Progressive group launches ad featuring Va. GOP 'supporter' chasing down minority kids with a pickup

Latino Victory — a progressive political organization co-founded by actress Eva Longoria, which aims to support and elect leaders to benefit the Latino community — created a takedown ad targeted at Virginia GOP gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie, who is running against current Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam. The ad, which was shared on Monday, also took aim at President Donald Trump.

What was in the ad?

• The ad, supporting Northam, features a white male actor driving a black pickup truck carrying a flying Confederate flag. The truck also bore license plates featuring the Gadsden flag's motto, "Don't tread on me," as well as a sticker boasting support for Gillespie.
• Several minority child actors are featured in the ad. The children flee  upon the pickup truck's approach, warning other minority children on their escape of the coming truck.
• The ad progresses to a chase scene where the man in the pickup truck is shown driving at the group of children, who find themselves trapped up against a chainlink fence.
• Eventually, it's shown that what's happening in the ad has been dreamed up by a Latino child having a nightmare about the man driving the pickup truck.
• Stoking racial worry in Virginia voters, the ad concludes with a grim warning against Gillespie and Trump, claiming that they are responsible for inciting fear.
• "Is this what Donald Trump and Ed Gillespie mean by the American dream?" the ad asks, and shows footage of white supremacists and neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Ed Gillespie and Donald Trump promise the American dream, but can only deliver an American nightmare. No more. Vote @RalphNortham. #GameOnVApic.twitter.com/mwpWXM47HZ

— Latino Victory (@latinovictoryus) October 30, 2017

Did Gillespie respond?

In a statement to The Daily Caller, a spokesperson for Gillespie said:

Ed Gillespie has focused his campaign on the many policy differences between Ralph Northam and him, but sadly the Northam campaign and its allies have launched a desperate smear campaign against Ed in the closing days of this election,” Chris Leavitt, his campaign manager. “The Lieutenant Governor was roundly rebuked for exploiting imagery from the tragedy of Charlottesville for political points. Now his allies have reached a new low with a disgusting, vile television ad seeking to instill fear in our children with that same imagery. This is not an attack on Ed Gillespie anymore. This is an all out attack on the people of Virginia. This latest ad gives a clear indication of just what Ralph Northam and his national Democratic allies think of all of us, and it’s sickening.

Northam led by 7 percentage points just several weeks ago, but Gillespie now leads by 2 points, according to the most recent RealClearPolitics polls, Fox News reported.  The election is Nov. 7.