Koch-backed group endorses Youngkin in Virginia governor’s race

The Virginia branch of the conservative group Americans for Prosperity endorsed Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin in the state’s gubernatorial election on Thursday, launching a six-figure digital campaign. 

The Hill was the first outlet to report on the endorsement from the group, which is backed by GOP mega-donor Charles Koch. 

“As a businessman and entrepreneur, Youngkin understands the pressure Virginian families feel as budgets tighten, costs increase, and success gets harder to find,” said Americans for Prosperity-Virginia state director J.C. Hernandez.  “It doesn’t have to be this way. Glenn Youngkin knows the policies it takes to make life more affordable and expand opportunity to all Virginians. We’re ready to work day and night through the Election to help him make that vision a reality.” 

The six-figure ad campaign will focus on the rising cost of living in Virginia under Democratic control in Richmond. The group will have a kick-off rally at its Richmond headquarters Monday. 

The endorsement comes as the race finds itself in a dead heat ahead of Election Day next month. An Emerson College survey released on Wednesday found former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe leading Youngkin by just 1 point, well within the poll’s margin of error. 

McAuliffe and Youngkin have both made the economy a central point of their campaign platform. McAuliffe has touted coronavirus recovery and President Biden’s American Rescue and Build Back Better plans as a means of growing the economy. Youngkin, on the other hand, has pushed for cutting taxes and costs for Virginia voters. 

A Washington Post-Schar School survey released last month found that 25 percent of Virginia registered voters put the economy as their top issue ahead of other issues including the coronavirus pandemic and education.