Virginia’s House Republicans are wasting no time at all bringing the stark contrast between themselves and the Democrats to light, running ads in 12 contested House of Delegates districts and sending the message that their agenda will be challenged in the public square.
From the press release:
The Virginia House Republican Caucus today revealed the initial 12 Democratic candidates in Virginia’s House of Delegates that the caucus plans to focus on in advance of the 2023 election.
The announcement comes as six-figure initial ad buy across the targeted districts enters its second week. The ad, “Too Extreme,” highlights Democratic opposition to tax relief, support for soft on crime policies, and their continued choice to put partisan politics ahead of Virginians.
The ads direct Virginians to individual websites where they can learn more about the extreme positions held by House Democrats and their candidates.
How much are House Republicans spending to frame the race?
VA-GOP is in this to win. I hear this ad buy is upwards of $500,000.00. https://t.co/NsbCmjbmQa
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 13, 2023
Meanwhile, Virginia Democrats continue to fumble for a message that resonates with voters after recent polling showed that their 40-week abortion pledge to Planned Parenthood provides no path to victory and will endanger Democratic chances in the already Republican-leaning House of Delegates.
Insiders point to at least six winnable races for the Republicans on top of the six additional races which campaign staff are privately yet confidently saying they can win given the massive unpopularity of President Joe Biden.
Should Republicans run the table, the prospects of a 59-41 majority in the House of Delegates is not only possible, but probable according to insiders. More than this, should Republicans overshoot their targets, the prospects for Speaker Todd Gilbert to become the first Republican speaker to see a 60+ seat majority since Bill Howell are in the cards.
Meanwhile on the Senate Republican side, the prospects of a 22-18 shift towards the Republicans is clear, with precisely one seat up for grabs that could give Republicans a 23 seat majority over the “blue brick wall” Democrats — who seem proud to be the party of “no” in the face of bipartisan requests.