Virginia Democrats’ response to the gubernatorial debate called to mind Jim Crow for many as it begged the question, “Where is the bottom of their depravity?”
Instead of working on damage control in the wake of a scandal surrounding messages about the violent fantasies of their nominee for attorney general, Democrats in Virginia saw fit to portray the Republican nominee for governor in the style of a racist trope. Of course, even after getting called out for “Open racism” and “open hatred,” the best response the Powhatan County Democratic Committee could conjure up was a non-apology about those who “took it that way.”
Following the debate between Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) and former Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D), where the latter silently stared ahead as the former challenged the ongoing support for AG nominee Jay Jones (D), the Powhatan County Dems shared a political cartoon that depicted Earle-Sears seemingly ranting in a gruesome caricature beside a composed Spanberger.
While the account deleted the post, investigative journalist Walter Curt was among those sharing the archived screenshot as he wrote, “The Democrat party of Virginia everyone. Open racism, open hatred, and endorsed violent fantasies. Where is the bottom of their depravity? This is disgusting.”
The Democrat party of Virginia everyone.
Open racism, open hatred, and endorsed violent fantasies.
Where is the bottom of their depravity? This is disgusting. pic.twitter.com/XooGk6X50C
— Walter Curt (@WCdispatch_) October 10, 2025
As the backlash hit from the cartoon, the Powhatan County Dems shirked responsibility, leaning on the fact that the cartoon was the work of someone else, before suggesting only some would interpret the imagery as having “racist overtones.”
The committee posted Friday afternoon, “We reposted an online political cartoon that some people thought had racist overtones. That was certainly not our intent. We have deleted it out of respect to anyone who took it that way.”
We reposted an online political cartoon that some people thought had racist overtones. That was certainly not our intent. We have deleted it out of respect to anyone who took it that way.
— Powhatan County Dems (@Powhatan_Dems) October 10, 2025
Earlier in the day, Earle-Sears had captured the essence of the debate with a montage lasting little more than a minute. In it, Spanberger went between stone-faced and smirking as the lieutenant governor called on her to have some “political courage” and call on Jones to leave the race over messages where he envisioned then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R) receiving “two bullets to the head” and allegedly hoping the man’s children would die.
Abigail Spanberger’s silence says it all. pic.twitter.com/orrgAzULKK
— Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) October 10, 2025
Despite the Democrats’ attempt to downplay the rhetoric, there had been other examples of racism in the gubernatorial matchup, including a statement from Marc Broklawski, Vice-Chair for Rules of the Virginia Democrats, that suggested the lieutenant governor was at fault when a racist sign was held up outside a school board meeting Earle-Sears attended.
“What happened in Arlington wasn’t just about a meeting. It was about the climate Winsome Sears is creating, one where contempt is currency and neighbors are turned against each other,” wrote Broklawski. “[Abigail Spanberger] is running on something stronger: a Virginia where we solve problems, not invent enemies.”
The sign in question had read, “Hey Winsome, If Trans Can’t Share Your Bathroom, Then Blacks Can’t Share My Water Fountain,” and found even a fellow protester encouraging it to be taken down — albeit because of the bad press it would generate.
Given the current shaky ground the Democratic Party was standing on with regard to rhetoric, it came as no surprise that few were willing to accept the notion that the cartoon was an honest mistake. One social media user even pointedly reminded, “I’m old enough to remember when democrats would say, ‘The angry black woman stereotype is a racist trope to keep strong black females oppressed.’”
That only applies to black women who are Democrats I guess
— Rando Alpaca #79 (@RandoAlpaca79) October 11, 2025
Nobody “thought” it had racist overtones. It literally DID have racist overtones. If the parties were reversed it would be on every MSNBC show and Mainstream News Cycle from now until Election Day with requests for every Republican in office down to dog catcher to denounce it …
— Artist_Angie: Sensei of Sarcasm (@Artist_Angie) October 10, 2025
It’s astonishing how VA democrats keep being accidentally racist.
When it happens so frequently, one might reasonably draw the conclusion that it’s not really an accident. pic.twitter.com/ADuFc7UhaJ
— Godwin Meter (@GodwinMeter) October 10, 2025
Is about time Virginians understood just how racist and disgraceful the Democrats are in the Commonwealth.
— NotYourJewishMom (@NYJMomREDACTED) October 10, 2025
— Jeremy Matthews (@Sarcasm_Sells) October 11, 2025
— Laura W – Wicked Witch of the South (@BumpstockBarbie) October 10, 2025
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Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn’t researching current events and their impacts, you’ll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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