A Republican delegate trying to hold onto his seat in a Virginia Beach district says his Democratic opponent’s attack mailers have actually benefited his campaign — so much so that he’s reporting them as a $44,000 in-kind contribution in official records submitted to the state.
Karen Mallard, a Chesapeake school teacher who previously ran for the 2nd Congressional District seat, has authorized several mailers calling out Del. Glenn Davis’ legislative record on public charter schools and healthcare, saying he’s voted to take money away from public schools, block Medicaid expansion and gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions. The ads are paid for by the Democratic Party of Virginia.
Davis, who’s held the seat in the 84th House District since 2013, said in a press release Wednesday that the attack ads, which he calls “lies,” have led to a rise in name recognition and “positive impressions in recent polling” — so much so that he’s credited the Democratic Party with $44,000 in in-kind, non-monetary contributions on his latest campaign finance report.
Davis said in the release he feels a “legal obligation” to report the donation.
In reality, the stunt is a creative way to frame what’s shaping up to be a close race as Democrats try to flip enough seats to seize control of the General Assembly, said Rosalyn Cooperman, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington.
“It’s political theater, to be sure,” she said.
– Original Credit: Courtesy Glenn Davis
Davis said he based the $44,000 figure on his own usual costs for mailers multiplied by the six of his opponent’s he’s used in ads. His release added: “But in terms of value to our campaign, her advertising has been priceless.”
Campaign finance reports for September were due to the Virginia Department of Elections on Tuesday. Mallard reported raising $341,589 to Davis’ $82,027. She also has more than triple the amount of cash on hand since Jan. 1.
Mallard’s attack ads have accused Davis of “shortchanging our public schools” and voting to give charter schools more money; of taking thousands of campaign dollars from insurance companies; of voting to take away insurance coverage for people with pre-existing conditions; and voting against Medicaid expansion four times.
Davis doesn’t contest his voting record on Medicaid expansion but said he’s sponsored legislation to overhaul and expand Virginia’s Medicaid system, and voted for expansion in 2018, the year it passed. He said he also filed a bill that insurance companies opposed.
– Original Credit: Courtesy Glenn Davis
“We are incredibly confident on the research that was done on his votes,” Mallard’s campaign manager Nick Paprocki said Saturday.
“I’m not attacking anybody, I’m just informing constituents of his voting record,” Mallard said Saturday. “If he perceives his voting record as negative, maybe he should’ve voted differently.”
Her campaign declined to comment on Davis’ campaign finance reporting, referring a reporter to the Democratic Party of Virginia. The party’s spokesman, Grant Fox, called the move a “gimmick” in a news release.
Davis called the attack ads “unethical, dishonest, nasty campaign tactics.” He also started a “facts matter” page on his campaign website debunking Mallard’s claims.
He said Wednesday he spoke with an election law attorney and wanted to be fully transparent about what he was doing with his opponent’s mailers, since he’s been using them in videos, direct mail, digital media and public appearances.
It’s unclear whether Davis’s move will raise any eyebrows at the Virginia Department of Elections.
In-kind contributions are defined as donated goods, services or property, such as advertising materials, lodging, catering or office space. Candidates must attach a value to the in-kind donation and say how they came up with that value — using the actual cost or its fair market value.
Davis labeled the in-kind donation as “direct mail and digital advertising” on his campaign finance report. Under “date received,” he put Sept. 30, the last day of the reporting period.
The department monitors the timeliness and completeness of the reports. It accepts and investigates outside complaints of campaign finance law violations, but there aren’t any campaign contribution limits.
A department campaign finance specialist could not be reached Wednesday.
Political science professor Quentin Kidd from Christopher Newport University said Davis’ move is a novel way to stand out in a tough election cycle with less than three weeks to go until Election Day.
“He’s playing a really cute and sophisticated game with what’s going on,” Kidd said. “He doesn’t need the publicity. I think what this is about is turning the narrative a little bit. If it was just about boosting his bottom line, he’s failed — it was boosted artificially.”
Marie Albiges, 757-247-4962, malbiges@dailypress.com
This article has been corrected to reflect that Karen Mallard works for Chesapeake Public Schools, not Virginia Beach Schools.
