Virginia’s gubernatorial candidate and former governor Terry McAuliffe last week abandoned a disabled forum for a fundraiser in Nevada, prompting a father of a disabled child to say, “It’s disheartening that he didn’t apologize.”
McAuliffe spoke briefly Thursday with his Republican opponent Glenn Youngkin at the non-partisan forum on developmental disabilities run by the nonprofit Arc of Virginia. It wasn’t long, however, before McAuliffe left the virtual event to attend a fundraiser in Las Vegas with Democrat Silver State Governor Steve Sisolak.
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McAuliffe’s early departure was not well received by some attendees, including Mike Murphy, whose son has special needs.
Murphy gutted McAuliffe in a statement Monday to Fox News, saying it was “disheartening” that the Democratic gubernatorial candidate has not yet apologized for leaving early.
“I believe leaders are measured by how they behave towards those who are the weakest in their society,” Murphy told Fox News in an email. “Terry McAuliffe was misleading us into thinking he was a candidate to take care of someone like my son who was born with a dual disability.”
“His actions speak louder than words. It is clear that he would much rather go to Las Vegas to do God knows what than listen to the needs of the disabled community, ”he continued. “It’s disheartening that he didn’t apologize to the Arc of Northern Virginia.”
Murphy also asked McAuliffe in a Republican Party of Virginia press release to apologize for leaving the event prematurely.
Lee Talley, who also has a special needs child, said he was “appalled that Terry McAuliffe is leaving us up and dry” to campaign with Sisolak in Nevada.
“This decision was disrespectful, objectionable, and demonstrates poor judgment that would not suit someone who wants to become governor,” Talley said in a Virginia GOP press release.
Talley said McAuliffe’s departure on Thursday “clearly demonstrated that a vote for McAuliffe would be dangerous for any family with a loved one with special needs.”
“A vote for him represents an ongoing status quo of a system that is not working for our families and a deterioration in services for families in Virginia,” the father said.
Youngkin told Fox News in a statement Monday that “Virginians deserve a governor who puts people above campaign money,” which he said “is something Terry McAuliffe was never known for.”
“He seems more interested in laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign than looking after the Virginians,” said Youngkin.
Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe will run against Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin in the state’s general election this fall.
(Drew Angerer / Getty Images)
This is not the first time McAuliffe has snubbed a major political event. The Virginia governor’s hopefuls left his wife in the hospital as she waited to give birth to his daughter to attend a party for then-Washington Post reporter Lloyd Grove.
According to his 2007 book, the Democratic candidate stopped for “maybe 15 minutes” at a Democratic fundraiser on the way back from the hospital with his wife, assistant and newborn son. He noted that his wife was “in tears”.
McAuliffe wasn’t the only Democratic candidate to miss the forum. Attorney General Mark Herring did not attend. Despite her absence, Democratic lieutenant governor and candidate Haya Ayala attended and was praised by a participant for being “the only Democrat on the call”.
An Arc of Virginia spokesman told Fox News that McAuliffe’s departure was announced at the start of the event and that after a brief, unmuted hiccup, he was “able to make his full introductory remarks and answer the first of two questions solely contacting the gubernatorial candidates before they depart for a prior engagement as planned approximately 30 minutes after the event begins. “
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“We are grateful to all candidates for participating in discussions on critical issues from the DD community,” the spokesman continued, noting that McAuliffe spoke at the nonprofit’s previous Democratic Pre-election Candidate Forum.
McAuliffe’s campaign did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
