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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.
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.
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 ...
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.
Richmond voters rebuke Stoney as Hashmi declares victory in Democratic lieutenant governor race
A Richmond-area politician appeared to win the lieutenant governor spot on Virginia’s statewide Democratic ticket in Tuesday’s elections. But it wasn’t former Mayor Levar Stoney. State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, declared victory Tuesday night after an unpredictable six-way primary to earn the right to run alongside gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger in the fall. “Tonight we've made history yet again, not just by winning this primary, but by declaring with one voice that Virginia is not going to be bullied or broken or dragged backwards by the chaos that's unfolding in Washington,” Hashmi told her supporters at an election night party in Richmond’s Fan District.
Hamilton defeats Jackson in 62nd House District Republican primary
Business owner Karen Hamilton bested Clay Jackson, a farmer and former Madison County supervisor, in the race for the Republican nomination in the House of Delegates' 62 District Tuesday. The Republican-friendly 62nd District includes Greene, Madison and parts of Culpeper and Orange counties. With all precincts reporting, Hamilton claimed over 58% of the vote to Jackson's nearly 42% (2,125 votes to 1,525). 551 early votes were outstanding around 9:15 p.m., according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
McQuinn to return to House; Dems line up November House challenges
Democrats on Tuesday all but completed their lineup for three Richmond-area races that are key to their hopes to expand their House of Delegates 51-49 majority, while Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Henrico, fended off a challenge from Henrico School Board member Alicia Atkins. Besides the three races where Democrats hope to unseat Republicans in the Richmond suburbs, Democrats also vied for the chance to flip a district in Suffolk and Chesapeake, while Republicans eyed Democratic seats in Prince William County and Virginia Beach.
Candidates face sprint to nomination in special election for Connolly’s seat
Candidates in the Virginia special election to succeed the late Democratic Rep. Gerald E. Connolly are facing a sprint, especially compared with their counterparts looking to fill other open House seats this year. While those running for a vacant seat in Arizona will have had months to campaign before their July primary, the Democrats who’ve announced bids to complete Connolly’s term have less than a month to officially campaign for their party’s nomination for Virginia’s 11th District ahead of a September special election.
Earle-Sears offers GOP vision following Dem primary
Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears spoke before a revved-up crowd at the Hippodrome in downtown Richmond Tuesday night. The candidate for governor aims to keep Virginia’s executive branch red, taking over for Republican Glenn Youngkin who is term limited. Earle-Sears opened her stump speech with some Youngkin-led wins, including a lab school program, keeping Virginia one of the best states for business and billions in tax breaks.
Can AI identify safety threats in schools? Loudoun County wants to try.
Loudoun County schools will use an artificial intelligence system to help identity fights, bullying or other potential safety threats on campuses. The system, from local tech company VOLT AI, will use AI to monitor video footage from the school district’s existing security cameras to spot incidents that might require staff intervention, such as the presence of weapons or other safety threats or medical emergencies. The cameras are used only in common areas, not bathrooms or locker rooms.