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Virginia will elect its first female governor this fall. Neither candidate is talking much about it
This fall’s gubernatorial race in Virginia will make history no matter who wins: Either Democrat Abigail Spanberger or Republican Winsome Earle-Sears will become the state’s first elected female governor. For now, that seems to be an afterthought. Spanberger and Earle-Sears, who are each unopposed in Tuesday’s primaries ahead of a November matchup, have little apparent appetite to dwell on gender. Both of their campaigns would rather focus on Virginians’ concerns about tariffs and federal job cuts, as well as how the next governor can make the state more affordable.
House races: Austin victorious over primary challenger in HD 37 and other Southwest, Southside races
The table is set for November in Southwest and Southside Virginia after Tuesday’s primary elections determined the ballot for the general election in five House of Delegates races. Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt County, beat his primary challenger. In the Roanoke Valley, Democrat Donna Littlepage will go on to face Republican Del. Joe McNamara. In a district that spans Grayson, Pulaski, Smyth and Wythe counties, Mitchell Cornett outpaced Adam Tolbert in the Republican primary race for Del. Jed Arnold’s seat. And in Danville, Dr. Gary Miller, a Democrat, and Madison Whittle, a Republican, will face off in November for the seat currently held by Del. Danny Marshall’s, after Miller eked out a victory over Jasmine Lipscomb in the closest contest out of any of the House primary races across the state.
Primary election results from Roanoke and New River valleys
Donna Littlepage claimed the Democratic nomination after a primary election in House District 40, according to unofficial results Tuesday night. Littlepage led by more than 1,000 votes over fellow Democrat Kiesha Preston. The district covers Salem, part of Roanoke County and three precincts in Roanoke City. ... To the north, incumbent Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt, commanded the vote against his first primary election challenger of his six-term tenure representing House District 37, according to unofficial results. He took 81% of the vote versus political newcomer Austen Schwend in Lexington ...
UVa board elects new — and historic — rector and vice rector
For the first time in history, the University of Virginia's governing Board of Visitors will be headed by a woman rector and vice rector. Rachel Sheridan, a partner at the Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Kirkland & Ellis, has been elected rector, ... Porter Wilkinson, another lawyer and chief of staff to the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents, has been elected vice rector. ... Sheridan and Wilkinson, both UVa alumni, were appointed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Sheridan in 2023 and Wilkinson in 2024. Sheridan donated $25,000 to Youngkin's 2021 campaign for governor, according to the Virginia Public Access Project ... Wilkinson is not recorded to have donated to Youngkin's campaign, according to the same records, but she has strong family connections to the Republican Party.
Jay Jones wins Democratic AG nomination; gubernatorial candidates hold rallies
Former Norfolk Del. Jay Jones was ahead in preliminary results for the Democratic attorney general primary Tuesday night, according to a call by the Associated Press. While the Democratic race for lieutenant governor was too close to call based on preliminary results, state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D–Chesterfield) — holding a narrow lead over former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and state Sen. Aaron Rouse (D–Virginia Beach) — claimed victory. (All election results are unofficial until certified by the state.) Virginia’s gubernatorial nominees, who were not on primary ballots, made their opening arguments for the general election as the primaries drew to a close, promising affordability and differing versions of stability, casting their opponent as extreme, and laying out stark policy differences on cultural and economic issues.
Youngkin set to headline annual Iowa GOP dinner
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is headed to Iowa. The term-limited Republican is set to headline the Republican Party of Iowa’s annual Lincoln Dinner on July 17 in Des Moines. The appearance will add to the speculation that Mr. Youngkin, a former businessman, is considering running for the 2028 GOP presidential nomination. Iowa has traditionally been the first stop on the Republican Party’s nomination calendar.
Jay Jones wins Democratic nomination for attorney general
Jay Jones emerged victorious in Tuesday’s primary election as the Democratic nominee for attorney general. He will face incumbent Republican Jason Miyares in November. With 95% of votes counted, The Associated Press called the race for Jones. Jones, an attorney who previously represented Norfolk in the Virginia House of Delegates, had 51% of the vote compared to Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor, who had 49%.
Child care costs squeeze Virginia families
The cost of child care in Virginia and around the nation is skyrocketing, with a new report finding that it's outpacing overall inflation. Rising child care costs put a huge financial strain on families, Axios' Emily Peck reports. They can force some parents — typically women — to either ratchet back their working hours or leave the labor force entirely. For single parents, the calculus can be even more painful. The average annual cost of daycare tuition in Virginia for two children — one toddler and one infant — rose to $30,680 last year, according to data from Child Care Aware, an advocacy group.
Can AI identify safety threats in schools? Loudoun County wants to try.
Loudoun County schools will use an artificial intelligence system to help identity fights, bullying or other potential safety threats on campuses. The system, from local tech company VOLT AI, will use AI to monitor video footage from the school district’s existing security cameras to spot incidents that might require staff intervention, such as the presence of weapons or other safety threats or medical emergencies. The cameras are used only in common areas, not bathrooms or locker rooms.
Chesapeake Bay is on a rebound, but Trump’s proposed budget could set it back
The sun is barely up when Bill Scerbo unties the lines on his aging crabber and turns its bow toward open water. He and his deckhand are heading out to check crab traps in the shallows where the Rhode and West rivers flow into the Chesapeake Bay. It's something that Scerbo, who is 65, has been doing since the 1980s. It was then, just out of high school and attending community college, that he had an epiphany about his future. "It was a beautiful day and I was sitting in an economics class and I just said, 'To hell with this. I'm done.'"