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Sierra Club Virginia
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From VPAP Now Live: Mid-Year Campaign Finance Reports
VPAP has posted all mid-year campaign finance disclosures filed by candidates, referendum committees, and party committees. Use our overview page to find what interests you — including candidates for statewide office, House of Delegates, and local offices on the November ballot. We rank each group by amount raised and cash on hand. If you're interested in a specific candidate or committee, you can drill down for a sortable list of donors and expenditures reported during the filing period.
Reid breaks with Earle-Sears, would repeal Virginia gay marriage ban
John Reid is his own man. The longtime conservative radio host now running for Virginia's second-highest office is fully aware there is a divide on the Republican statewide ticket this year. Not over tariffs or cuts to the federal workforce or risks to Medicaid coverage, but gay marriage. Reid, the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, is a gay man in a long-term relationship with another man. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP nominee for governor, remains an outspoken opponent of gay marriage. ... Reid is on the record saying if there were a tie in the state Senate, where as lieutenant governor he would be required to cast tie-breaking votes, he would vote no on the [proposed] amendment as currently worded — in line with the woman running to be his future boss. But should lawmakers simply repeal the current amendment banning gay marriage, Reid said his vote would be different.
Spanberger extends financial advantage over Earle-Sears
Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, raised almost twice as much money in her campaign for governor in the last quarter as Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, her Republican opponent, and had $15.2 million in hand with less than four months to election day. Spanberger raised $10.7 million in the past three months, including almost $4.3 million between June 5 and the end of June. Earle-Sears raised $5.9 million, including $2.4 million since the last campaign finance reporting deadline, and finished June with $4.5 million in the bank.
VPAP Visual Statewide Mid-Year Fundraising
How much have statewide candidates raised so far this election cycle as of June 30? Toggle to see candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.
VPAP Visual House of Delegates Mid-Year Fundraising
See how much money candidates for the House of Delegates have raised so far this election cycle, from Jan. 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, and how much money they still have in their campaigns. Filter the list to see information on challengers, incumbents, and candidates running for open seats, or click through for more information.
Google partners with Youngkin and offers AI training courses to Virginia job seekers
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced on Tuesday that Google will partner with his administration to provide free and low-cost artificial intelligence certification courses to Virginians as part of his office’s ongoing effort to connect citizens to new jobs amid changes to the state’s economy. The partnership, which he has described as an AI career launchpad, will provide Google-sponsored AI training courses for up to 10,000 Virginians at any given time, officials said at Google’s office in the northern part of the state.
State reasserts board of visitors’ importance after Trump forces out UVa’s Ryan
When University of Virginia president Jim Ryan was forced out of his job last month, the school’s governing board was seemingly left out of the process. The board of visitors never cast a vote on Ryan’s performance or met immediately before his resignation, raising questions about whether the body held Ryan accountable as the law requires. On Tuesday, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, or SCHEV, issued a statement stressing the importance of each school’s board of visitors’ responsibility to shape policy.
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STATE ELECTIONS
Virginia Democrats join Planned Parenthood to launch ‘Bros for Repro’
Several incumbent Democrats running in competitive House of Delegates districts joined Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia in launching its “Bros for Repro” campaign on Tuesday. “Women are family members, they are spouses, they are many things to lots of different men, and they care and want those people to stay in their lives,” said Del. Josh Thomas (D-Prince William). “It just seems like it’s a cheesy slogan on a very serious topic,” said Republican Tim Anderson, who’s challenging one of the Bros for Repro, Del. Michael Feggans (D-Virginia Beach).
Virginia’s fall elections to determine whether abortion will be on the ballot in 2026
Jessica Anderson was a freshman in college juggling a full course load and two jobs when her birth control failed. Anderson talked about her options with her partner at the time, as well as her parents, and decided to terminate the pregnancy. Navigating the state’s mandatory waiting period was difficult, she recalled, but federal abortion rights ultimately protected her ability to choose an abortion. Anderson went on to have three daughters, and decades later, she credits access to the procedure with paving the way for her future family. Anderson is running for one of the most hotly contested seats in the Virginia legislature this November, and she is making the fate of a constitutional amendment to protect reproductive rights in the state a top issue of her campaign.
STATE GOVERNMENT
One year in, Va. corrections ombudsman office on track to investigate misconduct allegations
As the state grapples with public concerns about conditions inside prisons and the complaint reporting process, prisoners’ grievances are on track to being heard and, when possible, investigated, Virginia Corrections Ombudsman Andrea Sapone shared in a meeting Tuesday. The volume of recent complaints are a big challenge. Some aren’t under her office’s purview (like those stemming from local or regional jails) while others are duplicate or near-duplicate mass emails the office has to ensure aren’t all separate issues. Of the over 500 complaints her team is exploring, 269 of those stem from Red Onion State Prison, Sapone said.
Va. prison ombudsman holds first stakeholder meeting
Legislation introduced during the 2024 General Assembly session created an ombudsman position to oversee the Virginia Department of Corrections. Andrea Sapone took the role in September, and later promised to prioritize an investigation into Red Onion State Prison. She held her first stakeholder meeting Tuesday to explain how the office works and what it’s accomplished so far. Sapone said her office is focused on high-level issues at prisons across the state. The unit has published several inspection reports since February and completed work on about 12 others.
State police launch investigation of Richmond candidate’s campaign finance filings
Virginia State Police are investigating Tavares Floyd — the former 6th District City Council candidate whose campaign finance filings came into question last October after multiple alleged donors told The Times-Dispatch they made no such contributions. The Times-Dispatch on Monday submitted a request under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act for any and all interview notes related to state police’s probe into Floyd’s campaign. A state police FOIA officer responded by immediately invoking the seven-day extension to FOIA. But early Tuesday morning, the FOIA officer reached out again to mark the request closed.
Virginia Marine Resources Commission considers requiring devices on crab pots to protect terrapins
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted to review potential regulations that would require modifications to crab pots to discourage the unintentional capture of diamondback terrapins. Diamondback terrapins, found all along the East Coast, are the only turtles found in brackish water, and problems begin when they move into areas with crab pots. Specifically, they can get stuck in the submerged pots that are common in Virginia’s waters, especially within 150 feet of the shore, and drown. In some cases, terrapins can follow each other into crab pots, whether or not they have bait inside.
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
Planned Parenthood says Trump’s megabill targets thousands of Virginians’ health care
Thousands of Virginians use Medicaid at Planned Parenthood health centers across the state for reproductive health care services every year. But a provision in President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” could cut off those people from accessing services using federal support. The organization serves roughly 25,000 people per year in the commonwealth, according to Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia spokesperson RaeAnn Pickett. That includes nearly 800 people who use Medicaid for Planned Parenthood services in Virginia every month. With the potential cuts, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia Executive Director Jamie Lockhart said that’s subject to change.
Big Beautiful Bill cuts to Medicaid will quake Virginia hospitals, health care experts say
Experts are warning that cuts the One Big Beautiful Bill Act makes to Medicaid pose a significant threat to rural hospitals, but hospitals across Virginia are bracing for the impact. Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, for example, projects a loss of more than $20 million as a result of the cuts. “While the fiscal impact on our organization is significant, the greater travesty lies in what this means for our patients, particularly the more than 15% who rely on Medicaid,” said Reese Jackson, president and CEO.
Valley Health braces for $50M loss after Medicaid cuts become law
Valley Health says it expects to lose more than $50 million in revenue following the enactment of a new federal law that significantly reduces Medicaid funding and health insurance subsidies nationwide. The legislation, often called the Big Beautiful Bill and signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, includes nearly $1 trillion in cuts to the Medicaid program over the next decade. According to Valley Health President and CEO Mark Nantz, those changes are expected to result in the loss of health coverage for millions of Americans, including nearly 380,000 people across Virginia and West Virginia, where Valley Health operates six hospitals, including Winchester Medical Center.
Virginia hospitals face big income cuts from Trump’s bill
Virginia hospitals and doctors face big cuts in income under President Donald Trump’s tax and budget bill while Virginians with Obamacare coverage could see big premium increases if a Biden-era tax credit goes away, state officials say. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Trump signed into law July 4 calls for state Medicaid agencies to cap payments to hospitals and doctors to the rates the federal Medicare program for older Americans pays.
Is there power in a union? Why Norfolk Botanical Garden workers think so
Norfolk Botanical Garden workers are considering forming a union to push for better pay, a safer workplace and more input on garden policy. “They love what they do,” said Bridget Fitzgerald, the union organizer working with Norfolk garden employees. “They sometimes get frustrated with the fact that they don’t feel as if they’re being heard.” For instance, workers complain the current inclement weather policy can be unclear, leaving workers uncertain if a weather event will mean the garden will close.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Students, faculty, and lawmakers rally behind GMU amid Trump administration civil rights probe
When student Hanaan Kazia first heard about the federal civil rights probe into George Mason University, she wasn’t surprised. But the junior political science major and member of the school’s Political Science Honor Society says the implications still scare her. “I think it is kind of frightening, because I know that one of the reasons that I went to Mason and one of the reasons why other people have attended Mason is because it is one of the most diverse public universities in Virginia,” Kazia told The Mercury in an interview Tuesday.
Sen. Tim Kaine speaks to U.Va. students, discusses Ryan resignation and more
Sen. Tim Kaine held a conversation with a group of graduate University students and faculty members Friday at the Central Library of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library system. In an informal Q&A session, audience members asked about threats to federal research, the future of diversity, equity and inclusion at the University, potential shifts in the Democratic Party and more. According to Alexia Childress, event co-organizer and School of Medicine student, event co-organizer and Medicine student, the event was organized by several medical students in the wake of former University President Jim Ryan’s resignation.
College of William and Mary changes chief diversity officer title to senior advisor to the president
Tuesday, July 1, the College of William and Mary changed former Chief Diversity Officer Fanchon Glover’s title to Senior Advisor to the President. The College also renamed the Center for Student Diversity to the Student Center for Inclusive Excellence. The change comes after the Board of Visitors took a neutral stance on DEI initiatives in the April 25 passage of HC-3 titled “Merit-based excellence, student opportunity and freedom from discrimination.” In the meeting, the Board voted for the resolution to support the College’s “merit-based” approach to education without directly eliminating DEI or changing the Office of Diversity and Inclusion or the Center for Student Diversity at the time.
VIRGINIA OTHER
ICE arrests surge in Northern Virginia, prompting emergency planning among immigrant families
Northern Virginia has become a focal point in the federal government’s aggressive immigration enforcement strategy. ICE arrests have skyrocketed 350% over the past year across the Commonwealth, according to The New York Times, with the vast majority of them taking place in the suburbs of D.C. Fairfax County alone has seen twice as many arrests compared to any other county in Virginia. Rohmah Javed, the legal director of the Immigrant Justice Program at the Legal Aid Justice Center, says her office is inundated with calls from families trying to piece together what happened to loved ones who never made it home from work.
Trump administration fires 17 immigration court judges across 10 states, including Virginia, union says
Seventeen immigration court judges have been fired in recent days, according to the union that represents them, as the Trump administration pushes forward with its mass deportations of immigrants in the country. The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, which represents immigration court judges as well as other professionals, said in a news release that 15 judges were fired “without cause” on Friday and another two on Monday. The union said they were working in courts in 10 different states across the country — California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Virginia.
LOCAL
Judge dismisses Thoroughfare cemetery case against Prince William County, landowners
A U.S. District Court judge on Friday denied plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction and granted a motion to dismiss in the case of Frank Washington v. International Investments LLC. Washington, a trustee for Scott Cemetery in Thoroughfare, filed the suit against the county government and International Investments for alleged failure to protect and eventual desecration of the private, historically-recognized cemetery in Thoroughfare belonging to the families of freed slaves and indigenous Native Americans. The plaintiffs claimed the property owned by International Investments had been disturbed by development and gatherings at the site.
Petersburg officials: Flooding spurred by intense rain, aging water system, lack of river dredging
On Tuesday outside city hall, Petersburg officials said yet another night of intense, dangerous rainfall led to major flooding for the third time in a week in the city. While providing updates on the safety concerns and the additional storms rolling in, city leaders explained how the Appomattox River is playing a role in the ongoing overflows. Meanwhile, legislators are touting state-level solutions to manage the recurrent flooding. ... Petersburg Mayor Samuel Parham placed blame not only on the heavy rains, but also on aged water systems that can’t keep up with demand, and lack of dredging in the Appomattox River that allows water to pool in portions of the city.
Petersburg issues state of emergency following flooding
Petersburg officials have declared a local state of emergency after several days of heavy rain led to severe flooding across the city. The relentless rain led to flooding that hit across the entire city Monday evening and early Tuesday. With more rain in the forecast, a flood watch has been extended through midnight across the area. Officials called a press conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday to announce the state of emergency and address how it will fix those problems moving forward.
Petersburg asks for state-of-emergency declaration after flash floods wreak havoc on city
As Petersburg braces for the possibility of more rain adding to what has been an historic amount of flash-flooding, city officials are hoping that the high-water issues that have been plaguing the city for decades will rekindle discussions about dredging the Appomattox River shoreline. A combination of silt build-up and poor drainage from an already aged water infrastructure is to blame for flooding from storms that have pummeled Petersburg and surrounding areas for the past week or so. Storms that came through the overnight hours of July 15 were the worst of them to date, dumping as much as 5 inches of rain and creating pools in low-lying areas as deep as 18-24 inches.
Hopewell sewage spill highlights need for spending on wastewater. Will federal funds dry up?
The Hopewell Water Renewal wastewater treatment plant released over 1 million gallons of untreated sewage into the James River on Friday night following an electrical failure. The spill resulted in an advisory warning against swimming, fishing or otherwise coming into contact with the river from the Old City Waterfront Park to the Berkley Plantation. The advisory will likely be in place until Friday, giving the section of river time to flush or settle out the contaminants. In 2024, over two-thirds of the water treated by Hopewell Water Renewal came from industrial sources, which is contaminated with different chemicals than domestic sewage.
Owner of former Virginia Intermont campus pays $605,000 in back taxes day after Bristol sought to take over property
Bristol City Manager Randy Eads said Tuesday that he’s tired of playing games with U.S. Magis, the company based in China that owns the blighted and burned-out property that was once Virginia Intermont College. One day after the city filed a lawsuit July 10 in circuit court to gain control of the 37-acre downtown property — trying to take advantage of a new law Eads successfully sought from the General Assembly — a lawyer for Magis paid off all the current and back taxes owed to the city. Eads then requested that the court nonsuit the lawsuit, which dismisses the action, he said.
Today's Sponsor:
Sierra Club Virginia
Our 20,000+ Virginia members are coordinating for climate action and believe a cleaner, sustainable future is possible. Learn more at sierraclub.org/Virginia.
EDITORIALS
Falling to No. 4 on CNBC business ranking no reason to overreact
Cable news channel CNBC set the hearts of Virginia officials aflutter last year when it ranked Virginia the top state in the nation for business. Both Democrats and Republicans framed the honor as an endorsement of their work in Richmond, and ads for recruiting new companies to the commonwealth virtually wrote themselves. That Virginia slipped to fourth this year is a setback, but nothing that should prompt a wholesale change in how we cultivate a dynamic and welcoming climate conducive to business startups, growth, recruitment and retention. This remains an advantageous destination, thanks to bipartisan cooperation on programs and policies that adeptly balance the needs of employers and labor.
COLUMNISTS
Yancey: University of Virginia faculty want more say in picking the next president. Here’s why that won’t happen.
Over the weekend, the faculty senate at the University of Virginia passed a resolution of “no confidence” in the school’s governing body, a consequence of the tumultuous resignation of President James Ryan under pressure from the Trump administration. This is what they call “a teaching moment.” Unfortunately for members of the faculty senate, they are the ones about to get schooled — not by me, but by the state’s political system. Faculty members are understandably upset by Ryan’s departure, or at least the way it happened. In theory, everyone should be unhappy about the latter: He was forced out by two midlevel Justice Department lawyers, and the members of the board of visitors were made to look like bystanders.
OP-ED
Kiggans: ‘One big beautiful bill’ invests in our families, military and future
Coastal Virginians know that leadership isn’t about always getting everything you want — it’s about standing firm in your values and delivering real results for the people you serve. That’s what I have tried to do every day in Congress, and it’s why I supported final passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While it isn’t perfect, I believe this bill will ultimately make Virginians safer and more prosperous. Not even the biggest critics can deny that the outcomes of this bill are substantial. This bill provides the largest tax cut in American history. Without action, the 2017 Trump tax cuts were set to expire, costing middle-class families in my district an average of $2,028 per year.