Barbara Comstock’s lasted ad is a stunning display of hypocrisy – it blames a candidate for supporting a bipartisan bill that then-Delegate Comstock herself voted against, sparking widespread criticism for her inexplicable refusal to support a major bipartisan transportation compromise to create jobs and spur economic development in Northern Virginia.
The bill Comstock is misusing to attack her opponent has been deemed a wild success for Northern Virginia by easing transit and creating thousands of jobs in Northern Virginia. However, in staying true to her politics-before-people style, Comstock’s ad fails to mention the major success of the Silver Line despite her purely partisan opposition to funding it.
“It’s no surprise that LuAnn Bennett, like Democrats and Republicans throughout Northern Virginia, supported a major transportation bill to improve transit and build out the Silver Line,” said Jermaine House of DCCC. “What is surprising, however, is that career politician Barbara Comstock would stoop to this attack, when she has spent her entire time in Congress refusing to admit her bad judgement, all the while attempting to portray herself as champion of Metro.”
Take a look at Barbara Comstock widely criticized record on Metro:
Washington Post: Comstock “Opposed Most Important State Legislation In More Than A Quarter Century” “Unfortunately, the Republican running to succeed Mr. Wolf, State Del. Barbara Comstock, is not in his mold… But while Mr. Wolf’s fingerprints are on virtually every major transportation project in the region, Ms. Comstock opposed the most important state legislation in more than a quarter century to pay for improvements to roads, bridges, tunnels and mass transit.” [Washington Post, 9/27/14]
April 2012: Comstock Voted For State Budget That Failed To Include Funding For The Silver Line. In 2012, Comstock voted for the state budget. “The primary budget objection of Senate Democrats was the lack of $300 million to reduce tolls on a Northern Virginia highway that are used to fund the extension of a commuter rail line to Dulles International Airport.” [HB 1301, 4/17/12; Virginian-Pilot, 4/19/12]
March 2013: Comstock Voted Against Transportation Compromise; Thumbing Her Nose At Solution To Rush Hour Misery. “VIRGINIA’S LEGISLATURE has enacted the most important transportation funding bill in 27 years, a measure bringing billions to fix Northern Virginia’s crumbling roads and horrible traffic. Amazingly, 12 of 40 Northern Virginia lawmakers — nine Republicans and three Democrats — voted against it, thumbing their noses at the first politically feasible solution to rush-hour misery.” [Editorial, Washington Post, 3/03/13]
Sun Gazette: Comstock’s Transportation Vote A “Disservice To Her Constituents.” In 2014, the Sun Gazette wrote: “We have had our quibbles with Comstock’s tenure in the House of Delegates. Among them: her vote against the 2013 transportation plan was a disservice to her constituents, designed to inoculate herself within the party against accusations of not being anti-tax enough.” [Sun Gazette, 4/22/14]