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‘I will punch back’ against Trump administration, Stoney says in Alexandria as Dem primary nears
With only 10 days left until the June 17 Democratic primary, former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney stopped in Alexandria Saturday afternoon for a meet-and-greet with some of his most influential Northern Virginia supporters. Facing five opponents in what’s expected to be a low turnout primary election, Stoney said that, if elected, he’d focus on housing affordability.
Levar Stoney says he’s ‘ready to go on day one’ as lieutenant governor
Levar Stoney was Richmond’s mayor from 2017 to 2024, after serving as secretary of the commonwealth during Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s administration. Now, Stoney is hoping to serve at the state level again. He’s one of six candidates in the June 17 Democratic primary for lieutenant governor; the winner will face Republican John Reid for the office currently occupied by Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears. VPM News state politics reporter Jahd Khalil recently spoke to Stoney about his campaign, as part of a series of conversations with all six Democratic candidates for the state’s No. 2 job.
Spanberger pushes housing policy at new development in Henrico County
Virginia’s average home price has increased 6% over the last year, bringing it up to nearly $400,000 dollars. Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Abigail Spanberger offered ideas to address the problem at an event in Henrico County Friday morning. “We have people that are gainfully employed that now cannot afford to live in the localities in which they work because of a lack of supply,” said Martin Johnson with the Virginia Realtors association, discussing the state’s housing woes.
Spanberger unveils plan to make housing more affordable, accessible
Former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger unveiled her plans to make housing more affordable and accessible throughout Virginia while in Henrico County on Friday. “No matter where I travel, whether I’m in the City of Richmond or Richmond County, or Radford, or Roanoke, or Hampton Roads, I hear about the high cost of housing,” Spanberger said. The Democratic nominee for governor said that it starts with investing in ways to increase Virginia’s housing supply.
Democrats plan ‘firehouse’ primary for 11th District special election
June will be a hectic month for many Fairfax County voters. In addition to participating in statewide elections, Democratic voters will be faced with choosing their party’s nominee for the 11th Congressional District special election to determine the late Rep. Gerry Connolly’s successor. The Fairfax County Democratic Committee announced today (Friday) that it will select a nominee with a “firehouse primary” on June 28 — 11 days after the party’s June 17 primary, which has the statewide lieutenant governor and attorney general races on the ballot.
Naval Weapons Station Yorktown and Dominion look at nuclear plant on base
The agreement signed Friday would allow the Navy and Dominion Energy Virginia to explore building a Small Modular Reactor and other alternative energy options, such as a solar farm on base. “To be crystal clear, we believe the new nuclear (power) has to be part of the energy mix if we're able, if we're going to be able to meet the demand going forward, said Ed Baine, president of Dominion. SMRs are a smaller version of commercial nuclear reactors. They produce 300 megawatts or less. To save costs, the plants are manufactured off-site. Several companies are developing designs, but so far, no commercial SMR plant has opened in the United States.
With funding cut, what is the future of key Virginia refugee resettlement program?
For years, Commonwealth Catholic Charities has led much of Virginia’s work to help newly arrived refugees build lives in the United States. The nonprofit has operated its refugee resettlement program in the greater Richmond region, Roanoke and Newport News since 2010. ... But in January, the Trump administration abruptly suspended the Biden-era U.S. Refugee Admissions Program by executive order, halting all new refugee arrivals into the country and freezing government funding ... Luckily, the nonprofit was met with an “outpouring of support from the community,” Dillon said, which helped CCC secure housing and services for every refugee that had already been referred to CCC ...
Architectural board OKs new state courthouse building planned in downtown Richmond
A project to build a new state courthouse building in downtown Richmond has taken a step forward. Virginia’s Art and Architectural Review Board last week endorsed the final design plans for a 309,000-square-foot building planned for 900 E. Main St., which would house the Virginia Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals of Virginia. ... The proposed new state courthouse facility, called the Commonwealth Courts Building, would be built on the site currently occupied by the Pocahontas Building, which is slated for demolition. The project site is on the southwest corner of Capital Square. The Commonwealth Hotel on the same block as the project site would stay in place.
From VPAP New Episode: The Virginia Press Room Podcast
In the latest episode of the podcast from VaNews and VPM, Michael Pope is joined by Sabrina Moreno of Axios Richmond, Michael O’Connor of the Virginia Dogwood, and Michael Martz of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. They discuss the week's top headlines: Virginia as a hot spot for immigration enforcement, consumers' tariff uncertainty, and proposed cuts to Medicaid. Tune in for insights and analysis on Virginia politics. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
VPAP Visual Mapping Paid Conferences in 2024
In 2024, Virginia legislators and statewide office holders reported nearly 80 domestic conferences outside of Virginia, paid for by various organizations, often the host of the events. Under Virginia law, these paid conferences must be reported on annual disclosure forms.