Since announcing his candidacy for lieutenant governor of Virginia, Democrat Justin Fairfax has endured many subtle jabs and microaggressions on the campaign trail. In a recent debate his Republican opponent, Senator Jill Vogel went low when she questioned her opponent's intellect and challenged Fairfax's ability to engage in a coherent discussion. What else is new? Opposing debates get nasty, and sometimes that inherent racism just spills out at the most inconvenient times.
But what happens when the devious slight comes from within your own party? That's the question that many of Virginia's black Democrats are asking themselves after the African American gubernatorial candidate was omitted from about a thousand pieces of campaign literature put out by Virginia Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Ralph Northam.
The campaign literature included photos of Northam and Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D). To be clear, that's every Democratic candidate except for Fairfax. According to the Washington Post, canvassers for The Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) requested that Fairfax be excluded from the palm cards because the union did not endorse him. Fairfax has spoken critically of two proposed natural gas pipelines that the union supports.
When a photo of two versions of the palm cards made its way around social media, it provoked strong reactions.
“It reeks of subtle racism, if not a tone-deafness about how we are going to win in November,” said Quentin James, the founder of Collective PAC that supports black candidates, including Fairfax. “Leaving Justin Fairfax off…even if it’s only for a small universe of union members, still sends the wrong message.”
The incident comes just three weeks ahead of the election and one day prior to a visit from President Barack Obama, who is scheduled to headline a rally in Northam, Fairfax, and Herring.
In response to the incident, Fairfax's campaign released the following statement:
“This is a strong ticket and one that is working well together. One piece of literature does not change that. Voters from across the Commonwealth have responded enthusiastically to Justin’s candidacy and the entire Democratic ticket. They are excited about our plan to offer more educational opportunity, economic growth, and more access to health care and they will reject the divisive and cynical politics of our opponents. That’s why Justin’s been endorsed by organizations like the VA AFL-CIO, Virginia Education Association, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.”
