Virginians on Facebook may see a post from what looks like a news outlet touting Democrat governor candidate Abigail Spanberger’s campaign stops and message on education.
Unsuspecting Virginians may think a friend posted this news, but it’s actually appearing in their feeds because someone paid for it. It also doesn’t come from a news outlet, but from a Facebook page run by Spanberger’s campaign.
According to Meta’s Facebook ads library, ads on the page “Commonwealth Courier” have racked up at least eight million “impressions,” which means that a promoted post has appeared in front of a user eight million times, though often the same accounts see the same posts multiple times.
Users see a logo with the map of Virginia and the words “Commonwealth Courier.” This Facebook page describes itself as a “media/news company” and introduces itself as “Providing political news to Virginians across the Commonwealth.”
Yet the page includes a key disclosure: “Spanberger for Governor is responsible for this Page.”
In other words, it claims to be a news outlet, it looks like a news outlet, but it’s just a mouthpiece for Spanberger’s campaign.
Meta’s ads library also reveals who paid for the ads—not an entity called “Commonwealth Courier” but “Spanberger for Governor.”
According to The Daily Signal’s analysis, “Commonwealth Courier” has 13 active ads as of Thursday, ranging from $200 to $20,000 in spending for each ad (a total expenditure of between $79,300 and $104,600), providing at least eight million impressions.
Spanberger’s campaign did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment about the ads and why it uses “Commonwealth Courier” to promote them.
Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is running to further the legacy of current term-limited Gov. Glenn Youngkin, while Spanberger warns that Virginia’s economy will likely suffer due to President Donald Trump’s layoffs of federal workers.
On the education issue, Spanberger has dodged a central question—whether bathrooms and locker rooms should be open to members of the opposite sex who claim to identify as transgender. Her opponent, Earle-Sears, has championed the cause of two Loudoun County boys who were found in violation of Title IX for expressing shock at seeing a girl in their locker room.
Spanberger has not addressed the Loudoun County issue, but she voted for the so-called Equality Act, legislation that would open private spaces on the basis of a claimed transgender identity and has received the endorsement of the LGBTQ activist group the Human Rights Campaign.
Amid this issue, a protester compared Earle-Sears’ stance on the issue to racial segregation. Spanberger condemned that comparison, but members of her party have attempted to blame Earle-Sears herself for the attack.
“Commonwealth Courier” seems to have no relation to Courier Newsroom, a left-leaning news outlet with a Virginia affiliate, Dogwood.
