Conservative advocacy group targets two House Democrats from Virginia in wake of Youngkin victory

EXCLUSIVE: An outside group that backs conservative causes is targeting two potentially vulnerable House Democrats in Virginia with ads in the wake of Republican Glenn Youngkin’s gubernatorial victory in the commonwealth two weeks ago, in an election that was seen as a key bellwether ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

The commercials from the American Action Network (AAN), shared first with Fox News on Tuesday, start running on Wednesday in the districts of Reps. Elaine Luria (VA-02) and Abigail Spanberger (VA-07). The group says it’s spending $400,000 to run the commercials on broadcast TV.

The spots urge the two-term Democratic representatives to oppose the $1.75 trillion social spending, human infrastructure, and climate change combating package congressional Democrats – who hold razor thin majorities in both the House and Senate – are trying to pass along party lines using a parliamentary process known as reconciliation.

DEMOCRATS TRAVELING BUMPY ROAD TO TRY AND PASS SPENDING BILL

The ads use TV news clips of anchors and reporters spotlighting that Youngkin’s gubernatorial victory in Virginia two weeks ago sent a message to President Biden and his agenda. 

"Virginia rejects the radical Biden-Pelosi agenda. But liberals like Elaine Luria still aren’t listening. Luria is voting with Nancy Pelosi. Trillions on a wish list for the radical left," the announcer in the Luria spot charges. "Tell Elaine Luria to get the message and reject the Pelosi spending plan."

The ad running in Spanberger's district has identical language.

Youngkin’s edged former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe in a state Biden carried by 10 points a year ago and where Republicans hadn’t won statewide in a dozen years. Republicans also captured the lieutenant governor and attorney general offices from the Democrats and flipped the state’s House of Delegates. 

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The GOP victories in Virginia coupled with GOP gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli's near upset of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey – along with GOP legislative pickups in the Garden State – are seen as ominous signs for the Democrats as they try to hold their razor thin House and Senate majorities in the 2022 midterms.

"Virginians spoke up loud and clear: they just can’t afford anymore of left’s big government spending," AAN communications director Calvin Moore told Fox News. "Spanberger and Luria should heed that warning and change course before their tax and spending hikes inflict even more economic damage on working families."

AAN also pointed to an analysis by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project which indicated that Republicans increased their vote margin last week in each of Virginia's 11 congressional districts compared to 2017 statewide elections in the commonwealth, with Virginia’s 7th District swinging 7.5 points to the right and the 2nd swinging 12.5 points that way.

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AAN highlights that it’s spent more than $20 million so far this year to target the Democrat's spending package.

The release of the ads comes as the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the House GOP reelection arm, released a new internal poll conducted in 85 congressional battleground districts across the country that suggests that a plurality of voters opposed Democrats spending package.