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WISE, Va. (WJHL) – On Tuesday afternoon, Virginia’s Republican leaders came together in Wise, aiming to energize Republican voters in Southwest Virginia to make their voices heard at the polls as Election Day nears. The assembly included key figures such as Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Attorney General Jason Miyares, State Senator Todd Pillion, and House Speaker Terry Kilgore. Attorney General Miyares is seeking re-election, currently leading his Democratic challenger, Jay Jones, by a narrow margin of one point in the polls. Following the emergence of concerning text messages attributed to Jones, Miyares emphasized that the campaign is centered around principles. “This election transcends politics,” Miyares shared with News Channel 11. “It’s fundamentally about decency. We have never witnessed a candidate for attorney general who has advocated violence against children and law enforcement or one who is under criminal investigation by a special prosecutor for misleading the court. I am proud of my track record as a leading prosecutor in Virginia, targeting repeat violent offenders and reducing crime; the differences between us couldn’t be clearer. Now, we are asking Virginians to re-elect me to continue safeguarding our communities.” Governor Youngkin highlighted the strategic use of early voting by Republicans, encouraging as many Virginians as possible to support Republican candidates at the polls. “We basically have five more days today, counting to Saturday with early voting,” he said. “Of course, you can vote on Tuesday, November 4th. The polls are open. If you are not registered to vote, you can show up on November 4th and vote in person, and they will accept your ballot. We’re asking everybody go out and vote and make your voice heard, because this election will determine the future of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia is soaring right now, and Abigail Spanberger wants to turn it back around to where it was. They want to turn us into California, and we are not California, we’re Virginia.” While Republicans lead in the attorney general race, Democrats hold steady control of both the governor’s and lieutenant governor’s races. Recent polling shows Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger holds a seven-point margin ahead of Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, and Ghazala Hashmi remains two points ahead of Republican John Reid in the lieutenant governor’s race. Despite polls, Youngkin claimed he’s confident in a Republican sweep across the ballot. “I firmly believe that everybody that votes for [Miyares] is going to vote for the lieutenant governor and the governor, and that’s why we’re telling everybody ‘get out and vote,’” he said. “I have to say that the positions couldn’t be more different. We are for Virginians, and [Democrats] want to tell Virginians what to do. Jason is the people’s protector, and his opponent is a violent man. Winsome Sears is going to stand strong for the liberties and the freedoms that we hold dear. Abigail Spanberger wants to take them away. It’s just that clear.” Last week, Youngkin declared a state of emergency as concerns regarding a SNAP shortage grew. Now, going into Nov. 1 when SNAP benefits run dry, Youngkin said he’s set up the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Program to continue to deliver benefits to those who rely on SNAP. “This program will offer the exact same benefits as SNAP to the same set of Virginians who have been supported under SNAP,” he said. “The days are going to be slightly different. It’ll be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday next week where people will receive their benefits. They’ll get them on a weekly basis, but we’re using the surplus that we’ve created because Virginia’s done so well. We’re here because we have that common-sense conservative leadership. We’ve been running surplus after surplus, and it gives us the chance to step in and take care of Virginians in need.” Recently, Virginia Democrats have launched a campaign to redistrict. Miyares said he believes it’s a power grab from assembly Democrats. “We don’t want politicians to do this,” he said. “It needs to be a nonpartisan redistricting commission. They’re doing this in the middle of election. Close to a million people have already voted. We still haven’t seen what exactly is going to be this revised amendment, and that’s why you have this system we have with voters can be properly informed. It was a bit shocking to see it that they have ignored the will of the voters that voted by a 2 to 1 margin on nonpartisan redistricting.” Early voting continues through Nov. 1. Voter registration will be available on Election Day, Nov. 4, at local polling sights.
