Nov. 5 is a big day for Virginia. Tomorrow, registered voters will cast their ballots for the next governor of the commonwealth of Virginia: current Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, former Democratic National Committee Chair Terry McAuliffe, or the Libertarian party candidate Robert Sarvis. This gubernatorial election has come to focus on many polarizing issues in the commonwealth, and as a female college student in this state, I will be endorsing Terry McAuliffe for Virginia’s next governor. McAuliffe’s stance on issues surrounding education policy, jobs and the economy and women’s rights were among some of the deciding factors that helped me choose who I would cast my ballot for at the polls on Nov. 5.
Of course there will always be a problem with selecting candidates based on their stances on popular voter issues during their campaigns, instead of their experience and track record. Some may see McAuliffe as a politically inexperienced candidate, but an accomplished and slick businessman — which is evidenced by the fact that he has not held office in Virginia, or anywhere else for that matter. Greentech, a company McAuliffe founded, is currently under investigation by the SEC for some questionable investments. Cuccinelli, on the other hand, is currently being sued by the Democratic party of Virginia alongside current Gov. Bob McDonnell for the recent purge of more than 57,000 voters. And it certainly doesn’t help that the end of his tenure as attorney general saw a fair share of ethics scandals, all in addition to his extreme stances on many social issues. A recent Washington Post poll showed that a number of McAuliffe voters are casting votes against his Republican opponent, rather than for McAuliffe himself.
As a student at the University of Virginia, education affordability is important to me. It’s important to many other students as well. McAuliffe believes that to combat the large increase in tuition at colleges and universities in Virginia, these colleges and universities need to be given tools to keep tuition low and financial aid high. This particular issue is important to many U.Va. students especially with the recent changes to AccessUVa that will make the price of obtaining a degree from the University of Virginia increase substantially for some low-income students who will now be obliged to take out loans. McAuliffe believes that students at colleges and universities in Virginia deserve a quality education without bearing the burden of heavy debt. Financial aid is essential.
Economic growth is also an important issue for students, especially the ones who will be graduating and looking for jobs in the near future. This area is one where the governor has the potential to have the most influence. In terms of creating jobs, the Democratic candidate wants to create jobs by diversifying the economy. Economic diversification means creating jobs in the IT industry, expanding tourism, investing in energy and increasing advance manufacturing. The expansion of Medicaid is one of the biggest policy differences between Cuccinelli and McAuliffe. Cuccinelli opposes the expansion because he believes that the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, is already a huge failure. On the other hand, McAuliffe believes that the expansion of Medicaid will create thousands of jobs and extend health care to a large amount of Virginians. An increase in workplace and economic diversity will make it possible for the Commonwealth to withstand any spending cuts that may occur in the future.
The last big issue that could decide the election is the candidates’ views on women’s rights. McAuliffe is a strong proponent of pro-choice legislation, while Cuccinelli is adamantly against abortion. With the governor’s seat comes the responsibility to appoint the state health commission and the authority to appoint members to the State Board of Health. The health commissioner has the ability to “issue waivers to the clinics or guidelines to inspectors that could allow them to stay open without full compliance with regulations.” When appointing individuals to the Board of Health, each candidate will be able to appoint likeminded people.
All of these issues are important to me and were important in helping me decide who to vote for on Tuesday. However, what is even more essential in this election is that we all perform our civic duties and go out to cast a ballot. It is a growing trend that voter turnout is relatively low during non-presidential elections, especially among young voters, so it is beyond crucial that we all get out to vote on Nov. 5, 2013, regardless of who you vote for. Let your voice be heard!
Gabrielle Long is a fourth-year College student and a member of the Black Student Alliance.
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