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Yancey: 4 trends in the early voting that could determine who wins Tuesday’s primaries
Some things should not be lumpy. Mattresses and mashed potatoes, for instance. Some things often turn out lumpy, anyway. Mattresses and mashed potatoes — and elections. It looks as if we’ll have some lumpy results tonight in primary elections across the state. By “lumpy,” I mean some places will vote at higher or lower rates than others. That’s the case in every election. Case in point: In the 2021 governor’s race, 71% of registered voters in Goochland County cast ballots, while only 38% of those in Petersburg did. Every other locality in the state fell somewhere in between.
Morris: To meet energy demand, don't miss the trees for the forest
Recent coverage in the Richmond Times-Dispatch has highlighted Virginia’s “all-in” strategy to meet growing electricity demand, citing a diverse mix of solar, wind, gas, nuclear, coal and oil. Yet one proven, renewable resource is notably missing from that list: biomass from Virginia’s forests. Biomass — primarily in the form of wood chips and sawdust — is a natural byproduct of Virginia’s robust forest products industry. These materials are already used efficiently to power industrial boilers and pulp mills across the state. With minimal modifications, those same materials can fuel steam turbines to generate electricity ...
Trump looms over Virginia governor’s race: What to know on primary day
Virginians are heading to the polls in one of this year's banner election fights where President Donald Trump's name isn't on the ballot but his second-term policies are very much top of voters' minds. The most consequential of the June 17 primary races center around who will be the next governor of the Old Dominion, a state that has seen its share of the federal government workforce shrink at the hands of Trump and former DOGE leader Elon Musk.
Texts show Richmond officials reversing course on boil water advisory
In the early morning hours of May 27, officials knew they would likely have to issue Richmond’s second boil advisory of the year due to collapsing water pressure, text messages obtained by The Times-Dispatch show. When contacted by The Times-Dispatch that morning, they said that overnight issues at the city’s water treatment plant hadn’t been serious enough to necessitate the notice — despite the internal communications to the contrary. Three hours later, they backtracked and warned Richmond residents in large swaths of the city against consuming the tap water without boiling it.
Portsmouth sheriff declines to expand existing partnership with ICE
As some cities in Hampton Roads, such as Chesapeake, are broadening cooperation with federal immigration authorities, Portsmouth Sheriff Michael Moore said his department won’t be expanding its existing agreements with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But that doesn’t mean the agency isn’t cooperating with ICE, according to Moore, who said it will continue to honor immigration detainers that aid federal authorities’ deportation efforts.
Warner speaks out on Trump policies during Shenandoah University visit
Virginia’s general election in November will be watched closely by the entire country because the outcomes will serve as a report card on President Trump’s performance in the White House. That’s according to Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, who held a town hall meeting Friday morning with a crowd of about 150 people in Halpin-Harrison Hall at Shenandoah University (SU).
Vindman, Kiggans cross aisle in bid to get phones out of classrooms
Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-7th, and Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-2nd, are top targets of each other's political party in next year's congressional midterm elections, but they are making a common cause of getting cellphones out of school classrooms. Vindman and Kiggans have introduced a pair of bills in the U.S. House of Representatives to provide incentives to schools that prohibit cellphones in classrooms from the first bell in the morning to the last bell in the afternoon.
Virginia Democrats set to pick nominees in closely watched 2025 primaries
Virginia Democrats are set on Tuesday to pick their nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general, rounding out the statewide ticket and setting the stage for a bellwether election later this year. Most of the nominees slated to be at the top of the November ticket have already been picked, and Republicans aren’t even having a statewide primary. In the race for governor, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, whose candidacy thwarted prospective primary challengers, will go up against Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears — the only Republican who qualified for the ballot. Republicans have also solidified nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Democrats look to Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger for a win after rough patch
Democrats are touting former Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who they hope will be a bright spot for the party in the state’s gubernatorial election later this year, after months of internal drama and political bruisings from the GOP. Spanberger has already clinched the Democratic nomination in the race to succeed Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), who is term-limited, ahead of Tuesday’s primary.
Federal cuts could raise Va. food stamp costs $540 million
Virginia lawmakers are getting a new lesson in national politics: when President Donald Trump and his allies in Congress talk about cutting federal spending, they also mean shifting the cost of safety net programs to states. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” that the U.S. House of Representatives passed could cost Virginia up to $540 million a year to administer food assistance for low-income residents and pay up to 25% of benefits, the state commissioner of social services told a General Assembly budget committee on Monday.