Washington, D.C. — Center for American Progress Action Fund CEO Neera Tanden issued the following statement following the gubernatorial election results in Virginia and New Jersey:
Tonight’s election results are a clear rejection of the politics of division, anti-immigrant rhetoric, trickle-down economics, and Donald Trump. Voters in Virginia and New Jersey had a choice between candidates who ran on progressive economic and social platforms versus candidates who ran on the Donald Trump agenda, and progressive values won. In the case of Ed Gillespie, he took a page straight out of Trump’s playbook, offering the same economic policies that benefit the wealthy while pushing anti-immigrant messaging. Tonight that playbook was tossed out by the voters up and down the ballot, with numerous progressive wins at the delegate level, including a historic win by delegate-elect Danica Roem, an out transgender woman.
Republicans know their policies are not popular, so they resorted to racial fearmongering and cultural attacks. Republicans should be on notice—if they try this again in the future, they will be defeated again.
For more information, contact Kyle Epstein at [email protected] or 202.481.8137.