Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) said he does not think associations with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) are hurting his gubernatorial campaign.
“I don’t think he’s dragging me down,” Cuccinelli said according to Virginia ABC affiliate WJLA. “He’s a Texas senator…(so) it doesn’t have a whole lot of resonance in my race.”
Terry McAuliffe, Cuccinelli’s Democratic opponent in the gubernatorial race, has been linking Cuccinelli to Cruz as a way to associate the attorney general with the government shutdown. Recent polling indicates that this strategy may be helping McAuliffe widen his 44-35 lead in the race.
Last Saturday Cuccinelli and Cruz both appeared at a gala event hosted by the Family Foundation in Richmond, Virginia. The Cuccinelli campaign stressed that the event was not a campaign event.
“I left after he spoke,” Cuccinelli also told WJLA, referring to the event. “I spoke first.”
Pressed further on Cruz Cuccinelli said he was just focused on Virginia.
“I’m running for governor of Virginia, and so I stay focused on Virginia, and I don’t know why that should surprise you,” Cuccinelli said.
