FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 5, 2013
Contact: Mallory Quigley, 703-380-6674
McAuliffe Spent Well Over $5 Million on False “War on Women” Attack Ads
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to Ken Cuccinelli’s close defeat in the Virginia gubernatorial election tonight, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), gave the following comment:
“Despite being woefully outspent and compromised both by the government shutdown and the ethics scandal faced by Governor Bob McDonnell, Cuccinelli came within inches of victory. The political prognosticators that can often drive election results by their predictions ought not to have given up on him. The results make clear that more support from outside groups in the final weeks could have changed the outcome. Shame on the Republican establishment for abandoning this race and failing to push Ken over the finish line.
“Terry McAuliffe spent well over $5 million on misleading attack ads about Ken Cuccinelli and the fictitious ‘war on women,’ including running more than 5,600 spots on the abortion issue alone. Attacks on Cuccinelli were left unanswered, or answered too late, and the negative message stuck.
“This election shows that it is imperative for pro-lifers to be on offense in 2014 against the distortions and extremism of the Left. The Democrat strategy for 2014 is set: demonize pro-life candidates and spend big on ‘war on women’ advertising. The party, candidates, and movement must aggressively expose the other side’s extremism and penchant for putting women and children at risk through their abortion policies.”
Women Speak Out – Virginia, the state PAC of the SBA List, raised and spent $870,000 in support of Ken Cuccinelli’s candidacy, working to turn out the pro-life base. This is the group that narrowed the margins and surprised the political class. Women Speak Out – Virginia activities included:
- Canvassing the homes of 69,700 voters
- Live volunteer calls reaching 255,000 identified pro-life inconsistent voters
- Automated GOTV calls reaching 956,994 voters
- Two radio ad campaigns exposing McAuliffe for his opposition to health and safety standards for Virginia abortion facilities as well as his role in the Greentech scandal.
- Two undercover videos and a web ad slamming McAuliffe on the issue of abortion facility standards, especially in light of the more than 80 violations discovered inside Virginia abortion facilities – including blood-stained equipment and tables, and even a doctor performing procedures with unwashed hands.
- Women for Ken– More than 400 Women for Ken volunteers spent weeks on voter outreach including volunteer mobilization, door-to-door canvassing, phone calls, and maintaining a presence at all debates, farmer’s markets, county GOP meetings, fairs, and parades.
The Susan B. Anthony List, and its affiliated Political Action Committees, the SBA List Candidate Fund and Women Speak Out PAC, are dedicated to pursuing policies and electing candidates who will reduce and ultimately end abortion. To that end, the SBA List emphasizes the education, promotion, mobilization, and election of pro-life women. The SBA List is a network of more than 365,000 pro-life Americans nationwide.
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