Abortion, schools take center stage in election ad wars
Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Virginia for a second term, answers questions from reporters after casting his ballot during early voting at the Fairfax County Government Center October 13, 2021 in Fairfax, Virginia.
Win McNamee | Getty Images
National issues such as abortion and schools have taken center stage in the tight governor’s race in Virginia as the candidates spend millions on television advertising.
The commonwealth’s competitive race for governor is viewed by many as a harbinger of what’s to come in the 2022 midterms, and the race is already proving to be a testing ground for some of the biggest national issues that could influence next year’s elections.
Former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glen Youngkin have spent a hefty total of $47 million on campaign ads that tout their candidacy or take jabs at the other for their stances on local and national issues.
McAuliffe has been outspending his Republican opponent at $25 million to $22 million on TV, radio and online ads, according to data obtained from CNBC from AdImpact. These ads make up over half of McAuliffe’s $44.4 million and Youngkin’s $42.2 million in total campaign spending.
Their most expensive and most aired television ads are about two highly contentious issues sitting at the forefront of national politics, according to AdImpact. This includes abortion, which comes amid Texas’ new law that bans the procedure as early as six weeks into pregnancy, and schools amid national debates on curriculum and mask mandates.
Abortion rights
While there is no law in place restricting abortion rights in Virginia, McAuliffe’s campaign has seized on Youngkin’s open opposition to abortion as a threat to a woman’s right to choose.
Youngkin’s stance contrasts McAuliffe’s promise to be a “brick wall” against any legislation that would limit abortion access.
Three of McAuliffe’s most expensive ads, which cost from $510,000 to $922,000 to produce and run, have attacked Youngkin for his abortion stance. They are among the former governor’s most aired ads on broadcast or cable television, with each airing over 1,100 times, according to AdImpact data.
The most expensive out of the three is a minute-long ad that includes a hidden-camera video showing Youngkin’s response to a question about defunding planned parenthood and banning abortion.
Youngkin said he can’t fully discuss his stance on abortion as it could risk losing “independent votes,” but pledged to go “on offense” to ban abortion if he becomes governor and Republicans win a majority in the House of Representatives.
The video characterized Youngkin’s remarks as “admitting his far-right agenda.”
Virginia gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin speaks during a campaign event in McLean, Virginia, U.S., July 14, 2021.
Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
Another ad includes a video from the first gubernatorial debate where Youngkin was asked if he supports including a right to abortion in…
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