UPDATE 9:45 am Tuesday: VA Speaker Don Scott says MAGA Republicans brought in “another Black man” (AC Cordoza, who he called “AC Corbozo”) “after the fact.” Sen. Mamie Locke said MAGA Republicans using these tactics is “stupid” and “insane”; Speaker Scott said the “NO” campaign is a “dumpster fire”…a “white guy” “attorney in Williamsburg” using these tactics against Black people. More from Speaker Don Scott:
“They have brought in folks like Mr. Fralin, who now says, ‘oh, I had nothing to do with it. I gave him $10,000, but I thought I was giving it to this organization, but I was giving it to this organization.’ It’s like they’re playing a shell game. It’s like whackamole. And what happens is they filed this, created this organization so they could do these measures disgustingly aimed at only one segment of the population, the people that they think are the most that they can manipulate with race and they use it against Black people. Think about that. This attorney in Williamsburg, white guy, they get together and they come up with this plan to trick Black people. All right? And then once they’re discovered and it’s found out, the cover up is what y’all should be investigating. Then they find out and then Mr. Fralin’s name becomes involved. He’s given $10,000. A young supporter and a former board member of VCU and some others and a former delegate Republican gets outed and he says, ‘oh, no, no, no, no. I don’t want to do anything with race.’ Bro, you already did. It went out. And so what they did was they went back and amended the that document that nobody could find in VPAP and you have to disclose.”
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See below for reactions to this disgusting mailer by the “NO” campaign on the redistricting referendum. A few of the adjectives and phrases used to describe the mailer include:
- “Offensive Mailers Misusing Civil Rights Imagery”
- “…invoking Jim Crow in an attempt to scare voters into opposing the measure”
- “The mailers, which are being distributed by a Republican-linked political group opposing the referendum, use hurtful, racist imagery while falsely suggesting that the referendum threatens Black representation”
- “…weaponizing one of the darkest chapters in our history to scare people into voting no and help Republicans rig the 2026 midterms”
- “Invoking the pain and sacrifice of the civil rights movement while spreading misleading claims about this referendum disrespects the very people who fought to secure the right to vote and have their voices heard.”
- “We denounce the manipulative mailers sent by a MAGA-aligned political action committee aimed at deterring Black voters from supporting this referendum, which falsely compare this important measure to Jim Crow—a brutal system that stripped Black Americans of their voting rights.”
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Statement from Attorney General Jay Jones on Misleading Mailers Targeting Black Voters
Richmond, VA – Attorney General Jay Jones released the following statement regarding deceptive mailers being sent to Black voters about Virginia’s redistricting referendum.
“As Virginia’s first Black Attorney General, I take very seriously the history that is being invoked in these mailers. Reports indicate that a group opposing the redistricting referendum has sent materials to Black voters that misuse imagery from the Civil Rights Movement and even invoke Jim Crow while falsely suggesting the measure threatens Black representation.
My parents and grandparents lived through the reality of Jim Crow in Virginia. They experienced firsthand what it meant when the law and the political system were used to silence Black voices. That history is not a political prop, and it should never be exploited in a misleading attempt to confuse voters.
Virginians deserve honest information about the choices before them. Invoking the pain and sacrifice of the civil rights movement while spreading misleading claims about this referendum disrespects the very people who fought to secure the right to vote and have their voices heard.”
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NAACP Virginia State Conference Calls Out Deceptive Tactics Aimed at Undermining Black Voter Participation
Richmond, Virginia – The NAACP Virginia State Conference strongly supports voting “yes” for the Redistricting Referendum, which is crucial for maintaining the voting power of Black Virginians. We denounce the manipulative mailers sent by a MAGA-aligned political action committee aimed at deterring Black voters from supporting this referendum, which falsely compare this important measure to Jim Crow—a brutal system that stripped Black Americans of their voting rights. This referendum addresses the manipulation of congressional seats, designed to imbalance representation and secure conservative wins ahead of the November midterm elections. We cannot stand idly by and allow these reprehensible racist tactics go unchallenged.
“While the NAACP is nonpartisan, we are deeply engaged in political advocacy to safeguard our communities,” states Rev. Dr. Cozy Bailey, President of the NAACP Virginia State Conference. “This referendum is crucial for ensuring fair representation for all communities and countering the manipulative tactics that threaten our civil rights.”
We urge all participants in this debate to engage honestly with voters about protecting fair representation and upholding civic accountability in Virginia and across the nation.
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Virginia Legislative Black Caucus Condemns imagery used by Republican-linked PAC
RICHMOND, VA — Today, the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus condemns the racist and painful imagery used in mailed materials distributed by the MAGA-linked ‘Democracy and Justice PAC’ ahead of the April 21st redistricting referendum. The NO effort’s use of historical images from the civil rights movement alongside images of the terrorist Klan organization is absolutely appalling. Further, the language asserts that the ballot measure is targeting Black Virginians which simply isn’t true. The VLBC has endorsed the Vote YES campaign and rejects this messaging aimed to misinform and divide voters.
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The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus comprises 37 members in the Virginia General Assembly. The VLBC is committed to improving the economic, educational, political, and social conditions of African Americans and underrepresented groups in Virginia. A vital part of VLBC’s mission is to raise the consciousness of other groups to the contributions made by African Americans to the Commonwealth and the Nation.
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Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi Denounces Deceptive Mailers Targeting Black Voters
RICHMOND, VA — Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi released the following statement regarding reports that a MAGA-linked group opposing the congressional redistricting referendum has sent materials to Black voters that misuse imagery from the Civil Rights Movement and even invoke Jim Crow while falsely suggesting the referendum threatens Black representation:
“We’ve seen this old playbook before: distort, deceive, and debase the truth. These deceptive mailers are shameful attempts to discourage Black voters from supporting Virginia’s redistricting referendum. They minimize the profound historical weight and damage of Jim Crow and the systematic, institutionalized efforts to disenfranchise Black Americans and deny them equal participation in our democracy. Invoking that painful history and using it as a cynical prop to mislead and distort is disgraceful and demoralizing. The legacy and memory of Virginians who endured and fought to dismantle these injustices deserve better than desperate and deceptive political ads.
“The congressional redistricting referendum before Virginia’s voters is a temporary measure designed to respond to the Trump administration’s manipulative and unprecedented efforts to redraw congressional maps in the middle of the decade for partisan advantage. Virginia has a responsibility to ensure that the Commonwealth is represented accurately despite these efforts. Supporting this referendum is about preserving electoral fairness, protecting the integrity of our democratic institutions, and ensuring that all Virginians can participate in elections conducted on a level playing field. For these reasons, I strongly support voting ‘yes’ on the redistricting referendum and I urge voters to ensure their voices are heard.”
