Top teachers union rolls out ad in support of McAuliffe in Virginia
The American Federation of Teachers rolled out an ad on Sunday in support of former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) ahead of the state’s gubernatorial election on Nov. 2.
The thirty-second spot went up on broadcast and cable in the Washington, D.C. media market, which includes Northern Virginia. The ad features public school parents and educators praising McAuliffe’s education proposals, while knocking Republican Glenn Youngkin’s plan.
“As governor, he had a demonstrated track record of listening to the people he represents, engaging directly with parents and teachers,” AFT president Randi Weingarten said in a statement. “He made sure parents and teachers were heard, and he worked with them to curb high-stakes standardized testing. I know he’ll do the same when elected again.”
The push comes after Youngkin and his Republican allies in Virginia went on the offensive against McAuliffe, zeroing in on comments during the last gubernatorial debate in which he said he did not believe parents should be telling schools what to teach.
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Youngkin ran with the soundbite, releasing an ad less than a day after the debate. The campaign also launched a family-led mobilization effort dubbed “Parents Matter.” On top of that, the Republican State Leadership Committee PAC and the American Principles Project PAC released ads hitting McAuliffe over the comments.
On Sunday, Youngkin’s campaign announced he will make a “major announcement” at an appearance in Fairfax County, Va. on Tuesday. Additionally, the campaign said he will “highlight the epidemic of government abuse and failure in Virginia’s school system.”
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