Republican gubernatorial candidates discuss final sprint to convention, plans to win in November

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Republican candidates for governor are sprinting across the state as their race enters its final moments.

On Saturday, May 8, delegates will head to 37 sites across the state to pick their party’s nominee. Candidates Glenn Youngkin, Kirk Cox, and Pete Snyder spoke to our team about their ideas for the state and how they plan to win in November if they secure the nomination.

For the first time in more than a decade, Virginia raised the minimum wage. It now stands at $9.50 an hour. Each candidate weighed in on the change.

“I think the problem with that is, it can be a job killer for so many. Small business is already in trouble, if you look, 20 or 25 percent have gone out of business and now you’re putting another burden on them. That’s going to hurt the worker,” former Virginia House Speaker Kirk Cox said.

“We need to have a fair and working wage and that’s why small business owners should be the ones providing it. We are in the middle of a pandemic and government broke the backs, through these mandates, of tens of thousands of small business owners,” Businessman Pete Snyder said.

“The real goal here is to build a rip-roaring economy with more jobs than people can take, and therefore wages rise based on market mechanics so that in fact companies and communities can support them. Let’s be clear, minimum wage in Northern Virginia is different than minimum wage in Southwest Virginia,” Businessman Glenn Youngkin said.

Republicans will use rank choice voting to select their party’s nominee, so each candidate spoke to why delegates should pick them first.

“My record over the last 30 years. I’ve been the one fighting Terry McAuliffe on the floor. I’ve been supporting the Second Amendment, on pro-life issues, on cutting taxes, billion dollar tax cut when I was speaker. So that’s number one, number two, electability. I come from the bluest Republican district in the state,” Cox said.

“We are going to get our schools open five days a week, every single week, with a real teacher in every single classroom. We are going to get rid of these ridiculous and unconstitutional mandates and open up our economy. We’re actually going to put the rights of law abiding citizens and victims above those of criminals,” Snyder said.

“I know how to deliver results as opposed to empty promises. Virginians can count on me to get this economy moving. To create opportunities in partnership with all kinds of great organizations across Virginia. I also am a Republican who is running a completely different kind of campaign who will win in Virginia,” Youngkin said.

Each candidate says regardless of what happens they are committed to uniting the party to win in November.