Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) is done supporting Democrat Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam.
The 2020 contender who once touted Northam’s dedication to standing against “hatred and bigotry” called for the governor’s resignation on Friday after a photo from his page in a 1984 college yearbook resurfaced that shows two individuals dressed in costumes that many have deemed racist.
“Leaders are called to a higher standard, and the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government,” Harris tweeted. “The Governor of Virginia should step aside so the public can heal and move forward together.”
“Racist and offensive”
News of the photo first broke late Friday after Big League Politics reported that a photo was printed on Northam’s page in a 40-year-old yearbook from Eastern Virginia Medical School that they said showed the now-governor and a friend dressed in blackface and Ku Klux Klan (KKK) robes.
Northam later apologized and confirmed that he was in the photo, which he called “racist and offensive.” He did not clarify which costume he wore.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam says he wasn’t in yearbook racist photo, vows he will not resign https://t.co/IrX58KTHZX pic.twitter.com/a6esrum0KC
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) February 2, 2019
“I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now,” Northam said in a statement. “This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service.”
“Contrary to American values”
The Virginia governor soon faced numerous calls for his resignation from both Republicans and Democrats, including Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA), who called the photo “racist and contrary to fundamental American values.”
But that’s not the tune Democrats like Harris were singing in November 2017, when Northam won the governorship over GOP opponent Ed Gillespie, who Northam famously accused of using “racist rhetoric.”
Congratulations to @RalphNortham and his team for showing that Virginia won’t stand for hatred and bigotry.https://t.co/ptKySwzmMC
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 8, 2017
Still, despite losing support from even his own party, Northam walked back his admittance of guilt in a video posted to Twitter later Friday, saying that while it was indeed his yearbook page, he did not appear in the photo, nor did he attend the event it was taken at.
In a televised press conference on Saturday, Northam said he would not resign and said he’d never seen the photo before Friday.
“I am simply asking for the opportunity to demonstrate beyond the shadow of a doubt that the person I was is not the man I am today,” Northam said. “I am asking for the opportunity to earn your forgiveness.”
But with the Virginia GOP and Democratic Party both calling for Northam’s ouster, it may only be a matter of time before Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) is running the commonwealth. In the words of Kamala Harris, “Virginia won’t stand for hatred and bigotry.”
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