See below for reactions to the VA GOP’s nomination last night of Del. Jason Miyares for Attorney General (with 51.7% of the “Ranked Choice” vote vs. 48.3% for ” all-out conspiracy theorist and Amanda Chase supporter” Chuck Smith), from the Democratic Party of Virginia, as well as Attorney General Mark Herring and Democratic AG candidate Del. Jay Jones.
Virginia Republicans Nominate Right-Wing Extremist For Attorney General
Richmond, VA — Virginia Republicans’ rigged nominating convention has yielded its first result, with party insiders choosing GOP Delegate Jason Miyares as their nominee for attorney general. Miyares barely eked out a win against Amanda Chase’s preferred candidate, Chuck Smith, a sign that Chase’s far-right base commands enormous influence in the Virginia GOP.
Miyares himself is a Trump acolyte who earned top marks from the NRA and VCDL. His extreme record includes staunch opposition to gun safety bills in the House of Delegates, a vote against raising pay for teachers and law enforcement this year, and opposition to popular criminal justice reform measures.
While strong bipartisan majorities of Virginians support gun safety legislation, Miyares has pushed a far-right agenda in the General Assembly. He voted against a universal background checks bill, rejected the red flag bill, opposed the one handgun per month rule, and voted against a bill to let local governments impose their own gun restrictions.
Miyares has also stood opposed to common sense criminal justice reform measures. He voted against a bill to prevent no-knock search warrants, a bill to reduce the amount of military equipment available to police departments, a bill to create minimum training standards for law enforcement officers, a bill that requires officers to intervene if they see another officer engaging in the use of excessive force, and others.
This year Miyares voted against marijuana legalization and a bipartisan bill to seal some criminal records to make it easier for Virginians to find housing and get jobs. At a time when Virginians are calling out for reforms to make the commonwealth more just and equitable, Miyares ignored them and stuck to his extreme right-wing record.
“Jason Miyares came within inches of losing to Chuck Smith, an all-out conspiracy theorist and Amanda Chase supporter. Now he’ll have to move even further to the right to win her voters — alienating Virginians across the commonwealth. We need an attorney general committed to ensuring justice and safety for everyone, not advancing an extreme agenda that puts Virginians at risk and preserves an unjust status quo,” said DPVA Communications Director Grant Fox. “With Republican Party insiders nominating an extreme candidate like Miyares for attorney general, the stakes are clear for Virginians this November.”
*******************
MARK HERRING CAMPAIGN REACTS TO VIRGINIA REPUBLICANS NOMINATING EXTREMIST CANDIDATE JASON MIYARES
“Jason Miyares is beholden to the values and policies of Donald Trump — and he’ll bring them the same result that Trump did in 2016 and 2020.”
LEESBURG, Va. – Tonight, the Republican Party of Virginia announced that its most vote-suppressing nominating process in modern history has yielded right-wing Delegate Jason Miyares as the Republican nominee for Attorney General. Miyares’ Trumpian, pro-NRA, anti-healthcare, anti-choice agenda would be a disaster for Virginians, setting us back decades in our quest for affordable healthcare, comprehensive gun-safety measures, and reform in our justice system.
“As the Republican Party of Virginia’s Attorney General nominee, Jason Miyares is beholden to the values and policies of Donald Trump — and he’ll bring them the same result that Trump did in 2016 and 2020,” said Farah Melendez, Herring for Attorney General Campaign Manager. “Miyares is anti-healthcare, anti-civil rights, anti-criminal justice reform and anti-gun safety. His vision for Virginia is no different than Donald Trump’s, and Virginians will overwhelmingly reject him in favor of four more years of progress under Attorney General Mark Herring.”
A list of Miyares’ problematic votes:
Voted against expanding Medicaid in 2018, breaking with other Republicans to deny working families affordable health care.
Miyares voted against universal background checks legislation, rejected the red flag bill, opposed the one handgun per month rule, and voted against a bill to let localities impose their own gun safety measures.
Miyares opposed nearly all police reform measures: no-knock warrants, a bill to reduce the amount of military equipment available to police departments, a bill to create minimum training standards for law enforcement officers, a bill that requires officers to intervene if they see another officer engaging in the use of excessive force, and others.
*****************
|
|
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
