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“On Tuesday night, I threw my support and endorsement behind Terry McAuliffe for governor,” Jennifer Carroll Foy wrote in an email to her supporters Saturday.
Carroll Foy was one of four candidates to lose in the Democratic primary on June 8. Now she is telling her supporters asking them to help McAuliffe as he now faces off against the Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin.
McAuliffe won the nomination decisively, receiving the majority of Democratic votes in every single locality across the commonwealth. Now the two Democrats that were his toughest competition in the nomination battle are trying to help him win the general.
“I’m asking you to join me in support of and commitment to electing Terry,” Carroll Foy wrote in the email to her supporters. “Let’s do everything we have to do. Let’s get in the trenches. Let’s do the work because at the end of the day, we must win in November.”
State Sen. Jennifer McClellan, another gubernatorial candidate that lost to McAuliffe appeared publicly with him less than 48 hours after he earned the nomination.
As Democrats, we're fighting for you. Paid family and medical leave, paid sick leave, affordable child care — that's Virginia's future.
— Terry McAuliffe (@TerryMcAuliffe) June 10, 2021
We'll get it done with incredible leaders like @JennMcClellanVA on the team 💥 pic.twitter.com/tX5KyZ8jos
In her concession announcement on primary night, McClellan urged her supporters to vote for McAuliffe in November. “Virginians have a clear choice this November between progress and the past,” McClellan said in the primary night statement after the results were reported and McAuliffe won. “We cannot afford to let Glenn Youngkin turn back the clock. I know that Terry will lead the Democratic Party of Virginia forward with a fierce determination and a commitment to building a brighter future for our Commonwealth.”
Del. Lee Carter, a socialist that has served two terms in the House of Delegates lost both the gubernatorial primary and a primary challenge in his House district. He stated that he will be moving to a house with land so that he can raise sheep. He also said he will be supporting Independent gubernatorial candidate Princess Blanding.
You've got my vote in November!
— Lee J. Carter (@carterforva) June 9, 2021
Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax has not made a public statement about McAuliffe since the results of the primary were reported. “Congratulations to our Democratic ticket,” Fairfax wrote in a tweet after the primary. “Virginia has made tremendous progress over the past four years, and we look forward to that progress continuing well into the future.”
McAuliffe and Youngkin are facing off for a tough battle that will likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Democratic unity will be needed as the troops rally around McAuliffe in an attempt to keep the Executive Mansion in Democratic control for a third straight term.
Youngkin used Carroll Foy’s primary campaign words from a candidate forum against McAuliffe for an ad as soon as McAuliffe was named the nominee. But the next Day McAuliffe posted a video thanking Carroll Foy and McClellan, calling them friends. “I want to heartily thank my friends [Jennifer Carroll Foy] and [Jennifer McClellan],” McAuliffe wrote in a tweet. “They each ran great primary campaigns and I’m looking forward to taking on Glenn Youngkin together. Greatest team ever assembled! Game on!”
The general election will be taking place on Nov. 2.
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