Dorothy McAuliffe suspends congressional campaign: That’s a shame

The state Supreme Court ruling overturning the April 21 referendum wasn’t all bad news; the McAuliffes are back on the political sidelines, at least.

“Following the Supreme Court’s decision, I am suspending my campaign for Congress with profound disappointment after Virginia voters showed up, spoke clearly, and had their rejection of Donald Trump’s redistricting scheme cast aside by disgraceful rulings from the Supreme Court of Virginia and the United States Supreme Court,” said Dorothy McAuliffe, who had launched a campaign for the Seventh District seat as was drawn up in the 10-1 map that had gotten the approval of voters last month.

The Seventh District in the 10-1 map stretched from Fairfax County to the West Virginia border through Augusta County.

The Supremes in Richmond and DC have us reverting back to the old maps, which means, the Seventh District has an incumbent Democrat, Eugene Vindman.

McAuliffe, a former First Lady, during the 2014-2018 gubernatorial term of her husband, Terry, is an attorney who specialized in banking and security law, and she was appointed to a job in the State Department in the Biden administration.

As much as she has her own bona fides, it still felt that her congressional campaign was about just getting Terry McAuliffe, who ran the single-worst gubernatorial campaign in Virginia history, in his loss to milquetoast MAGA Glenn Youngkin in 2021, back in the game.

“For me, representing Virginia in Congress was an opportunity to do good, make government deliver, protect fundamental freedoms, lower costs, defend democracy, and fight for those too often ignored,” Dorothy McAuliffe said in a statement released by her now-defunct campaign.

“I am deeply grateful to everyone who stood with us, contributed, volunteered, opened their homes, shared their stories, and believed in this effort – especially my family. And I am beyond grateful to the leaders and organizations who placed their trust in me. This chapter is ending, but my commitment to public service is not. I will keep working for my neighbors, Virginia, and the country I love,” she said.

I’m never not going to feel bad about seeing a McAuliffe fail at something.