The campaign ad contrasts Republican Winsome Earle-Sears with Democrat Abigail Spanberger on crime and safety. (Courtesy of American Principles Project)
"She’s avoided answering any and all questions about it, and the answer is obvious because this situation is only possible because of Spanberger’s radical transgender policy agenda. Cox has been a repeat offender for over 30 years. He was allowed to enter women’s private spaces where little girls are vulnerable, and no one stopped him," Schilling added.
"If Abigail Spanberger is elected governor of Virginia, she will repeal all protections for women in Virginia and put even more young girls in danger. The reason we are spending $1 million on this ad is because every Virginia voter should know that Abigail Spanberger will endanger their daughters."
APP has run similar ads in other battleground states, positioning itself as a defender of families and warning against policies it claims "confuse[s] young children about changing their gender." By airing the ad now, APP hopes to frame Spanberger as out of step with Virginia voters before Election Day.
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The American Principles Project released an ad tying Abigail Spanberger to sex offenders and criticizing her transgender policy record. (Courtesy of American Principles Project)
Cox remains in custody at the Arlington County jail on multiple pending charges, according to the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office inmate database.
"Abigail Spanberger’s policies enabled Richard Cox to prey on women and girls. No amount of political damage control can erase that record," Schilling told Fox News Digital in response to the Spanberger campaign. "Spanberger is too dangerous to lead Virginia. As governor, Spanberger will repeal Gov. Youngkin’s recent executive order barring males from female private spaces."
Republicans argue that safety and cultural issues are resonating more deeply with parents across the state, particularly after Youngkin's win in 2021, which many linked to parental rights in education.
Polling shows Spanberger with a lead, but the numbers suggest a competitive race. A Washington Post Schar School poll taken in late September showed her at 55% to Republican nominee Winsome Earle-Sears at 43. With Republicans casting about half of the first week’s early ballots, the race is one of the most-watched in the nation.
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More ads are expected as the campaign heats up and voters in Virginia send in record numbers of early ballots. The final weeks of the race will show whether the tough-on-crime playbook still rings true nearly four decades after Willie Horton. Early voting ends Nov. 1.
The Earle-Sears campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Jasmine Baehr is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, faith and culture.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-governors-race-ad-stirs-willie-horton-echoes-early-voting-hits-record-pace