Fairfax isn’t in the club.
How outsider Justin Fairfax broke through the Democratic Party in bid for lieutenant governor
Mar 18, 2017
EXCERPT
Despite the résumé, however, it hasn’t been simple for Fairfax to crack through the Virginia establishment of his Democratic Party, which currently occupies all five statewide offices with white men.
Having never run for office before, Fairfax ran for attorney general in 2013, narrowly losing in the Democratic primary to Mark R. Herring, who went on to win the general election in a squeaker.
Fairfax has not been a part of the club. He’s only spoken in passing with Gov. Terry McAuliffe, the state party’s effervescent leader and the mansion’s occupant for the past three years.
But Fairfax is running for statewide office again, and the vibe around him is slowly changing.
Last year, after he announced a bid for lieutenant governor, the Democratic Party of Virginia booked one of Fairfax’s potential competitors, Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, at a state party convention. Fairfax’s campaign called it unfortunate and puzzling that he was denied a speaking spot. A Democratic Party official then attacked Fairfax, saying he was trying to divide the party — but the party promptly apologized for the attack and called Fairfax “a rising star in Virginia.”
I think that’s all phoney to make him look like a victim and turnout the minority vote.