WASHINGTON — As Virginians head to the polls today for the first day of early voting, the DLCC will continue to remind voters exactly what’s at stake in the commonwealth’s legislative elections. If Republicans were to gain the majority they would undo all the progress Democrats have made for working families across the state.
“We cannot allow Republicans to roll back the clock on all the progress made in Virginia,” said DLCC President Jessica Post. “If Republicans gain the majority, they have made it clear that they will ban abortions, rip health care coverage away from half a million Virginians, roll back voting rights, and ruin progress made fighting the pandemic with their anti-vax and anti-mask views.”
The contrast between Republicans and Democrats in Virginia could not be starker. The Virginia GOP has been clear that they will enact an extreme agenda pushed by insurrectionist candidates if they take the House. Here is what is at stake:
- Republicans have said themselves that they will ban abortion and defund Planned Parenthood if they regain the majority. GOP gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin said, “When I’m governor and I have a majority in the House we can start going on offense” to attack abortion rights, and up and down the ballot, other GOP candidates have heartily agreed.
- Republicans are committed to repealing Medicaid expansion. This policy agenda could rip health care coverage away from half a million Virginians.
- Many of the Republican candidates for the legislature have either lied about the effectiveness of vaccines or are opposed to vitally necessary vaccine mandates. Given a majority, these Republicans would kill progress that Democrats have made on fighting the pandemic.
- The Virginia GOP has demonstrated time and time again that they are fundamentally opposed to democracy. Not only would they roll back voting rights if they had the opportunity, but the Virginia GOP also had the most lawmakers in attendance at the insurrection on January 6th.
- Republicans are now running insurrectionist candidates in Virginia who have promised that if they gain the majority they will begin hearings questioning the legitimacy of Biden’s electoral victory in 2020.
###
