The Republicans have picked their nominees for Virginia’s statewide elections, with signs of a pivot towards more moderate voters. The Democratic primary has about three weeks left of early voting, with 35,072 early votes already cast, surpassing total turnout in the primary in 2017, according to The Virginia Public Access Project. Democratic candidates are battling for a few key remaining nominations to sway voters.
Jennifer Carroll Foy
On May 13, Foy announced an endorsement from feminist activist Gloria Steinem.
“Jennifer Carroll Foy is the only candidate with the proven ability to take on the status quo that has left women behind, ” Steinem said.
The Roanoke Times published a Foy op-ed on Sunday. She argued for ending disparity in schools and suggested some funding solutions. She said she opposes new fracked-gas pipelines, but wants to ensure a smooth transition for fossil fuel workers. She said she supports restoring parole. But she criticized investigations of the parole board for lacking transparency.
Foy wrote, “Whether it’s backroom deals with special interests, the sway of big donors, or little appetite in the executive branch to push for a fully-funded, fully-independent, and fully-transparent investigation, these failures by politicians of the past are why so many Virginians are disillusioned by politics-as-usual, and are looking for someone who will shake up the status quo.”
Senator Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond)
On Monday, NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia PAC endorsed McClellan, citing her legislative record on abortion, including the 2020 SB 733 and the 2021 SB 1276.
“[W]hat sets her apart is her deep commitment and narrow focus to ensuring reproductive freedom is a true reality for each and every Virginian,” NARAL Pro-Choice Executive Director Tarina Keefe said in a press release.
“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court to take up a Mississippi abortion case shows the importance of having state leaders who will protect reproductive health. No matter what the Supreme Court does, Virginia will remain a safe haven for #reprohealth under Gov. Jennifer McClellan,” the organization tweeted.
Terry McAuliffe
Since the GOP convention last week, McAuliffe has focused his attacks on nominee Glenn Youngkin, and is seeking to tie Youngkin to former President Donald Trump.
“Let me introduce you to Glenn Youngkin: Glenn’s a Ted Cruz and Corey Stewart-endorsed, self-funding, Big Lie believing Trump loyalist who’ll stop at nothing to advance the GOP’s extreme agenda. What he’s definitely not? The next Governor of Virginia. I’ll make sure of that,” McAuliffe tweeted the same day Youngkin’s win was confirmed, and the day before Trump issued his endorsement of Youngkin.
GOP Ticket
After the results were finalized, Trump promptly issued his endorsement of GOP gubernatorial nominee Youngkin.
“Glenn is pro-Business, pro-Second Amendment, pro-Veterans, pro-America, he knows how to make Virginia’s economy rip-roaring, and he has my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump wrote. “Terry McAuliffe was the Clintons’ bagman in more ways than one, from the cover-ups to the get-rich-quick schemes, and his deals with Communist China look suspicious.”
After his nomination was confirmed, Youngkin seemed to pivot towards a broader, more moderate Virginia. In the convention Youngkin campaigned on election integrity, Last week, Youngkin said that President Joe Biden is the legitimate president, and said that the media was lying about him.
“First of all, the media is lying about me because I am a serious threat to the Terry McAuliffe political dynasty,” Youngkin said on Fox Business.“The reality is I have said before that Joe Biden was legitimately elected our president.”
On Thursday, lieutenant gubernatorial nominee Winsome Sears appeared on Fox News where she criticized critical race theory.
“It’s nonsense,” Sears said. “As soon as we see a white person, well they are racist clearly, and so is everyone in their family. It’s going to be detrimental to our schools, and it’s not what we want. It’s supposedly to help someone who looks like me, and I’m sick of it. I’m sick of being used by the Democrats and so are many people who look like me.”
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Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Terry McCauliffe” by Terry McCauliffe; “Jennifer Carroll Foy” is by Jennifer Carroll Foy; and Jennifer McClellan is by Jennifer McClellan.
