WASHINGTON—In response to Republican Ed Gillespie’s latest anti-immigrant attack ad on Democratic candidate for governor Ralph Northam, which appears to depict Latinos as violent criminals, People For the American Way Political Director Lizet Ocampo released the following statement:

“Ed Gillespie has yet again demonized Latinos and the immigrant community for his own political gain. His most recent ad is a disgusting smear, painting immigrants as violent criminals. While Gillespie pushes fear-based politics and scapegoats entire communities under the guise of a “safety” message a la Donald Trump, Ralph Northam has actually kept us safe by serving in our country’s armed forces. Virginians should reject Gillespie, a divisive candidate who wants to win on racism, and support Ralph Northam, who is leader for all Virginians.”

Lizet Ocampo is available for interviews in both Spanish and English. For follow up questions or if you would like to speak with Ms. Ocampo, please contact [email protected].

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy.

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