Va. Democrats walk tight path amid crisis
RICHMOND, Va. – Confronted with a triple threat to the party’s top ranks, Virginia Democrats are demanding anew that Gov. Ralph Northam resign, but giving the benefit of the doubt – for the time being – to the lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Key Democratic groups began weighing in late Thursday after the widening crisis rendered them practically speechless for a day. Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring have admitted wearing blackface in the 1980s, while Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax is accused of sexually assaulting a woman 15 years ago, an allegation he denies.
“We’ll have our say; I’m confident in the truth,” Fairfax said Friday when asked what message he had for Virginia.
The previous night, the Virginia legislature’s Black Caucus issued a statement acknowledging the seriousness of all three controversies but added: “Our responses to each, however, must be based on their individual facts and circumstances.”
Although the Democratic Party has taken almost a zero-tolerance approach to misconduct among its members in this #Metoo era, a housecleaning in Virginia could be costly: If all three Democrats resigned, Republican House Speaker Kirk Cox would become governor.
In a positive sign for Northam, a lawmaker from Virginia’s Democraticleaning D.C. suburbs explained Friday he would not call for an early ouster of the besieged governor.
“I will not request the Governor’s resignation,” State Sen. Chap Petersen, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Nor will I request any other official to resign until it is obvious that they have committed a crime in office or their ability to serve is irredeemably compromised.”
On Thursday, the Black Caucus and Democratic congressional delegation also reiterated their calls for the governor to step down, and the state House Democrats said they remain disappointed in him.
As for Herring, the congressional delegation cited his apologies and “indepth discussions” with Virginia leaders in explaining why they were responding differently to his blackface admission.