In the bitter and sometimes depressingly negative race for governor, one candidate stands out: Ken Cuccinelli. Cuccinelli is the only candidate with an established record of putting Virginians first — always. It is one thing to talk a good game like they do in Washington, D.C., but in Virginia, the empty promises of Cuccinelli’s opponent do not cut it. Especially for students, Cuccinelli is the best choice for governor.
As a state senator from Fairfax County, Cuccinelli worked with both parties to improve education by supporting parents and students in choosing the schools that fit their needs. Cuccinelli directed valuable tax dollars to the classroom, created jobs and reduced the traffic congestion that is much too familiar to anyone from northern Virginia. He was recognized as a leader on mental health issues both in the state legislature and in private practice, where he often represented those suffering from mental illness.
Since he was elected Attorney General four years ago, Cuccinelli has reliably defended and upheld the rule of law in the commonwealth. He has locked up sex traffickers and child predators and has worked to combat gang violence. He has delivered on his promise to make fighting fraud a top priority of the Attorney General’s office. Cuccinelli’s efforts to fight Medicaid fraud have returned billions of dollars to Virginians and his good stewardship of Virginia resources led him to cut his own office’s budget significantly.
Cuccinelli has spent more time standing up to governmental excess than it takes to log onto the Obamacare website. Throughout his career, he has consistently stood with Virginians against overreaching government. Without fail, Cuccinelli has opposed job-crushing tax increases on families, small businesses and young people. He understands the importance of a strong economy that creates the jobs of the future. When the out-of-control Environmental Protection Agency tried to regulate storm runoff as a pollutant, Cuccinelli challenged the federal government in court and won, saving Virginia taxpayers over $300 million.
Cuccinelli also wrote the landmark property rights amendment that passed with an overwhelming 74 percent of the vote last November. Many career politicians stood in the way, but that did not stop Cuccinelli. Unlike some prosecutors, Cuccinelli did not storm into the Attorney General’s office looking to secure as many convictions as possible. It is because of his willingness to take on their cases himself that four innocent men who were imprisoned for crimes they did not commit are now free.
Cuccinelli’s opponent, longtime political hack and failed businessman, Terry McAuliffe, has no real plans for Virginia and no particular devotion to our commonwealth. He previously toyed with the idea of running for governor of New York or Florida. A true crony capitalist, McAuliffe views the governorship as a position from which he can hand out state contracts and jobs to his fundraising buddies. When he was not making money for himself by investing in shady schemes that preyed upon the terminally ill, McAuliffe was busy bragging about himself as “the guy who jumps out of planes and falls through burning buildings to raise money.” A dedicated liberal extremist, McAuliffe supports practically unlimited abortion funded by taxpayers. He has promised a Washington-style government shutdown by refusing to work with Republicans on the state’s Medicaid program. Virginia does not need an ideological fanatic for whom money is everything as its governor, and Robert Sarvis, the allegedly libertarian candidate who favors a vehicle mileage tax enforced by a government GPS in your car, has no chance to win.
As governor, Cuccinelli will continue to put Virginians first. On the issues that matter, Cuccinelli is the candidate who fights for our future. Under Cuccinelli’s leadership, Virginia will be the best place to work, attend school, start a business and raise a family. Cuccinelli understands that a good education is essential to life and believes that children should not be sentenced to a failing school just because of where they live or their parents’ income. That is why he will empower families through school choice and reward both teachers and schools that demonstrate improvements. He will work to rein in the tuition increases that plague Virginia’s college students each year and he will always be a voice for those fighting to achieve the American dream.
The choice is clear: Vote for Cuccinelli Nov. 5.
Email Spencer Chretien at sjchretien@email.wm.edu.