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The Weekender (8/26/21)

Weekender

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Welcome to the Democratic Governors Association’s Friday newsletter, The Weekender.

Let’s get started.

Virginia: Glenn Youngkin is in hot water once again for his extremist views and partisan pandering. A new ad from Terry McAuliffe’s campaign highlights a secretly-recorded video of Youngkin admitting he wants to ban abortion and defund Planned Parenthood. To make matters worse, Youngkin admitted he’s trying to hide his right-wing views to win votes. Despite making his shady comments in private, Youngkin has also been exposed for funneling money to extreme anti-choice Republicans. Youngkin’s far-right agenda also includes cutting taxes for the ultra-rich and fueling Donald Trump’s deadly conspiracy theories. McAuliffe’s ad makes it clear: Glenn Youngkin is wrong for Virginia.

New Jersey: COVID responses are dominating the New Jersey gubernatorial race, and Jack Ciattarelli is on the wrong side of the issue. While Gov. Phil Murphy provides strong and consistent leadership, Ciattarelli has opposed commonsense public health precautions. Beyond his base audience of far-right Trump loyalists, Ciattarelli is out of step with New Jerseyans, 67% of whom favor mask requirements for students and school district staff. In the top issue of the race, the pandemic, Gov. Murphy has a “clear advantage” of 25 points with more voters trusting him to handle the pandemic, compared to just 21% trusting Ciattarelli. Voters also trust Gov. Murphy over Ciattarelli when it comes to jobs and the economy.

James Craig Refuses to Say if 2020 Election Was Legitimate in Disastrous Press Conference

James Craig scrambled to save his disastrous press conference this week after forcing local reporters covering the event to watch a meeting he invited them to from behind a glass wall without sound. However, when he finally emerged from his glass case of emotion, Craig got defensive when confronted by reporters about his growing reputation of ducking and dodging questions he’s avoided his entire campaign. Craig insisted he’s “not dodging it,” instead, he’s simply “not going to get into that.”

Contrary to what James Craig’s insider consultants told him to do, creating a wall of see-through glass isn’t the kind of transparency Michigan voters care about. Craig’s growing reputation of dodging even the most basic question about the legitimacy of American elections and refusing to disavow the GOP’s dangerous claims proves he cares more about his partisan politics than doing what’s right for Michigan families.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul makes history as New York’s first woman governor
This week, Kathy Hochul was sworn in as Governor of New York. Gov. Hochul is the state’s first woman governor, the first governor from upstate New York in over a century, and just the 45th woman governor in United States history. She also serves the largest population of any woman governor in United States history.

“I join my fellow governors in welcoming incoming New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to the Democratic Governors Association. A proven leader, Gov. Hochul’s years of public service in all levels of government make her extremely well-prepared to navigate New York out of the pandemic and sustain the state’s economic recovery,” said DGA Chair New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “We look forward to working alongside Gov. Hochul as she continues to fight for working families and champion the progressive causes she’s led on throughout her career — from defending and expanding access to health care to creating good-paying jobs in a fair economy that works for all New Yorkers.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on MSNBC with Chris Hayes emphasizing the importance of following the science and getting vaccinated.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on MSNBC with Mika Brzezinski discussing her priorities and first steps as governor.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee on the Weather Channel with Jim Cantore providing an update on extreme weather conditions and the state’s response.


“I’m going to be the best damn governor this state has ever seen.”

  • New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on leading as the state’s first woman governor.

“I don’t drink coffee. I drink tea. Before I drink my first cup of tea, to the extent that there are statewide mask mandates and statewide vaccine mandates for state workers, they will be would be repealed before I had my first cup of coffee.”

Who said it? Send your answer to press@dga.net, and we’ll reveal the answer in the next Weekender!

If you guessed Iowa’s Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds last week, you’ve been keeping up with the news! When asked about the issue of masks in schools, Reynolds said there is “data on both sides.” Iowa is one of eight states that don’t allow schools to require that children and teachers wear masks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all people in schools wear masks due to the surge in cases due to the Delta variant.