Derrick Anderson, a former Green Beret running for the House of Representatives in Virginia, USA, appears to have "borrowed" a family in an effort to appeal to voters and promote his candidacy.
Anderson's campaign has posted footage of him posing with a woman and her three daughters.
In another scene, the woman and the three girls are shown seated around a dining room table with Anderson, laughing and talking together.
Highlights
- Derrick Anderson, a Republican candidate running for the House of Representatives in Virginia, reportedly posed with his friend's family for a campaign video.
- The footage features Anderson with a woman and three girls, but he has no children.
- Anderson's campaign stated the video simply showed him with "female supporters and their kids."
According to a report from the New York Times published Friday (September 27), the woman and the three girls are not Anderson's family but "the wife and children of a longtime friend."
The footage was reportedly featured on the National Republican Campaign Committee's website and the candidate's YouTube channel.
Image credits: DerrickforVA
Anderson announced this month that he is engaged to his girlfriend, Maggie. A photo of the couple posted September 6 on X (formerly known as Twitter) confirms that she is not the woman featured in the ads.
According to Anderson's campaign website, the Republican candidate "lives in Spotsylvania County with his dog, Ranger, a Dalmatian." He does not have any children of his own.
Footage showing Anderson sitting at a table and talking to the woman and her three daughters was posted on his YouTube channel
Image credits: DerrickforVA
Responding to the Time's decision to focus on the footage, a spokesman for Anderson said, "Derrick's opponent and every other candidate in America are in similar pictures and video with supporters of all kinds."
The spokesman denied that Anderson attempted to present the individuals as his family, adding that the video simply featured Anderson "with female supporters and their kids."
Anderson is engaged to a woman named Maggie, and photos shared by the candidate confirm she is not the woman in the video
Image credits: DerrickforVA
In the final weeks of congressional races in the United States, there has been a "proliferation" of women and families in campaigns, especially for Republican candidates, the Times reported.
These campaigns are designed to show a "family-friendly, relatable image" to voters, particularly women, who increasingly say the issue of abortion and reproductive rights are central to their decision.
The story noted that male anti-abortion Republican candidates like Anderson are "struggling to appeal to female voters concerned about their records on reproductive rights" and are, therefore, "unleashing their spouses to make the pitch on their behalf."
Bored Panda has contacted Derrick Anderson for comment.