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In Virginia Democratic primary, Jay Jones wins AG nod, lieutenant governor race too close to call
Statewide races for lieutenant governor and attorney general in the Virginia Democratic primary were very tight, with just a few thousand votes separating the candidates. According to unofficial results, former Del. Jerrauld “Jay” Jones narrowly clinched the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor, with a 1% lead over Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor. The Associated Press called the race just before 10 p.m. with an estimated 95% of the vote counted.
5 takeaways from Virginia’s primary election results
The political spotlight this year is on Virginia, which kicked off its statewide election cycle on Tuesday as voters around the state cast their ballots in primary races that determine this fall’s closely-watched battle for the top posts in Richmond. ... “The old saying that all politics is local doesn't really apply in Virginia in 2025,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “Even though Donald Trump's name is not on the ballot, the president will be at the center of these conversations.” He added that the primary appeared to be largely determined by suburban women and Black voters in the Hampton Roads region ...
With federal funding uncertain, Va. faces $8 million gap for attendance, teacher retention programs
Virginia could be on the hook for $8 million to cover two initiatives to address student attendance and teacher retention if the federal government denies the commonwealth’s appeals, House lawmakers learned on Monday. The Virginia Department of Education, along with 14 school divisions and the Department of Juvenile Justice, filed appeals after being informed that the deadline for spending all allocated funds was abruptly moved to March 28 of this year. The original deadline had been set for March 2026. VDOE’s two appeals focused on the state’s Attendance Data Dashboard, designed to combat chronic absenteeism, and Grow Your Own, a program to support teacher apprenticeship pipelines.
Loudoun County sheriff slams Democratic lawmaker over ‘false’ claims about helping ICE
Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman on Tuesday accused a Democratic county supervisor of making “false” claims about deputies helping federal immigration authorities round up illegal immigrants. “Supervisor [Juli] Briskman’s false reporting is a shameful attempt to divide our strong community and undermine law enforcement in one of the safest major counties in the nation,” Sheriff Chapman said. He was responding to Ms. Briskman’s claim that deputies had detained someone for Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the person called police for assistance following a car crash.
Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s race: Fatehi holds off strong challenge from Butler
Incumbent Ramin Fatehi held off a spirited and well-backed challenge from former federal prosecutor John Butler to win a second term as the city’s top prosecutor. Late Tuesday night, Fatehi had a decisive lead over Butler, with 52% of the vote in the Democratic Primary. Butler called Fatehi shortly before 10 p.m. to concede. Because there are no Republicans, Independents or other party members in the race, the winner of Tuesday’s primary became the city’s next commonwealth’s attorney.
Loudoun County supervisor says 25 people have been taken from Sterling Immigration Court in past month
Loudoun County Supervisor Juli Briskman sharply criticized the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office for working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a press release as tensions rise nationwide. While 10 people were detained and arrested at Sterling Immigration Court last week, Briskman alleged that ICE agents confronted two more people who were watching. One person was "manhandled" outside of the building by plain clothes officers, according to a press release. The officers also pushed away the other person's phone, she wrote.
States’ $7.4B settlement with Purdue Pharma nears closure
Fifty-five attorneys general have agreed to sign on to a $7.4 billion nationwide settlement with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family, the Virginia attorney general’s office announced Monday. If the settlement is approved by the federal bankruptcy court, Virginia would receive up to $103.8 million over the next 15 years. According to state Attorney General Jason Miyares‘ statement, the Sackler family has “indicated its plan to proceed with the settlement,” allowing them to resolve litigation for Purdue’s alleged role in causing widespread opioid abuse.
Early voting for Virginia Democratic primaries wraps up with high turnout and competitive races
Early voting for Virginia's statewide Democratic primaries ended Saturday with voters turning out to select nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general ahead of the November general election. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Virginians cast more than 189,000 early or mail-in ballots across various contested Democratic races compared to over 15,000 in Republican races. For Paris Johnson, voting early was a way to influence change. "Voting is a way for us to express our voice, and it's a way for us to have a little bit of power," Johnson said.
‘Option C’ for new Rappahannock River crossing gets regional endorsement
The Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s policy committee voted 9-1 on Monday night in favor of “Option C” for a new road and bridge over the Rappahannock River. The road would run from Celebrate Virginia Parkway in Stafford County, cross the river west of the quarry and connect with Gordon Shelton Boulevard in Fredericksburg from the west. FAMPO, a regional transportation planning body, has been studying the proposed construction of a river crossing west of Interstate 95 for more than a year.
Officials Investigate More Threats of Violence Against U.S. Politicians
Officials in at least three states said on Monday that they were investigating or prosecuting people for making threats against politicians, a day after the police in Minnesota arrested and charged a man over the assassination of a state lawmaker. In Texas, the authorities said that an armed man who threatened to harm lawmakers at the State Capitol had been detained. In Georgia, a man was arraigned after prosecutors said he threatened sexual violence against two United States senators. And in Virginia, a former Coast Guard officer was arrested and accused of making threats against President Trump online.