Election Day is less than a week away – and both major-party candidates are making their last appeals to voters. Republican Glenn Youngkin made his pitch at a Roanoke campaign stop Wednesday.
Youngkin spent a good amount of time talking about what his day one agenda would be if he were elected governor…
“So friends, on day one, I will ban critical race theory from our schools… We’re gonna protect qualified immunity… We’re gonna fund into our mental health system – it’s in a state of chaos,” he said.
The Republican also said he’d fire and replace every member of Virginia’s parole board and cut taxes his first day in office.
A lot of debate in the closing weeks of the campaign has revolved around what role parents should have in their children’s education. Youngkin talked about why he’s focusing on that.
“Right now we see that Terry McAuliffe thinks that government should be between parents and their children," the Republican candidate explained. "And we’ve watched parents all over the Commonwealth stand up and try to defend their children; get our schools open; make sure their materials are appropriate in the classroom. And all Terry McAuliffe wants to do is push them out of the classroom.”
The debate has recently centered on what books children should be allowed to read in their classes – including Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize winning book “Beloved.”
Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s campaign handed out copies of that book to supporters at an event Tuesday night.
Youngkin also talked briefly about election security.
Republicans in Virginia and across the country have been raising doubts – often unfounded – about the security of the election process – especially related to last year’s presidential contest.
Youngkin said he isn’t concerned about next week’s election, however.
“We’re doing all our work; we got tons of volunteers participating in the election process – it’s awesome," he said. "I just asked more people to volunteer. But, we’re going to have a fair election and I’m gonna win it.”
Several recent polls show Youngkin in a very close race with former governor McAuliffe. A Republican hasn’t won a statewide office in Virginia since 2009.
