From the Democratic Party of Virginia:
Ahead of the Democratic Primary, Virginia Democrats Highlighted Glenn Youngkin’s Extreme Agenda Across The Commonwealth
Richmond, VA — Since winning the Republican nomination, Glenn Youngkin has done little but embrace Donald Trump’s endorsement and refuse to answer basic questions about where he stands on key issues. For the past month, Democrats have been traveling across the commonwealth to hold press conferences highlighting the case against Youngkin’s extreme Republican policies:
- Threatening to gut Virginians’ healthcare
- Opposing critical COVID-19 relief for working families and small businesses
- Attacking reproductive rights
- Opposing action to stop gun violence
- Peddling Donald Trump’s dangerous election conspiracies
While Youngkin has been hiding his positions from voters, Democrats launched the “Where Trump Leads, Glenn Follows” press tour to show communities across the commonwealth how his dangerous Republican policies are wrong for Virginia. See below for key excerpts and full videos of DPVA’s events below.
DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker
“Youngkin has steadfastly opposed the COVID-19 relief that has been a crucial lifeline for working families and small businesses across the Commonwealth. […] As we move forward from the pandemic, Virginians still need help. But Glenn Youngkin would rather play politics than support a bill that helps Virginians make rent, afford health care, and pay their bills.”
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney
“Republicans’ delight in Glenn Youngkin is a cause for concern for so many Virginians — a cause of concern for Virginia’s women, when he states that he wants to restrict choice for women in the Commonwealth of Virginia; a cause of concern for people of color in the Commonwealth of Virginia, when you align yourself with Amanda Chase […]. And also, a cause of concern for Virginia’s working class, because we know that Glenn Youngkin will put his corporate insiders first, before the working class of Virginia.”
Delegate Lamont Bagby
“Glenn Youngkin has run his campaign for the GOP nomination on one issue and one issue alone: repeating Doanld Trump’s big lie […]. While other states across this nation have decided to go the Youngkin, Trump, and Amanda Chase route […] we in the Commonwealth continue to make sure that we protect access to the ballot box. Virginia has come a long way these past few years, but Glenn Youngkin wants to take us back.”
Delegate Lashrecse Aird
“Make no mistake about it — Glenn Youngkin will drive the Commonwealth backwards and undermine the progress that we have made to improve the lives of countless people — and we cannot go back.”
Community Activist JJ Minor
“Youngkin has bought into Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election, and is running on a plan to bring the disastrous voter suppression laws we’ve seen in other states to Virginia. […] This is one of the defining civil rights issues of our time. We’re at a crossroads for our democracy, with one party standing with the facts and one party spewing lies about the election that led to a violent attack on the Capitol that killed five people.”
Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn
“The work we have done truly has saved lives and transformed the Commonwealth of Virginia. But at every step of the way, Virginia Republicans in Richmond stood in our way, choosing to obstruct, choosing to oppose popular legislation supported by Virginians who identify with both parties…the Virginia Republican party is the Virginia Trump Party. And while they have a new statewide ticket led by Glenn Youngkin, they are running the same failed policies of Donald Trump.”
SEIU Virginia 512 President David Broder
“It’s clear where Glenn Youngkin stands. He doesn’t understand what Virginia working families want and need because he has chosen to stand with Donald Trump. He has put himself and his wealthy friends and corporate insiders before hardworking Virginians.”
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia Executive Director Jamie Lockhart
“The gubernatorial nomination of Glenn Youngkin sends a clear message: Republicans in Virginia want to undo the work we have done to ensure access to reproductive health care. […] Our rights are at stake if Glenn Youngkin becomes governor. We must move the Commonwealth forward by retaining the rights we have already fought so hard for while continuing to expand sexual and reproductive health care access.”
Del. Kathy Tran
“We must go forward in expanding health care, not backwards. Youngkin doesn’t support the Affordable Care Act, he doesn’t support Medicaid expansion, and he doesn’t support reproductive health care.”
Del. Suhas Subramanyam
“[Youngkin has] already made it clear that he would threaten Virginians’ health care and endanger the crucial progress we’ve made with Medicaid expansion. He’d rip away reproductive rights and imperil a woman’s right to choose in Virginia, roll back our voting rights and put in place draconian voting restrictions on the basis of Donald Trump’s Big Lie. And, he would oppose critical investments to fix our infrastructure and build a better future for Virginia.”
Mayor Sherman Lea
“[Youngkin] stood in front of struggling Virginians and said the critical relief they needed was ‘absolutely wrong.’ This is a candidate who called this relief unnecessary! Was it unnecessary to put money in the pockets of working families struggling through this pandemic? Was it unnecessary to help small businesses right here in Roanoke? Was it unnecessary to keep getting shots in arms to speed up our fight against COVID-19? […] Glenn Youngkin’s decision to oppose this essential relief has shown us exactly who he is — a far-right Trump supporter who cannot be trusted to lead Virginia.”
Senator John Edwards
“Medicaid expansion passed because of the Democrats — we finally got that done. With regard to clean energy, we’ve done more on clean energy than we’ve ever done before. We’re paying our law enforcement officers more than ever before. We’ve also reformed our criminal justice system, which we so desperately needed. […] We need to make sure we remain a Democratic Virginia…otherwise, we’ll go backwards, not forwards.”
Delegate Chris Hurst
“It’s important for us to know that despite the American Rescue Plan bringing [billions] of dollars to Virginia, Glenn Youngkin says that he doesn’t believe in it, that he thinks it’s absolutely wrong. Tell that to the people who are going to get generational access to broadband internet through the American Rescue Plan…How is he for rural Virginia? The American Jobs Plan makes an unprecedented investment in infrastructure… He and Congressional Republicans, the state party, they’re all against it.”
Senate President Pro-Tempore Louise Lucas
“Youngkin may not have a voting record, but we know exactly where he stands. He’s against protecting the right to vote, against critical COVID-19 relief, against expanding health care to those most in need, and against expanding civil rights protections to LGBTQ Virginians. In other words, Youngkin is doing exactly what Donald Trump wants him to do – taking far-right positions that would threaten Virginia’s recovery.”
Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Mamie Locke
“Thanks to Democratic leadership — and after we spent years working to overcome Republican opposition — we expanded Medicaid and 550,000 Virginians were able to gain health care. […] Glenn Youngkin is running on his 100% allegiance to Donald Trump — which includes the Republican health care agenda of opposing Medicaid expansion and attacking the Affordable Care Act.”
DPVA Chair Susan Swecker
“Youngkin has spent the last month dodging basic questions about his record and hiding from Virginia voters. But we know exactly where he stands. He’s refused to say where he would separate himself from Donald Trump. And when it comes to key issues like reproductive rights and gun safety, Youngkin has staked out extreme positions, opposing the progress Democrats have made that a majority of Virginians support.”
Senator Creigh Deeds
“The stakes in this year’s elections could not be higher. Affordable health care for hundreds of thousands of Virginians, legislation to protect Virginians’ civil rights, worker protections that keep frontline workers safe, and so much more are all at risk if Republicans win. […] We have come too far to allow Donald Trump’s hand-picked candidate anywhere near the governor’s office.”
Delegate Sally Hudson
“Across the country we have seen chaos in other states in trying to settle the 2020 election but not here in Virginia, and that’s because of all the work that we’ve done in Richmond to protect our elections and to expand access to the ballot box. And we have to have a governor in the next four years who will continue that work because we understand right here in Charlottesville just how dangerous it is to flirt with the big lie that Donald Trump has perpetuated all across the country.”
Education advocate and Charlottesville High School parent Bekah Saxon
“COVID laid bare the results of the state’s chronic underfunding of our schools during the years the GOP had the majority in the General Assembly. Democrats have responded to these challenges with action. They raised teacher pay in this year’s budget. They allocated more than $100 million for rural broadband expansion. And at the national level, Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress passed the American Rescue Plan which will allocate $2 billion to Virginia’s public schools. […] Glenn Youngkin and Republicans stand opposed to these efforts. Youngkin called the American Rescue Plan ‘unnecessary’, and his plans for Virginia’s schools would take our commonwealth backwards.”
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