CHARLOTTESVILLE (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — Virginia House of Delegates members Amy Laufer and Katrina Callsen were joined by supporters today at City Hall for the final stop of the Democratic Party of Virginia’s “Real Issues” tour.

As Democratic nominee for governor Abigail Spanberger continues to hold a commanding 12-point lead over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, the Democrats used their most recent tour around the Commonwealth to highlight Winsome’s support of the Trump Administration cuts to federal jobs and healthcare, the latter of which being the focus of Tuesday’s event.

The tour’s name is a reference to a quote from a CNN interview Earle-Sears where the candidate refused to answer a question on whether she supported Trump’s cuts to the federal workforce, rebutting that she wanted to talk about “real issues.”

The soundbite has become a target for the Democrats, who have featured it prominently in attack ads ahead of the election.

“I believe the most important part of my job is listening to the people I represent and fighting for what they need,” Laufer said in her speech. “But not everyone approaches this job in that manner and looking at Winsome Earle-Sears’ extreme record, it’s crystal clear that if she makes it to the Governor’s mansion, she won’t fight for Virginians.”

Laufer and Callsen both took the podium during the event, highlighting the impact of Trump’s healthcare cuts and Earle-Sears support of them. Laufer said due to these cuts, 350,000 Virginians are at risk of losing their healthcare, and at least six rural hospitals are at risk of closing, with three in the Shenandoah Valley already shuttering their doors. The messaging was in line with a recent ad launched by the party that highlighted Augusta Medical Group’s decision to close rural facilities in Churchville, Weyer’s Cave and Buena Vista as part of its response to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.

“It means that Virginians in that area, which is not too far from here, are going to lose access to health care, and it means they might have to travel farther, and face longer wait times,” she said, “and this is just the beginning.”

In her speech, Callsen spoke on the Democrats’ efforts to expand Medicaid to 700,000 Virginians and their efforts last year to protect that coverage against Republican efforts to roll it back. Now, she says, that coverage is at risk again in what she called “the worst kind of Groundhog Day.”

She added that as a result of the Republicans’ health care cuts, medical costs like doctor’s appointments and prescription drugs will increase, while others will lose healthcare outright.

“[Earle-Sears] said that these cuts were great things,” Callsen said. “What kind of leader thinks it’s great to strip people of health care when they’re supposed to be representing and serving us? Yet Sears continues to cheer it on, another reminder that her loyalty is always going to be with Trump’s dangerous agenda instead of the needs, the very real needs of Virginians.”

Speaking to the media after their remarks, both Delegates called health care the, “number one issue” among their constituents. Callsen said both delegates have held town halls together where it’s been the issues they’ve heard the most about. Laufer, who serves as Chair of the Disability Commission, said many of the people she has talked to, especially those in rural areas, have real fears about losing access.

“Folks are very afraid,” Laufer said after the event. “Especially in the rural areas, access is already difficult. There’s so few options anyway, and now with the closing of these clinics, it’s even worse.”

Representatives of Earle-Sears’ campaign did not respond to request for comment from Cville Right Now.