Former NASCAR drivers Elliott and Hermie Sadler on Thursday came out in support of Virginia Del. Kirk Cox in the race for the Republican nomination to replace Gov. Ralph Northam (D), who is term-limited and unable to seek reelection.
The pair of Virginian brothers, who hail from Emporia and gained their fame through nationally successful stock car racing careers, called Cox a “friend” and “genuine leader” in their endorsement announcement.
“We are proud to call Kirk a friend and excited to see him become Virginia’s next Governor,” Elliott and Hermie said. “We know that he is a proven conservative, an honest and genuine leader, and that he understands what working Virginians want from their Governor.”
Cox, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 1990 who formerly served as speaker, is one of several Republicans vying for the party’s nomination. Other frontrunning candidates include businessman Pete Snyder and former Carlyle Group CEO Glenn Youngkin.
Cox said of the nod from the racing duo that Elliott and Hermie are “exactly the kind of people you want fighting alongside you every single day,” citing their small business backgrounds. Elliott is a youth sports coach, and Hermie runs several convenience stores, truck stops, and restaurants in south central Virginia.
“The Sadler family has been an institution both here in Virginia and in the stock car racing world for many years, and I could not be happier to have them on my team,” Cox said. “They are small business owners and represent the very best of our Commonwealth. … They are exactly the kind of people you want fighting alongside you every single day.”
The Republican nominee will be decided at a remote-style nominating convention on May 8. The chosen candidate will presumably face former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), the well-funded Clinton ally who immediately became the Democrats’ frontrunner upon announcing his candidacy in December.
Write to Ashley Oliver at aoliver@breitbart.com.