Ann Romney has joined a chorus of Republicans supporting Virginia Republican House candidate Barbara Comstock after her Democratic opponent questioned whether Comstock “even had a real job.”
“I stand with my friend @BarbaraComstock for Congress — lawyer, businesswoman, public servant, Mom — all ‘real jobs,’ ” the former Massachusetts first lady tweeted on Monday.
{mosads}Romney has been an infrequent figure on the campaign trail following her husband’s failed presidential bid in 2012, making only the rare endorsement, like her support for Utah Republican House candidate Mia Love.
But Democrat John Foust’s comments at a campaign event Thursday hitting Comstock on job creation rallied Republicans in outspoken support of their candidate, who currently serves as a state delegate and has previously worked as a congressional aide, lobbyist and a spokeswoman for the Justice Department.
“In her mind, [job creation] means giving tax benefits to special interests and the super wealthy,” Foust said at the event. “I don’t think she’s even had a real job.”
Virginia’s 10th District became a top pick-up opportunity for Democrats with Rep. Frank Wolf’s retirement announcement. Republicans saw the comments as an opening to hammer Foust as out of touch with women, a key voting bloc in Virginia that will help decide control of the district.
They’ve characterized the comments as sexist, with Comstock’s campaign manager declaring they showed “how out-of-touch he is with who it is that lives and works in the 10th District and the challenges that working women, working moms and moms at home face every day by men who demean their many and demanding roles.”
Foust has said his comments had nothing to do with Comstock’s gender and instead were aimed at the specific types of roles she’s filled, which he said “are not the types of jobs that we’re looking to create in Northern Virginia.”