Virginian-Pilot Endorsement of Herring Makes Democrats 3 for 3
“Obenshain has developed a reputation in the Senate during the past nine years as a legislator who favors ideology over the common interest…[Herring] has increasingly established himself as a socially liberal, fiscally pragmatic voice...He has reversed his position on gay marriage, favoring repeal of the constitutional amendment that he supported in 2006 as a freshman senator…Herring also supports legislative efforts to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation…He has repeatedly sugested Obenshain is of the same mold as Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican nominee for governor, who has championed conservative social causes and relished fighting the federal government.“
–The editorial board of The Virginian-Pilot, the local newspaper for the Hampton Roads area, in its endorsement of State Sen. Mark Herring (D-Loudoun, Fairfax counties) over State Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg, Rockingham, Rappahannock, Warren, Page, Shenandoah counties) in the race for attorney general this November. Shawn Day, an opinion columnist for the paper, had previously argued that the attorney general’s race was more
consequential than the governor’s race.
The paper’s endorsement of Herring results in a clean sweep for Democrats seeking statewide office, as the paper previously endorsed former head of the Democratic National Committee Terry McAuliffe and State Sen. Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Northampton, Mathews and Accomack counties) for governor and lieutenant governor, respectively. All three endorsements by the Pilot specifically referenced the Democrats’ support for marriage equality and LGBT rights.
[Photo 1: Mark Herring; Photo 2: Mark Obenshain]
