Virginia gubernatorial race takes on fake signs and a classic book

With just days until Virginia’s 2021 gubernatorial election, polling indicates the race is neck and neck. The public mudslinging has taken on new forms, including involving Toni Morrison’s 1987 book, Beloved.

“When my son showed me his reading assignment, my heart sunk,” Fairfax County mom Laura Murphy said in a new ad from Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin.

The reading assignment in question involved Beloved. In the book, which takes place in the Civil War era, the mother kills her 2-year-old daughter to spare her from slavery.

Murphy, whose son was a high school senior in 2013, is now a lawyer for the National Republican Congressional committee according to the Washington Post.

Murphy went to Virginia’s state legislature with her concerns about the book and the Commonwealth passed a bill giving parents the option to opt out of certain reading assignments. Then-governor Terry McAuliffe, who is currently running for his old job, vetoed that bill as well as a similar one. 

This campaign strategy of saying McAuliffe doesn’t respect parents’ wishes, led McAuliffe to release an ad in response.

“Glenn Youngkin’s taking my words out of context. I’ve always valued the concerns of parents,” McAuliffe said in the ad.

In an election that is neck and neck, these ads are far from the only mudslinging activity.

This is how @TerryMcAuliffe and @VAHouseDems think of us as parents. They tell you to “shut up, sit down, and pay your taxes”. I say, NO! My child, my school, my voice! Let’s tell them to pound sand on November 2! Win with @GlennYoungkin and @vahousegop pic.twitter.com/iJLrgxAybW

— Matt Lang for VA Senate (@LangForVA) October 24, 2021

A yard sign urging viewers to “Vote McAuliffe” has been making the rounds on social media.

But upon closer look, the yard sign doesn’t say who paid for it. Democrats have come out saying this is a fake yard sign, adding that based on Virginia campaign law, it’s also a campaign finance violation. 

Republicans make a fake McAuliffe sign (no paid for disclaimer and no union bug) and then pretend to be mad to gin up a controversy https://t.co/vg9ZEdYd1W

— Aaron Fritschner (@Fritschner) October 25, 2021

A Republican running for state delegate responded that these signs are all over the D.C. suburbs.

I encourage all doubters to drive around NoVA and see for yourself. These signs have been sighted, and posted, from Arlington to Herndon.

— Matt Lang for VA Senate (@LangForVA) October 25, 2021