By Delegate Joshua Cole

This past weekend, what we saw and heard from the Virginia GOP convention should give Virginia voters a wake up call. The dangerous absurdity and delusion of the Republican candidates attempting to “out Trump” each other was atrocious and absolutely the wrong direction for Virginia. Now, we know who the GOP nominee is: Glenn Youngkin, an out of touch multi-millionaire who will always put himself, his wealthy friends, and his Republican allies in DC before Virginia solutions.

I’m concerned about what a Youngkin administration would mean for Virginia, which is why I’m equally concerned about what happens if we elect Terry McAuliffe as our Democratic nominee for governor. Like Youngkin, McAuliffe is a multi-millionaire who hasn’t lived the struggles every day Virginians face. Like Youngkin, he has put himself over everyday Virginians, selling us out to the special interests he has been close to for years. 

What’s more, McAuliffe will only hurt us electorally. When he ran against another Trumper, Ken Cuccinelli, he barely eked out a win, despite outspending him by nearly 2:1. Moreover, once Governor, McAuliffe had his chance to “go big and bold,” but he failed. 

We simply cannot afford even a close call with extreme Republicans when ballots are cast and counted in November. The only way forward for Virginia will be with a sweeping victory and with a candidate who can build on progress in Virginia. We’ve come too far in the Commonwealth to risk even the littlest of regressions. Too much is at stake to risk a close call. 

The only candidate who we can trust to bring out the voters and the support we need in November is Jennifer Carroll Foy. She’s the leader who can inspire a broad, diverse group of people to turn out to vote. Carroll Foy appeals to a broad coalition, which is exactly what we need in Virginia. When elected Delegate, Carroll Foy flipped her district from red to blue, proving her reliability and her relatability to Virginia voters – while winning more votes than the top of the ticket. 

Republicans are eager for us to nominate McAuliffe, because they rightly see him as a candidate unable to inspire the Democratic base. Democrats can not take any risks, and McAuliffe would be too close a call. Voters clearly want meaningful change.

We can’t afford to take any chances with our Democratic nomination, and that means being confident in our nominee’s ability to motivate the turnout we need to win in November. We need to be able to trust our candidate to inspire a broad coalition of voters to show up at the polls. We saw what that inspiration led to in Georgia with Stacey Abrams in a red state. Imagine what could happen here, in a bluer state, with Jennifer at the top of the ticket. Having a Black woman and an invigorating candidate with a plan to lift up all Virginians will help Democrats win up and down the ticket. Carroll Foy has a record of delivering for working people, and we can trust she’d continue delivering as Governor. Terry McAuliffe is more of the status quo, out of touch, and simply won’t inspire voters.

Carroll Foy is the right choice — the reliable, inspiring choice — for the Democratic nomination. She has lived the challenges of everyday Virginians, and has a plan to solve them. She works with others across the aisle, while maintaining her values and standing firm in what’s best for Virginians. Join me in supporting her candidacy on June 8th – and on November 8th.

Delegate Joshua Cole represents the 28th District, which includes parts of Stafford County and the City of Fredericksburg, in the Virginia House of Delegates. He was first elected in 2019, and he is currently running for reelection.