Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s PAC is going up on television this week with a new $1.4 million ad buy and a spot focused on the issue of abortion, looking to boost Republican hopes in the November legislative elections.
The 30-second ad, which was shared first with NBC News, hits Virginia Democrats for calling the GOP position on abortion a “ban” and is filled with the sounds of a baby cooing and an ultrasound heartbeat audible throughout it. “It’s disinformation,” it begins. “Politics at its worst.”
“There is no ban,” the ad goes on, reminding viewers of the position Youngkin has endorsed this election cycle — what he calls a a 15-week “limit” on abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. The proposal is at the center of Republicans' push to retake the Virginia state Senate and keep the state House of Delegates this fall, which would give the party unified control to enact a new abortion law and other elements of the GOP legislative agenda.
“That’s where we are,” Youngkin said in a statement. “That’s what we’re going to work for — to protect life at 15 weeks.”
Democrats in Virginia have long called Youngkin’s push for a 15-week legislation a “ban,” while Republicans have called it a “limit.” Now, the dispute is playing out in some of the most expensive media markets in the country. “We’re not going to let progressive liberal left lie to win an election,” said Dave Rexrode, chairman of Spirit of Virginia.
In response to the advertisement, Democrats in the state say Republicans are the ones avoiding the truth. “They’re trying to hide their true plan to enact as many bans and restrictions as they possibly can,” Virginia Democratic Party Chair Susan Swecker said. “Their cover-up won’t work in Virginia, because people know what happens if extreme MAGA Republicans get total control.”
Republicans now hold a three-seat edge in the state House, while Democrats control the Senate by four seats. As Youngkin’s operation aims for a GOP sweep, it is betting its 15-week proposal on abortion is modest enough to avoid spikes in Democratic turnout that have risen up in opposition to policies in other states.
Virginia is the last state in the South without significant restrictions on abortion rights. The state allows abortions up to 26 weeks and six days of pregnancy — through the first two trimesters — with exceptions in the third trimester if three physicians find that the woman’s health is at risk.
The new ad will starting airing Wednesday through Election Day, Nov. 7, on broadcast TV stations in Richmond and the Newport News area, where Democratic state Sen. Monty Mason is facing off against longtime former Sheriff Danny Diggs, the Republican candidate. It's a race Spirit of Virginia sees as a bellwether of sorts. Viewers in the Washington, D.C., Richmond and Newport News areas will also see the ad on cable.
