Va. Republican Delegate Claims Opponent Ads on Finance Reports

By Emma North
Capital News Service

RICHMOND -- A Republican delegate in Virginia Beach is using his opponent's advertisements so frequently that he recorded them as a campaign contribution in a fundraising report recently made public.

"I don't go anywhere to events or forums without bringing these with me,” said Del. Glenn Davis, referring to campaign literature mailed by his opponent. “I’ve used them a number of times on online videos, and I've also now have even inserted them in mail pieces.”

Virginia Beach public school teacher Karen Mallard is challenging Davis for the District 84 House of Delegates seat.

During Davis’ September fundraising period, he accounted for $44,000 worth of in-kind contributions from the Democratic Party of Virginia. Virginia Department of Elections defines in-kind contributions as the donation of goods or services worth more than $100.

The contribution Davis listed from the DPVA is almost four times more than the $12,278 in-kind contribution he received from the Republican Party of Virginia. He said the $44,000 is based on the market value of the six advertisements made by Mallard’s campaign that he has been using.

"It just wasn't about what's the right number, it was about fulfilling the requirements of Virginia election law," Davis said.

He said has been sharing his opponent’s mail pieces and social media advertisements that include pictures of him or statements about him with his constituents.

When counting the DPVA in-kind contribution, Davis fell short of Mallard’s fundraising in September. Mallard raised $341,588 while Davis raised $82,027. The previous filing period of July and August Mallard also outraised Davis, $170, 731 to $36, 850.

“It's a creative stunt, but you know he did it to pad a bad finance report," said Mallard’s campaign manager Nick Paprocki.

Davis said he is not concerned with being outraised by his opponent ($393,443 total in three months).
“Money doesn't vote, the constituents do and our polls show us that I am still ahead,” Davis said.

The DPVA called Davis’ fundraising report, “another embarrassing ploy to get attention” in a press release issued Wednesday.

Davis, in response to the press release, said he thinks the DPVA is on the defense.

"This is putting a spotlight on all the deceitful negative lies they may have been funding for my opponent, and they're scared to have to defend them," Davis said.

Mallard claimed a total of $69,277 in-kind donations since August from DPVA which were used for mail production and mail services. Campaign finance reports show that on Sept. 13, Mallard paid $20,000 to Battleax Digital for digital advertising.

Though unclear if the company is running social media for Mallard, a series of ads began running four days later that look similar and promote messages about Davis “pushing Trump’s agenda,” “supporting monopolies” and being “against a woman’s right to choose,” as seen in the Facebook ad library. One of the social media advertisements created by Mallard’s campaign reads: “Glenn Davis tried to deny healthcare to 400,000 Virginia Families.”

“He's been all over the place on Medicaid expansion,” Paprocki said.

Mallard states on her campaign website that she is “Unequivocally in favor of Medicaid expansion and can be trusted to protect it in the House of Delegates.”

Davis said he has worked on both sides of the aisle when it comes to issues like health care. In 2014 he co-patroned HB 5008 with former Del. Tom Rust pushing for more government-funded health care for uninsured Virginians, which did not pass the House. He also voted in favor of HB 5001 and HB 5002 to expand Medicaid during the 2018 General Assembly session.

"We certainly stand by the research on the ads that we put out," Paprocki said.