”

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