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Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Aaron Rouse campaigns in Richmond
Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Aaron Rouse made a campaign stop in Richmond on Monday. Rouse spoke alongside a group of black leaders to make his pitch to voters ahead of the June 17 primary. “I stand before you today to say, while I may not know everything, I know that if we do this together, we can get the changes that we seek,” Rouse said.
GOP Group to Spend $2 Million in Virginia, New Jersey Elections
The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) and its affiliated political action committees will commit $2 million in canvassing and paid advertising efforts to help Republicans win off-cycle elections in New Jersey and Virginia this cycle, National Review has learned. The early get-out-the-vote spending commitment — which will include direct mail, digital ads, and texting — is part of an initiative by the GOP spending group to help Republicans win governorships and other down-ballot races in each blue-leaning state this fall.
Feds respond to Virginia lawmakers’ privacy concerns about airports’ facial recognition screening
Identification screening technology that launched during the pandemic to reduce airport check-in times has helped improve security and travelers’ experiences, but carries a privacy concern stemming from the capture and storage of passengers’ photos. Virginia lawmakers, privacy advocates and others have questioned how images of citizens are used and stored, and how peoples’ rights are being protected.
Danville area is rare part of Virginia with both Democratic and Republican House primaries in same district
Del. Danny Marshall’s seat has drawn a primary election on both sides of the aisle. Marshall announced in February his intention to not seek reelection to the House of Delegates 49th District, citing health concerns. Two Democrats and two Republicans qualified for primary elections in a district made up of the city of Danville and parts of Halifax and Pittsylvania counties. Only one other House district in Virginia — District 89 in Chesapeake and Suffolk — also has both a Democratic and Republican primary this year. It’s also a district where the incumbent is retiring; in that case Del. Baxter Ennis, R-Chesapeake.
State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi leans on legislative experience in lieutenant governor run
State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi was an educator and an academic administrator before being elected in 2019 to represent Virginia’s 15th District, which covers much of Chesterfield County. Now, Hashmi is hoping to preside over the Senate as Virginia’s next lieutenant governor. She is the only woman of the six candidates in the June 17 Democratic primary for the statewide position. The winner will face Republican John Reid for the office currently occupied by Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears. VPM News state politics reporter Jahd Khalil recently spoke to Hashmi about her campaign, as part of a series of conversations with all six Democratic candidates for the state’s No. 2 job.
Fauquier supervisor defends decision to sell family farm for data centers
Daron Culbertson, a Fauquier County supervisor, says economics prompted his decision to sell his family farm on Remington Road to developers of a data center campus. He plans to recuse himself from discussions and decisions on the data center development, according to a statement issued on Monday. Culbertson’s statement comes amid criticism and backlash following news of the impending sale and proposed data center development last week.
Lewis: As Democrats duke it out in Va. primaries, GOP nominees won’t be seen together
In about 10 days, we will know the names of all the candidates who will appear on November’s general election ballot for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general in Virginia. What we might not know by then is whether both parties’ tickets are unified. The nominees are set in the Republican Party. So there should have been no need there for the acrimony and infighting that tests the bonds of party cohesiveness in the run-up to primary elections and then the strained, awkward rapprochements that follow. Right? The Democrats still have that bridge to cross with a six-way primary for lieutenant governor and a one-to-one showdown in the attorney general primary.
Yancey: Only 2 of 12 statewide candidates have been to Virginia’s westernmost county
Doug Wilder set a standard that few candidates since him have met. In 1985, he formally launched his campaign for lieutenant governor in the most unlikely place possible: the Cumberland Gap, the westernmost point in Virginia. There was a certain political brilliance in Wilder going as far away from the state capital as he could. Few believed that he could win, that Virginia wasn’t ready for a Black candidate — so Wilder went to the whitest part of the state, Southwest Virginia. That guaranteed lots of free news coverage for a candidate who didn’t have much money, and it helped him make the rhetorical case that he was running to represent all Virginians. It also didn’t hurt that most of Southwest Virginia then was still strongly Democratic territory. Wilder was greeted with a warm reception, lots of free publicity and, that fall, 59.2% of the vote in Lee County.
Attorney for fired Hopewell city manager calls termination illegal, demands she be rehired
The attorney for former Hopewell City Manager Dr. Concetta Manker is demanding she be reinstated to her post immediately, claiming her May 1 termination was handled improperly according to Roberts Rules of Order, the almost-universal conduct manual local governing bodies, including Hopewell's, follow for meetings. In a June 9 letter to City Attorney Anthony Bessette, Richard Hawkins gave City Council until June 20 to give Manker back her job or face legal action for wrongful termination. In addition to violating Roberts Rules, Hawkins also said one of the votes to terminate – from newly elected Ward 4 Councilor Ronnie Ellis – violated Virginia’s conflict-of-interest laws because Ellis works for the city.
Wilkins: Cutting solar tax credits will cost Virginia billions
When my company first began installing solar panels in Virginia, I knew I was helping businesses and homeowners save on their energy bills, hedge against utility rate increases, and achieve environmental goals. Now, 12 years later, I’ve witnessed solar energy grow from a promising technology to an engine of economic development, creating thousands of good-paying jobs and attracting billions in private investment.