Political outsider, successful business leader, and Republican nominee for governor Glenn Youngkin’s campaign announced that he had received the endorsement of the Hampton Roads Black Caucus — the first time the group has endorsed a Republican for governor since it was founded in 2012.
“I am incredibly humbled and honored to have the support of the Hampton Roads Black Caucus, and look forward to working closely with them and all Black Virginians to implement my Day One Game Plan to make Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family,” said Glenn Youngkin. “Terry McAuliffe has hurt Black Virginians by turning his back on our schools and children, making our communities less safe, and causing the cost of living to explode.”
The endorsements—from business owners, faith leaders, and retired military service members—come after Youngkin has prioritized outreach to the Black community by:
Meeting with the Virginia Beach Minority Business Council;
Participating in a meeting with the Coalition of 100 Black Women of Virginia’s Northern Virginia Chapter;
Joining “Faith & Facts” with over 100 Black pastors and community leaders;
Teaching a business class at Virginia State University’s Reginald F. Lewis College of Business; and
Touring a non-profit community housing development in the southside of Richmond.
Terry McAuliffe has been disastrous for the Black community. While McAuliffe was governor, his Board of Education lowered school accreditation standards. According to The Washington Post, 92% of schools received full accreditation in the 2018-2019 school year despite over 40% of schools failing to satisfy “the state’s expectations for narrowing achievement gaps in math and English.” Last year, The Washington Post editorial board called McAuliffe’s moves to lower academic standards a “mistake.”
According to new results from the Department of Education, student achievement in math, science and reading plummeted, and only 61% of Virginia 3rd graders passed their Standards of Learning (SOLs). More than two of three Black and Hispanic students failed their SOLs.
During McAuliffe’s tenure as governor the murder rate jumped 43% and the rape rate increased every year, his parole board released violent criminals into Virginia neighborhoods, and he made it easier for felons to get a gun. Now, the murder rate is at a 20-year high and four of America’s 65 deadliest cities are in Virginia—three of them in Hampton Roads. Terry McAuliffe’s plan to make our communities safer is to defund the police and end qualified immunity.
Terry McAuliffe’s failed leadership has made Virginia’s economy one of the worst in the nation to start a business. Virginia’s job recovery post-pandemic is ranked 44th in the nation. At the same time, the cost of living continues to rise. Glenn Youngkin has a plan to address these issues by:
Eliminating the grocery tax & suspending the recent gas tax hike for 12 months;
Fully funding law enforcement and protecting qualified immunity for our Law Enforcement Heroes;
Keeping Virginia’s economy open & launching #JumpStartJobs to develop talent, train workers, attract investment, and make Virginia the easiest state to start a business; and
Keeping schools open five days a week, rebuilding crumbling schools, raising teacher pay, investing in special education programs, and increasing school choice by creating at least 20 new Innovation Charter Schools across the K-12 Spectrum.
The Hampton Roads Black Caucus endorsed Terry McAuliffe for governor in 2013 and Ralph Northam for governor in 2017.
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