From 314 Action:
New Ad from 314 Action Highlights Glenn Youngkin’s Refusal to Disavow Dangerous, Anti-Science Mobs at School Board Meetings
PHILADELPHIA — Today, 314 Action, which works to elect scientists to office, launched a new digital ad campaign in Virginia focused on Glenn Youngkin’s refusal to condemn the dangerous, anti-science conspiracy theorists who are targeting school board members and students in Virginia and across the country. The ad can be seen here.
These ads are part of 314 Action’s $10 million nonpartisan advocacy campaign for the 2021-2022 cycle, which is focused on issues critical to the science community, including climate change, COVID-19 response and future pandemic research, reproductive justice, gun violence prevention, and voting rights.
“Glenn Youngkin can’t be the best leader for Virginia if he won’t stand up and condemn this dangerous, anti-science behavior we’re seeing at school board meetings in his own backyard,” said Alexandra De Luca, communications director of 314 Action. “Youngkin must condemn this violence — because otherwise, his silence makes him complicit.”
This campaign focuses on six governors or gubernatorial candidates, including Glenn Youngkin, whose support for anti-science policies have led to violence and abusive rhetoric at school board meetings in their states and across the country:
- Gov. Greg Abbott (Texas)
- Gov. Ron DeSantis (Florida)
- Gov. Doug Ducey (Arizona)
- Gov. Brian Kemp (Georgia)
- Gov. Kim Reynolds (Iowa)
- Glenn Youngkin (Virginia)
314 Action is already successfully targeting donors in their neighborhoods and communities as part of a pilot program before launch of the $10M advocacy campaign, including donors to Gov. DeSantis, for his brazen mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to Gov. Abbott, for his irresponsible attacks on the rights of Texans to make their own health care decisions.
In 2022, 314 Action will aim to spend $50 million to elect scientists across all levels of government, with initial targets of seven U.S. Senate races, forty U.S. House races, and twenty-one statewide races.
The script of the ad is as follows:
Fanatical protesters wreaking havoc — disrespecting police, bullying and threatening local school boards.
TV CLIP #1: “We know who you are!”
The violent fanatical right — driven by anti science conspiracies.
TV CLIP #2: “All the schools boards — these are demonic entities”
TV CLIP #3: “Your children’s children will be subjugated.”
Republican leaders are dangerously silent as the violent fanatical right rages.
Call on Glenn Youngkin to stand with science and reject right wing violence.
Paid for and authorized by 314 Action.
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314 Action is powered by a grassroots community of over six million people working to elect scientists, doctors, and STEM professionals who will use science and facts to address our most pressing issues like climate change and health care. In 2018 and 2020, we played a pivotal role in flipping the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, electing eleven Democratic scientists to federal office, as well as over 100 to state and local offices. In 2021 and 2022, 314 Action will continue working to elect science leaders and defeat climate deniers in Congress and legislatures across the country, as well as advocate for issues critical to the science community, from environmental justice, to voting rights, to reproductive justice, and beyond.
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