Planned Parenthood’s Virginia affiliate will spend $3 million in an effort to elect Democrat Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam as the next governor of the state, Politico reported.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia endorsed Northam’s bid for governor on Thursday. According to the Washington Post, the group plans to knock on 300,000 doors and send mailers to 400,000 homes in support of Northam. They also plan to run digital and radio ads.
“Everything about women’s health is at stake,” Jennifer Allen, chief executive of Planned Parenthood Virginia PAC and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, told the Washington Post. “It’s really clear that Virginians want and need a fierce champion like Dr. Northam to stand up for them and to stand up for women’s health.”
The Post noted that polls have shown Northam in a “dead heat” with Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie, the former chair of the Republican National Committee. A recent Monmouth University poll found the two candidates tied at 44 percent each.
Gillespie campaign spokesman Dave Abrams told The Hill in a statement that the Republican candidate opposes granting taxpayer funds to Planned Parenthood.
"It's no surprise that Planned Parenthood would spend millions of dollars on Ralph Northam's behalf, given his extreme positions like supporting abortions in the eighth or ninth month or just because the unborn child is a girl,” Abrams said. “Most of Planned Parenthood's funding comes from individual donors, and Ed does not support subsidizing their budget with taxpayer dollars."
The Virginia election will take place on Nov. 7.
