2:14
- ABC News
- February 2, 2019
Va. gov faces calls to resign for racist photo
Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam is facing calls to resign
2:14
This has been a heartbreaking day. Ralph Northam is my friend and he served well as my Lt. Governor and as Governor. His actions on display in this photo were racist, unacceptable and inexcusable at any age and any time.
— Terry McAuliffe (@TerryMcAuliffe) February 2, 2019
The Democratic Caucus in both the Virginia House of Representatives and Virginia Senate have called on Northam to resign. Senate Democrats released a statement saying, in part, \"It is with heavy hearts that we have respectfully asked him to step down.\"
Democratic presidential candidates, including California Sen. Kamala Harris, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibarnd and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro have called on Northam to step down.
Leaders are called to a higher standard, and the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government. The Governor of Virginia should step aside so the public can heal and move forward together.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 2, 2019
It doesn’t matter if he is a Republican or a Democrat. This behavior was racist and unconscionable. Governor Northam should resign.
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) February 2, 2019
These racist images are deeply disturbing. Hatred and discrimination have no place in our country and must not be tolerated, especially from our leaders – Republican or Democrat. Northam must resign.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) February 2, 2019
These images arouse centuries of anger, anguish, and racist violence and they’ve eroded all confidence in Gov. Northam’s ability to lead. We should expect more from our elected officials. He should resign.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) February 2, 2019
There aren’t two sets of rules for our friends and our foes: Right is right and wrong is wrong. Americans deserve to be respected by their leaders, and racism cannot be excused in our government or anywhere else. Having seen the photo, I believe Governor Northam should resign.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 2, 2019
Calls from other prominent groups on the left for Northam to resign began to emerge Friday night as well, including from MoveOn, a leading progressive group, and Gut Cecil, the head of Priorities USA, a major Democratic super PAC.
If @RalphNortham is one of the two people pictured in the highly disturbing, horrific photo wearing either blackface or a KKK hood – or if he selected or approved of its use on his yearbook page — he should immediately resign. There are no excuses for such a racist display.
— MoveOn (@MoveOn) February 1, 2019
I believe in personal forgiveness & public repentance. That is not the same as deserving the confidence bestowed in our elected officials. The picture was horrifying and deserves a clear response. Ralph Northam should resign. https://t.co/cZBbzYeMFQ
— Guy Cecil (@guycecil) February 1, 2019
Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, also called on Northam to resign.
Black face in any manner is always racist and never okay. No matter the party affiliation, we can not stand for such behavior, which is why the @NAACP is calling for the resignation of Virginia Governor @RalphNortham
— Derrick Johnson (@DerrickNAACP) February 2, 2019
Northam was elected in 2017, defeating former Republican Party Chairman Ed Gillespie, in a year in which Democrats nearly retook the Virginia House of Delegates for the first time in decades.
Numerous high-profile Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden, campaigned for Northam.
The head of the Virginia Republican Party called on Northam in a Friday statement to resign if the governor is, indeed, depicted in the picture.
\"Racism has no place in Virginia,” said Virginia GOP Chairman Jack Wilson. \"These pictures are wholly inappropriate. If Governor Northam appeared in blackface or dressed in a KKK robe, he should resign immediately.\"
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/va-lt-gov-justin-fairfax-ap-jc-190201_hpEmbed_23x15_384.jpg\")
Under the Virginia Constitution, if Northam resigns, he would be succeeded by his Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a 39-year-old African-American former lawyer who is considered a rising star in Virginia Democratic politics.
A spokesperson for Fairfax declined to comment to ABC News on the yearbook photo controversy.
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