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Field grows as Youngkin sets special election for Connolly’s congressional seat
The race to succeed Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-11th, began before his death two weeks ago, but it intensified on Tuesday when Gov. Glenn Youngkin set a Sept. 9 special election for the 11th Congressional District seat. Candidates must file by July 11 to run for the seat, and the field already includes 10 people — seven Democrats, two Republicans and one political independent.
Youngkin sets Sept. 9 special election to fill Connolly’s seat
Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday set a special election for Sept. 9, 2025, to fill the congressional seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Gerry Connolly, a longtime Democratic fixture in Northern Virginia who passed away May 21 after a recurrence of cancer. The writ of election, issued by Youngkin’s office, triggers a high-stakes contest in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, a region that leans solidly Democratic and is home to a large population of federal workers. Candidates hoping to compete must file by July 11, with eligibility details available on the Department of Elections website.
Sen. Cory Booker endorses Jay Jones in Virginia’s Democratic primary for AG
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., has endorsed Jay Jones in Virginia’s Democratic primary for attorney general. Jones, a former state delegate and assistant attorney general for the District of Columbia, faces Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor in the June 17 primary. The winner will face Attorney General Jason Miyares, the Republican incumbent.
Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor talk Southwest Virginia, flood recovery and economic growth
The field of Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor is packed, with six hopefuls who hail from Hampton Roads, the Richmond area and Northern Virginia. None of the Democratic candidates are native to the Southwest or Southside regions, though many claim a connection. Cardinal News asked them some region-specific questions to get an idea of how they plan to serve our readership if elected.
Clean Virginia places six-figure attack ad against Shannon Taylor in AG race
Clean Virginia, a nonprofit that advocates for clean government and clean energy, is launching a six-figure ad campaign targeting Shannon Taylor, a Democratic candidate for attorney general, because she has accepted $375,000 from Dominion Energy, Virginia’s largest public utility. The 30-second ad will air in the expensive Washington, D.C. media market, aimed at reaching Northern Virginia voters ahead of the June 17 primary.
Dominion and Clean Virginia flood statewide races with millions
Dominion Energy, Virginia’s largest public utility company and one of state’s most prolific political donors, is once again flexing its power in politics — giving more than $2.6 million to candidates from both parties between April 1 and May 25. At the same time, Clean Virginia, another major donor organization with a stated mission to promote clean government and clean energy, continues to fund candidates who do not accept Dominion’s money, giving more than $1 million during the same time period. While the gubernatorial race is top of the ticket for Virginians this year, Dominion appears to be focused more on down-ballot contests.
Senate majority leader requests investigation into Virginia Birth Injury Fund
Virginia's legislature is seeking an investigation into the Virginia Birth Injury Fund, a troubled state agency that was recently robbed of nearly $7 million by an insider. The Virginia Birth Injury Fund is meant to help the families of children who suffered devastating injuries during childbirth. Many are incurred as a result of mistakes made by doctors. Children in the fund live with expensive, lifelong disabilities. The fund, which has over $700 million, is meant to support the children's therapies, wheelchairs and day-to-day medical needs.
Wong: Survivors escape traffickers yet are imprisoned by the past
Too often, survivors of human trafficking face a cruel irony: They escape their traffickers, only to find themselves still imprisoned — this time, by a criminal record that tells only part of their story. Forced into prostitution or coerced into using drugs, these survivors are often arrested and convicted for acts they were compelled to commit. As a result, they carry the lifelong weight of a criminal record ... This is where vacatur comes into play. The commonwealth now allows survivors to petition for post-conviction relief (called a writ of vacatur) that wipes a survivor’s record clean of the eligible convictions, providing more extensive relief than the pre-existing remedy of expungement.
‘A smack in the face:’ Voucher holders fear federal cuts to Virginia housing programs
As budget talks heat up in Washington, Southside Richmond resident Dana Wyatt is bracing for impact. After years of waiting for a housing choice voucher — a federally-funded program that operates like a rent coupon for qualifying tenants — she now fears she could lose it and once again become rent-burdened. This is because a series of White House budget requests sent to Congress in May proposes deep cuts for housing programs that Virginia has long relied on to help struggling renters, first-time homebuyers, and those who are unhoused and in need of shelter. Federal housing funds also support organizations that fight housing discrimination.
Chesley: An appreciation: Jerrauld C. Jones
Rare is the time when a state legislator — through the power of his own personal, painful narrative — changes the minds of colleagues. Jerrauld C. Jones, given that platform on the floor of the Virginia House of Delegates in January 1999 as he discussed the Confederate battle flag, displayed an oratory so gut-wrenching, so authentic, that he swayed opposing delegates to his side. There’s nothing I can compare it to in the General Assembly since that moment.