September 18, 2021 News & Press Releases

It’s Been A Bad Week For Glenn Youngkin


by Democratic Party of Virginia

It was already a bad week for Glenn Youngkin. 

Then, Hahns Copeland, a Youngkin ally, fired off an anti-semitic tweet directed to Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn on Friday, the first Jewish speaker in Virginia history. Youngkin, one of Copeland’s top donors, refuses to condemn the grotesque antisemitism or rescind his donations to Copeland’s campaign. 

As Glenn spent the week talking about PSAs and dodging questions on his extreme anti-woman agenda, two independent studies found that his economic plan would “devastate public education” and “decimate Virginia.” 

In another blow to Youngkin’s flailing campaign, the Washington Post endorsed Terry McAuliffe for governor. Then, Terry earned a decisive victory over his Trump-loyalist opponent in the first gubernatorial debate. 

Terry and Democrats took to the road this week, traveling the Commonwealth as part of the “Vaccines Save Lives and Jobs Tour” to speak directly to Virginians about the importance of the vaccine in keeping our economy strong and keeping people safe and healthy. Terry also joined Democratic leaders from across Virginia on Friday to kick off the first day of early voting in the Commonwealth and encourage people to make a plan to vote during the early voting period. 

Democrats also announced a historic investment in building the most robust coordinated campaign in Virginia history. Over the next seven  weeks, this coordinated campaign — the Virginia Turnout Project — will run a multi-modal program focused on mobilizing a broad base of voters from all political stripes to support the Democratic ticket.

See below for a recap on Glenn Youngkin’s abysmal week:

Glenn Youngkin Refused to Condemn Allied Republican House Candidate After Anti-Semitic Tweet  

If the week could not get any worse for Glenn, one of his closely aligned house candidates went on an anti-Semitic diatribe against House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn on Twitter. Youngkin is one of Copeland’s biggest donors. 

As Democrats and others condemned the grotesque tweet, Youngkin and the Virginia Republican Party remained silent.

Two Independent Studies Showed Glenn Youngkin’s Tax Plan Would Be a Disaster for Virginia 

Two independent studies released this week found that Glenn Youngkin’s extreme plan to abolish the income tax in Virginia would decimate public services in Virginia. 

The first independent study of the week focused on the impacts of Youngkin’s tax plan on public education and found the plan would cost Virginia: 

  • 2.5 million lost jobs 
  • $54 billion in lost aid to public schools
  • $218 billion in lost tax revenues

This report came just a week after Virginia Excels found that Youngkin’s anti-education tax plan would cost Virginia billions in public education funding and lead to devastating cuts in educator positions. 

The second independent study of the week highlighted how Youngkin’s plan would cost Virginia more than $31 billion and “decimate health care, education, and public safety,” in the Commonwealth.

Glenn Youngkin Continued to Display His Dangerous Right-Wing Agenda 

Thursday night’s debate once again highlighted Youngkin’s dangerous, unpopular position on vaccines and commonsense health and safety measures to keep Virginians healthy and safe. 

At the first debate with Terry McAuliffe, Youngkin doubled down on his dangerous, unpopular position and yesterday, new reporting highlighted just how craven Glenn’s position truly is. But not to worry, Glenn has a PSA, folks. 

Glenn also spent the week peddling his anti-woman, anti-choice agenda that would defund Planned Parenthood and bring an abortion ban to Virginia. 

Democrats Traveled Across Virginia to Promote Vaccines and Early Voting, Mobilize Coordinated Campaign  

From Roanoke to Fairfax, Democrats traveled the entire Commonwealth this week to promote the vaccine that keeps our economy open and people safe and encourage Virginians to get out and vote early for Terry and Democrats. Events this week took place in RichmondNorfolkFairfax, Roanoke and Charlottesville

Virginia Democrats also rolled out the most robust coordinated campaign in Virginia history this week. Democrats are investing heavily in our grassroots organizing efforts that start with face-to-face conversations between neighbors, friends, and family, while also leveraging newer technology at a scale that was used effectively when face-to-face voter contact was not possible last year. 

The Washington Post Endorsed Terry McAuliffe for Governor 

On Thursday, the Washington Post editorial board endorsed Terry for governor of Virginia and highlighted his “ambitious blueprint for a second term focused on education and equity.”

An excerpt from the endorsement reads, “His pro-business, moderately left-of-center priorities are in step with a state that has trended Democratic for more than a decade but has remained leery of the party’s leftward tilt elsewhere. By contrast, the Republican nominee, Glenn Youngkin, a candidate making his first run for political office, has played footsie with the scurrilously anti-democratic “big lie” that election fraud propelled President Biden into office; signaled he would roll back gun-safety laws and abortion access; equivocated on same-sex marriage; and called Medicaid expansion, which provided health insurance for hundreds of thousands of Virginians, “sad.”

Last month, the Post editorial board wrote that Terry has shown leadership when it comes to vaccines, while Youngkin continues to peddle anti-vaccine rhetoric.

See you next week, Glenn!