Last month, Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) said "thank God we elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris," during a campaign event, claiming "they’ve done so many good things!" Despite how questionable it might seem for a vulnerable congresswoman to give such undeserved praise, in a state where Biden is so unpopular, Luria stands by those remarks.
Incredible@WAVY_News plays @CLFSuperPAC's ad on air and asks @RepElaineLuria if she regrets saying "Joe Biden has done just great things"
— Calvin Moore (@CalvinMoore_) October 5, 2022
And Luria *doubles down,* "No I don't regret it at all."
Another ?? clip coming to a campaign ad near you! #VA02https://t.co/aNvvFj1O0o pic.twitter.com/zLJghlTW61
During a Tuesday night interview with local news outlet WAVY-TV, Luria explained "no, I don't regret it at all," about her remarks at that campaign event, and even doubled down by offering "if you just look at what this administration has done."
The Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) highlighted the clip, and their press secretary, Cally Perkins, also issued a statement. "Elaine Luria clearly couldn’t be more out of touch with families back home," she said. "The Biden agenda has been nothing short of a disaster for Virginians, and yet Luria is doubling down on her loyalty to Biden’s reckless policies."
An August poll from Roanoke College found that just 39 percent of Virginia residents approve of President Joe Biden, while 57 percent disapprove. These numbers are close to his record low approval numbers, when 37 percent approved in June, and tied for his record high disapproval numbers, as 57 percent also disapproved.
Civiqs also has Biden underwater, in that 40 percent of registered voters in Virginia approve and 51 percent disapprove. This is similar to how Civiqs shows Biden doing throughout the country, with a 39 percent approval rating while 52 percent disapprove.
Luria is running against state Sen. Jen Kiggans, who has been endorsed by E-PAC, which was founded by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) following the 2018 midterm losses in order to increase the amount of female Republicans elected to Congress.
Bryan Piligra, a campaign spokesperson for Kiggans, told Townhall that "Elaine Luria’s unwavering support for Joe Biden is nothing new — after all, she’s voted with him 99% of time in Congress. But to double down on her absurd comment that Joe Biden has ‘done great things’ should terrify Virginians," he said, as his warning got stronger from there. "Elaine is living in her own reality. She refuses to accept accountability for her atrocious voting record and the disastrous impact it has had on the cost of living for taxpayers in the Second District. Another term for Elaine Luria means another two years of the Biden agenda that has raised taxes and driven inflation to 40-year highs. Virginians simply can’t afford it.”
It's worth emphasizing that of all the vulnerable Virginia Democrats, of which there are certainly a few, Luria is perhaps the most vulnerable. Even The New York Times admitted as much over the summer, highlighting her position on the January 6 select committee.
Luria, along with fellow vulnerable Virginia Democrat Rep. Abigail Spanberger, were among the first members added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)'s Frontline members list in March of last year, which is for the most vulnerable incumbents. Forecasters also consider the race to be a "Toss-Up."
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