Youngkin wows GOP rally in Fairlawn as election day nears

youngkin rally
Republican candidate for governor Glenn Yougkin speaks to a GOP rally Wednesday at the Omni Place Event Center in Fairlawn. (Mike Williams/The Patriot)

Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin’s “Win with Glenn” Bus Tour rolled into Fairlawn Wednesday afternoon for a rally at the Omni Place Event Center at Route 11 and 114.

The tour was scheduled to visit 42 localities in 38 counties beginning last Saturday in Richmond.

Later in the evening he was scheduled to attend similar rallies in Christiansburg and Roanoke. The Christiansburg stop featured a concert by country music star, John Rich.

In Fairlawn, Youngkin was joined by attorney general candidate Jason Miyares and 12th District House candidate Jason Ballard. Fairlawn is located inside the 12th District.

During his remarks, Miyares noted a poll he said came out just after the Fourth of July, gauging how proud citizens are of being American.

“This poll came out and it made me realize this election is an inflection point not just for Virginia, but the entire country,” he said.

Youngkin at bus
Glenn Youngkin greets voters outside his tour bus in Fairlawn Wednesday. He invited participants in Wednesday’s rally to sign his bus as a symbol of grass roots support for his campaign. (Mike Williams/The Patriot)

“What floored me was that among young people ages 18-25, only 36 percent said they were either very or somewhat proud to be an American. You cannot survive as a nation if you’re raising an entire generation of children to learn to hate their country,” Miyares said.

“This is exactly what critical race theory is. Glenn Youngkin will ban CRT, and if I have to take it to court to stop it I will,” he said to loud applause.

“We’re not going to gloss over the worst chapters of our history. We’re not going to do that. But it needs to be recognized that we are indeed that last best hope on Earth.”

Miyares continued that saying, “Common sense is not very common in Richmond.”

He said an example of that is HB 257 that banned the mandatory reporting requirement for sexual assault in Virginia schools.

“Jason Ballard’s opponent voted for it multiple times,” Miyares noted.

“Look what happened. In Loudon County you had a 14-year-old ninth grade schoolgirl walk in a bathroom and was a victim of a violent sexual assault. The perpetrator just transferred to another school where another ninth-grade girl walked into a bathroom and was also a victim of a sexual assault.

“I know Jason Ballard will vote to repeal that insane law,” he said.

Miyares told the audience to consider Republican gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe’s parole board. The majority of which, he said, were first appointed by McAuliffe.

He said the parole board has a “criminal first, victim last mindset right now in Richmond.”

“David Simpkins is an example,” Miyares said. “He had 56 prior felony convictions – including 14 prior armed robberies and an abduction. He was supposed to be in prison till the year 2066. He was let out 46 years early, then walked into a convenience store in Pulaski, put on a ski mask and held a gun to the head of a young clerk.

“As the prosecutor (Pulaski County’s Justin Griffith) noted in that case, ‘David Simpkins should never have been in a position to harm anyone in our community ever again.’ But he was because the McAuliffe parole board let him out and [current two-term attorney general] Mark Herring did nothing to stop it.

“As a former prosecutor I will always be on the side of the victims,” Miyares said.

Montgomery County Sheriff Hank Partin served as the warm-up act for Youngkin and spoke about what he called the “Failed State Department of Behavioral Health, failed Gov. Blackface, a failed Del. Hurst and a failed and broken state Mental Health System.”

He also defended retaining Qualified Immunity for police officers.

 

Youngkin brought the crowd to its feet and reminded Republicans in the audience to make sure they signed his bus before it left Fairlawn.

“Sign the bus. It’s a cool bus, but it has thousands of signatures on it of other Virginians” who travel with me across the Commonwealth.

Youngkin said he is often asked what his first day in office will be like.

“The first day, after inauguration, Jason Miyares will be attorney general and Winsome Sears will be lieutenant governor, and we will put our hands on the Holy Bible and vow to protect the Constitution of the U.S. and of Virginia. Then we will stop for a moment and pray, and ask the Lord to watch over us,” Youngkin said.

“Then we’re going to work ‘cause there’s a lot of work to do.”

Youngkin said on day one he plans to cut taxes in Virginia “because it is too expensive to live here.”

“The cost of living has gone through the roof. We all see it every day,” he stated.

Youngkin said Democratic leaders in Richmond have over-taxed Virginians by $2.6 billion in the middle of a pandemic, alluding to the $2.6 billion surplus at the end of fiscal year 2021.

“And they’ll do it again this year. That’s your money, not Terry McAuliffe’s,” he stated.

He said Virginians – especially those 26 to 35 years of age, are moving away from the state faster than people are moving into it.

“I want them to stay here,” he exclaimed.

Youngkin vowed to eliminate the tax on groceries, suspend the gas tax increase for 12 months and double everyone’s standard deduction.

He said it would take three years to accomplish, but he plans to exclude the first $40,000 in benefits from taxes for veterans.

He said his plans would save a family in four about $1,500 in one year.

“Terry McAuliffe’s hundreds of pages of policies is going to cost Virginia $16 billion and will raise taxes for every family by $5,400.

Youngkin also vowed to re-establish expectations of excellence, and that Virginia schools would never be closed again and will have five days of in-person instruction weekly for our children.

When he was gov 88 schools failed to reach accreditation. Rather than fix them McAuliffe lowered standards so none would fail.

Va. schools never be closed again – five days of in person instruction for our children.

Youngkin promised to have the largest school budget in Virginia history, including raises for teachers and full funding of special education programs.

Plus, he said, he will “give parents choice.”

“Virginia has eight charter schools. North Carolina has 190. We have eight! Maryland has 140. We have eight! On day one we will launch 20. It’s a down payment, but we will give parents choice within the public school system.”

Youngkin said it all starts with curriculum.

“We will teach accelerated math in our schools. We will award advanced diplomas. We will teach all history – good and bad. America is the greatest country on planet. Yes, we have chapters of our history that are abhorrent. And we’ve got to teach them. But what we will not do is view everything through a lens of race.”

He said to have a political agenda make its way into classrooms is wrong.

“So, on day one I will ban Critical Race Theory in our schools.”

He also vowed to have law officers’ backs.

He noted Virginia is at a 20-year high in murder rate.

“Four of Virginia’s great cities rank in the top 65 deadliest cities in the U.S., with Richmond at No. 11 and racing to No. 1.”

Youngkin said he will comprehensively fund law enforcement, including higher salaries, better equipment, training, protect Qualified Immunity and “fix a broken mental health system.”

“And on day one I will fire the entire parole board – we’re starting all over again!”

Youngkin said we must re-invigorate Virginia’s stalled economy.

“Over the last eight years, the states around us – Tennessee, North Carolina, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia – have grown 70 percent faster than Virginia,” he noted.

Youngkin also said he would protect right to work status.

“That’s not an anti-union comment, it’s a pro-worker comment,” he said, adding that if Virginia loses right to work, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership estimated the state would lose some $11 billion in investment and nearly 40,000 jobs.

He said that McAuliffe touts the economic deals he helped make when he was governor.

“Of those 79 deals, 32 created zero jobs,” Youngkin said, vowing to make state government work for the citizens “instead of telling us what to do all the time.”

He added, “The governor last year left the ABC stores open but closed my church.”

“I have a pet peeve,” Youngkin said. “I cannot stand inefficiency and waste. And here I am going into government.”

“But we’re going to launch a government-wide audit for waste and fraud and to make sure we have transparency.

“The first two places we’re starting is the Virginia Employment Commission and the Division of Motor Vehicles.

“Here’s how you’ll know we’re making progress. Along the way you’re going to call the DMV and two things are going to happen: 1- Someone is going to answer the phone on the other end. 2-When they do, they’re going to say “Hi, how may I help you.”

“This is what government of the future is about. It’s about you. Not me,” Youngkin said.

Before closing he asked the audience of Republicans for five things.

“I need you to vote and get 10 more to vote with you. Get a sign. One of these red ‘Youngkin Governor’ signs. It’s like a permission slip. It means ‘I’m going to vote for him too.’ These red signs are everywhere. I did not know there were any Republicans in Old Town Alexandria. But there are red signs there everywhere. Volunteer. Make time – 2 hours or 4 hours. Be our ambassadors because I can’t speak to everybody. Let them know what we’re going to do. And if have a prayer life, put us on your prayer list. With Him all things are possible.”

By MIKE WILLIAMS, The Patriot