Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe announced Wednesday his support for legislation that would allow oil and gas exploration off Virginia’s coast, a stance that directly contracts his long time position on the issue.
McAuliffe made clear during his failed 2009 run for governor that he is strongly opposed to drilling off Virginia’s coast.
During that campaign, McAuliffe held an online Q & A session with the Washington Post and made clear that he does not support drilling off Virginia’s coast.
"We need to invest in renewable energy and look for opportunities to create green jobs," wrote McAuliffe. "I do not support drilling for oil off our coast."
McAuliffe reaffirmed his stance on drilling during a Democratic primary debate that same year.
"Yes, and I’ve been consistent from the start of this campaign. There was bipartisan legislation passed, signed by Gov. Kaine, promoted by Gov. Kaine, that says no oil drilling, no oil drilling and limited exploration for natural gas," said McAuliffe.
Even following defeat, McAuliffe argued that further drilling in Virginia would move the state backwards.
"We’ve seen his approach and his approach is, the simple answer is: Drill Baby Drill… And folks, we do not want to go back, we want to go forward," said McAuliffe in his concession speech.
The next year, McAuliffe told reporters "offshore drilling won’t give us a penny."
According to campaign spokesman Josh Schwerin, the stark policy change is not a flip-flop, but rather a decision made based on how much McAuliffe has learned about the industry in recent years.
"Terry has learned more about offshore drilling from experts in Virginia," Schwerin told the Post. "He thinks that because of technological progress we can now do it in a responsible fashion."
But this sort of change is becoming a pattern for McAuliffe, who has also been caught flipping his stance on Virginia’s coal industry.
America Rising has put together a video chronicling McAuliffe’s evolving stance on offshore drilling: