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They Were Roommates in D.C. Now They’re Both Running for Governor.
Abigail Spanberger has a simple explanation for all this. She knows how she became a CIA case officer focused on counterterrorism, and how she succeeded as a three-term congresswoman—elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 when Democrats took back control of that chamber during Donald Trump’s first administration. She knows how she won her race to represent Virginia’s 7th district at the same time that a former naval helicopter pilot named Mikie Sherrill was elected to represent New Jersey’s 11th, and how the two became fast friends in Washington D.C. She knows how both are now running for governor in their respective home states—two of the most-watched races of the year. It’s just not that complicated: “Mikie and I are both the eldest of three sisters,” Spanberger explains. “So that’s the essential piece.”
State Senate Democrats sue Youngkin officials in latest institutional push
Nine Virginia Senate Democrats are suing three university rectors over the gubernatorial appointment of board members, they announced Tuesday, opening a new field of contention between Virginia’s Democrat-controlled Legislature and Republican executive. On June 5, the Senate Privileges & Elections Committee voted against confirming eight of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s appointees to the Board of Visitors at George Mason University, University of Virginia and Virginia Military Institute.
Virginia senators sue to oust Youngkin’s university board appointees
Democrats on the state Senate Privileges and Elections Committee filed suit Tuesday over what they say is constitutional overreach by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration. It’s the latest escalation in an ongoing feud over the appointment of eight university board of visitors members. State Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, in her capacity as president pro tempore of the Senate, is asking a judge to remove the members in question.
Senate Democrats sue to keep refused Youngkin appointees from boards
State Senate Democrats are seeking a court order to keep former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and seven other Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointees from participating on college and university boards. The senate’s Privileges and Elections Committee refused to confirm the appointees by a party-line 8-4 vote at a meeting earlier this month, but Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares have challenged the action, saying it is up to the full General Assembly to confirm or deny gubernatorial appointments to college boards.
Democrats sue over Youngkin’s appointments to various education boards
Virginia Democrats are suing the leaders of the Boards of Visitors at George Mason University, the University of Virginia and the Virginia Military Institute. “We have a rule of law in Virginia, and it’s important the governor follow our Constitution and our laws,” Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) told 8News. The lawsuit asks a judge to decide whether university leaders should allow eight of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s appointments to the schools’ Boards of Visitors to continue to serve.
Senate Democrats sue over Youngkin appointees kept on college boards
A Fairfax County court will soon weigh in on whether leaders at three of Virginia’s universities broke the rules by allowing rejected appointees to remain in their governing boards — despite Senate Democrats voting to remove them earlier this month. The lawsuit, first reported Tuesday by the Washington Post, targets the leadership of the Virginia Military Institute, the University of Virginia and George Mason University. It asks the court to bar the contested board members from continuing to serve and declare that any board member who permits them to remain is violating their legal duties.
Governor weighs in on regional water service issues as localities agree to meet
More voices are joining a growing conversation about how to address the region’s water service challenges, including the state’s top elected official. Gov. Glenn Youngkin convened a meeting Tuesday morning with the board chairs and top administrators for the City of Richmond and Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties. The topic of the meeting, according to the governor’s daily schedule, was “to discuss water delivery issues.”
Virginia slashes voter data costs ahead of 2025 elections
In a sweeping move aimed at promoting transparency and leveling the playing field in election access, the Virginia Department of Elections announced Monday that it will reduce the cost of purchasing voter lists by 90% starting next month. The change dramatically lowers the price of essential voter data — including lists of registered voters, new registrants, and past voters — for candidates, political parties, and political action committees legally entitled to access them under state law. For example, a statewide list that currently costs $6,000 will soon be available for $600.
ICE agents make arrests at Chesterfield courthouse
Cesar Diaz Lopez came to the Chesterfield County courthouse on a misdemeanor violation for his vehicle registration. “I’m here to pay my taxes,” Diaz said. He introduced himself to two employees for Chesterfield County in a hallway outside the court’s general district courtrooms. Diaz was directed into a witness chamber within one of the courtrooms by a sheriff’s deputy, where he met two plainclothes officers with no visible law enforcement identification. Then, he was escorted out the back entrance of the courthouse and into an unmarked car.
Youngkin orders National Guard sexual offense ombudsman
The Virginia National Guard and the Virginia Defense Force will get an ombudsman to assist servicemembers who’ve complained of sexual assault, sexual harassment or retaliation, Gov. Glenn Youngkin ordered Friday. The executive order comes after he vetoed legislation this year that would have created a Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Officer within the state’s Department of Military Affairs. The officer was to serve as an advocate for victims, including authority to issue a protective order on behalf of a victim.