RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Republican Senate challenger Ed Gillespie is needling Democratic Sen. Mark Warner for not being an advocate for the Washington Redskins’ team name.
Gillespie’s campaign ran an ad during the team’s game Monday evening attacking Warner for not fighting legislative efforts to force a name change.
Gillespie is trailing Warner in public opinion polls, and earlier this month briefly stopped buying ads. Warner also had a 4-to-1 campaign cash advantage in the most recent disclosure reports.
Opponents of the name say the term Redskin is derogatory toward Native Americans. The anti-“Redskins” movement has gained momentum and has drawn political, religious and sports figures into the debate.
Warner has not joined efforts by other Senate Democrats to pressure the National Football League to have its name changed.