Pence to appear at Virginia rally for Republican candidates in state

Vice President Pence will appear at a Virginia rally in support of Republican candidates in the commonwealth.

Pence will appear at a rally in Virginia Beach on Nov. 2 ahead of the state’s Nov. 5 elections, the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) said on Wednesday.

{mosads}“Momentum in the commonwealth during this final stretch of the election season is fully on the side of Republicans, and Vice President Pence will help to carry the widespread grassroots enthusiasm right into Election Day,” RSLC President Austin Chambers said in a statement. 

Matt Harringer, a spokesman for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said in a statement that his group hopes “every Virginia Republican in a competitive race will attend the rally and join hands with their party’s right-wing leader.”

“It’s unclear if local Republicans actually think Vice President Pence will be helpful or if the Washington-based RSLC is forcing his presence on them in exchange for funding their campaigns,” Harringer said.

A recent poll from Virginia Commonwealth University found that 47 percent of respondents said they would prefer Democrats to control the General Assembly, while 46 percent said they would prefer Republicans.  

In 2016, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton beat President Trump in Virginia and, according to Morning Consult, the president has maintained a negative net approval rating there as of September. 

—Updated at 5:11 p.m.