Democratic Calls for Northam to Resign Continue After Press Conference: ‘The Only Way Forward’

Governor Ralph Northam denied being either of the two people in the racist photo on his yearbook page in a bonkers press conference in which he admitted to darkening his face to dress up as Michael Jackson for a dance contest.

The calls for him to resign reached a fever pitch overnight, and it looks like the press conference did him no favors. Northam said he does not intend to resign, but the calls for him to do so are continuing.

While Northam was speaking, the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus amplified their call for him to resign and slammed him for “changing his public story”:

The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus Addresses Northam's Refusal to Resign pic.twitter.com/z8pt15Uq3U

— VLBC (@VaBlackCaucus) February 2, 2019

The Virginia House Democratic Caucus did the same:

pic.twitter.com/zmDYWJuL90

— VA House Democrats (@VAHouseDems) February 2, 2019

Virginia Democratic congressmen Gerry Connolly and Don Beyer said in a statement after his press conference that Northam needs to go:

My statement with @RepDonBeyer calling on Governor Northam to resign. pic.twitter.com/mFQ2ytpkvl

— Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) February 2, 2019

And more Democrats weighed in to say he still needs to resign:

I have come to know Ralph Northam as a good, very decent man. I regretfully conclude that he does not now have the ability to effectively govern and effectively stand for the issues – moral and political – that Virginia and the nation must confront. The Governor should resign.

— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) February 2, 2019

A resignation here would be correct but is not an appropriate end to this matter. We still need to have a difficult and necessary conversation about how racism and racist symbols still pervade too much of our society – and the pain they cause. What have we learned as a nation?

— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) February 2, 2019

Dear Ralph Northam: You now appear to be lying about a mix-up. You wrote a caption under the racist photograph. It references your interest in being a doctor, and beer, which is in the photo. You knew exactly what you were doing with that photo. You need to resign.@RalphNortham https://t.co/puR2n3lYIm

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) February 2, 2019

Virginia Governor Northam's refusal to resign is unacceptable and so is his use of blackface in his 20s, I will continue to call for his resignation. #MSNBC pic.twitter.com/tFSQrta8fH

— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) February 2, 2019

Towards the end of the press conference, DNC Chair Tom Perez issued a statement calling on Northam to resign.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax issued a statement that condemned Northam’s past actions but did not directly call for him to resign.

[image via screengrab]