One month ago Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who is running for governor in Virginia, met with NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg. It turns out that meeting paid off. Bloomberg will dump $1.1 million in pro-gun control money into McAuliffe's campaign coffers.
The billionaire New York City mayor’s money will be siphoned through Independence USA PAC into broadcast television commercials in the D.C. market, according to two sources tracking the air war.
McAuliffe is a supporter of limiting magazine capacity, limited gun purchases to one per month per person, universal background checks and bans on sporting rifles.
Bloomberg's interest in the Virginia race, a purple state, comes at an interesting time. Last week Bloomberg's money paid off for Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who will now head to the U.S. Senate. But just a short month ago, Bloomberg was crushed in Colorado when pro-gun control legislators, including the Senate president, were recalled by voters. Bloomberg sent millions in to combat the recall, outspending grassroots activists and the NRA 7 to 1 and still failed. Since the blowout, Bloomberg has been asked by Democratic Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to stay out of the state.
The Virginia election is less than two weeks away with McAuliffe in the lead against Republican Ken Cuccinelli. Although McAuliffe is leading in polls, low turnout is expected which means Cuccinelli has a chance to win at the ballot box. Bloomberg sending in his dirty money might be the kick pro-second amendment voters need to get out and vote on November 5.
UPDATE: The Cuccinelli campaign is saying McAuliffe should be ashamed of himself for partnering with Bloomberg.
"Terry McAuliffe ought to be ashamed of himself for trotting out radical billionaires from New York City and San Francisco who want to impose their liberal agenda on Virginia," Cuccinelli's press secretary Anna Nix said in a statement. McAuliffe may be pandering to his base by locking arms with individuals who care nothing about our jobs or our constitutional right to defend ourselves, but their big government schemes are wrong for Virginia."