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Virginia’s housing shortage looks grim, but builders and developers say incremental change will help

By BRAD KUTNER, WVTF-FM

Anyone who’s tried to buy a house in Virginia in recent years will tell you it's not easy. There aren’t many houses available, and that leads to inflated prices and bidding wars. But changes from state agencies and the legislature are giving some hope. “We’re at a shortage on single-family homes," Delegate Carrie Coyner told Radio IQ after a meeting of the Virginia Housing Commission Tuesday morning. "It’s really hard to attract and keep young people and stay top for business.” The meeting included a presentation by Virginia Association of Realtors and it painted a grim picture of the Commonwealth’s housing market now and into the future.

VaNews July 17, 2025


Pay raise, shipbuilding, better TRICARE: Kiggans says House defense budget would benefit Hampton Roads

By CHRIS HORNE, WAVY-TV

After a marathon markup session in the House Armed Services Committee, the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act includes money for pay raises, shipbuilding and other proposals that would benefit Hampton Roads. “We finished at one o’clock this morning,” said committee member Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02) of Virginia Beach in a Wednesday morning interview with WAVY. The Pentagon spending plan now goes to the full House.

VaNews July 17, 2025


Rail Trail coalition makes push at Commonwealth Transportation Board meeting

By RYAN FITZMAURICE, Northern Virginia Daily

A coalition of 12 local governments made their presence known at Wednesday morning’s Commonwealth Transportation Board meeting, voicing strong support for converting the Shenandoah Valley’s dormant rail corridor into a dedicated multi-use recreational trail. Shenandoah County Supervisor Tim Taylor delivered a coordinated message on behalf of the group at the meeting held at the George Washington Hotel in Winchester. ... “The vast majority of our community leaders, and our constituents, still believe the highest and best use of this corridor, at this time, is the creation of a multi-use trail.”

VaNews July 17, 2025


Spanberger widens lead as Virginia voters prioritize cost of living, personal freedoms

By MARKUS SCHMIDT, Virginia Mercury

With fewer than four months to go before Virginians elect a new slate of statewide leaders, a new poll from Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs finds Democrats holding early leads in all three top races — and voters sharply focused on economic pressures and personal freedoms. The latest Commonwealth Poll, conducted June 19–July 3, captures evolving voter sentiment in advance of the 2025 election and suggests momentum has shifted further toward Democratic candidates, particularly among independents.

VaNews July 17, 2025


Democrats hit Earle-Sears in new ad over job cuts, business ranking drop

By BRANDON JARVIS, Virginia Scope

The Democratic Party of Virginia is launching a new ad Thursday attacking Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears after Virginia lost its ranking at the top of CNBC’s Top States for Business list. Virginia fell from first place last year to fourth this year after a new metric was introduced to the process: federal job cuts.

VaNews July 17, 2025


Virginia governor’s race candidates share stances on public safety, labor unions

By KURT WILLIAMS, WTKR-TV

What issues will drive you to vote when early voting gets underway in just a few weeks? I sat down with Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears to hear what they'd aim to deliver for Virginians if elected the state's next governor.

VaNews July 17, 2025


Reid releases child care policy plan to bolster families

By MABINTY QUARSHIE, Washington Examiner

Virginia GOP candidate John Reid, who is running for lieutenant governor, released a new policy plan on Wednesday that will expand access to child care for parents while reducing government spending and bolstering resources for home-based and faith-based providers. National Republicans are riding the wave of victory from President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill,” which includes increasing the child tax credit to $2,200 for each child, an increase from $2,000.

VaNews July 17, 2025


Hashmi, Miyares have big financial advantage in down-ticket contests

By ANNA BRYSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)

A significant financial gulf has developed in both of Virginia’s down-ticket statewide races with four months until Election Day. Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, holds more than 10 times the cash on hand as her Republican rival, John Reid, while Jason Miyares, the GOP incumbent for attorney general, is sitting on nearly six times the war chest of his Democratic challenger, former Del. Jay Jones, D-Norfolk.

VaNews July 17, 2025


Youngkin visits Iowa, S.C. as 2028 presidential race looms

By KARRI PEIFER, Axios

Gov. Youngkin is one of several possible GOP contenders for president in 2028 racing to build his national profile, Axios' Alex Isenstadt reports. President Trump, who's dominated GOP politics for a decade, can't legally run again, leaving the door open for ambitious Republicans to offer themselves to primary voters and donors as the future of the party. Youngkin, who's term-limited in Virginia, is headed to Iowa to be the keynote speaker at the Republican Party of Iowa's annual Lincoln Dinner on Thursday. Next month, he'll be in South Carolina headlining the Silver Elephant Gala, the state GOP's biggest fundraiser of the year.

VaNews July 17, 2025


Spanberger outraises Earle-Sears 2-to-1 in Virginia governor’s race

By MARKUS SCHMIDT, Virginia Mercury

Former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is opening a financial and polling gap in the race for governor, outraising her Republican opponent Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by nearly 2-to-1 last quarter and entering the final four months of Virginia’s statewide election season with more than triple the cash on hand.

VaNews July 17, 2025