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Democratic congressional candidates make their pitch to succeed the late Gerry Connolly
Local Democrats seeking to succeed the late Rep. Gerry Connolly sought to distinguish themselves from a crowded field yesterday (Wednesday), outlining how they would represent Virginia’s 11th Congressional District if elected. Nine of the 10 candidates vying for the Democratic nomination attended the party’s lone forum at the Reston Community Center in Hunters Woods ahead of a primary election on Saturday (June 28).
Republicans announce campaigns against Vindman in 7th District
Politicking is already gearing up for the 2026 midterm election. A self-proclaimed “proud MAGA Republican” from Prince William County announced Tuesday his candidacy for Congress in Virginia’s 7th District. John Gray of Woodbridge is the second Republican candidate in less than a week to announce they were running against Vindman next year. Republican Virginia State Sen. Tara Durant, of Fredericksburg, announced her campaign for the U.S. House seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman on June 18, according to article in Daily Caller.
Suhas Subramanyam on his path to Congress (and a road trip not taken)
When Suhas Subramanyam was a teenager, he got competing invitations. One group of friends wanted to drive to Florida to volunteer for John Kerry’s campaign. The other wanted to drive there to volunteer for George W. Bush. “They both asked me if I wanted to come, and I said no to both,” he says. He didn’t vote in that election at all, he says. As a student at Tulane University in New Orleans, “I didn’t care about politics as much at the time. It really wasn’t until Hurricane Katrina hit the city and I got involved in community activism that I realized politics is important.”
Virginia’s unemployment rate is continuing to slowly climb
Virginia's unemployment rate has been steadily increasing for the last five months. That's the first time Virginia has seen rising unemployment numbers for that long since the Great Recession almost 20 years ago. John Provo at Virginia Tech says some of that is tied to manufacturing losses in rural areas. "Layoffs at Volvo Trucks in Pulaski, a closure of Georgia Pacific lumber supply facility in Emporia, and there are a couple of others," Provo says. "But I think these are companies that are anticipating a slowdown, and they’re tied to consumer markets ultimately."
Virginia hospitals bracing for Medicaid changes
A budget and tax bill moving through Congress could devastate rural hospitals across Southwest Virginia, potentially forcing closures, major job losses and cuts to essential services, health care leaders are warning. “The reconciliation bill currently before congress, as written, will lead to the closure of rural hospitals and will have a disproportionate impact on Red States. Not sure there is any other way to put it,” Alan Levine, CEO of Ballad Health, wrote on X on June 17. Ballad, the dominant health care provider in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee, serves some of the region’s most rural and medically underserved communities, where its hospitals are often the only source of inpatient care for miles.
Wet spring keeps Virginia crops growing despite early summer’s blazing heat
This week Virginia has set new heat records and come close to beating old ones for this time of year. The Richmond airport recorded a temperature of 99 degrees at the hottest part of the day on Tuesday, Roanoke reached 99, and Alexandria reached 98. Those high temperatures come at a crucial time for many crops growing across the commonwealth. “We are at a critical point for certain crops like corn that are either about to pollinate or our pollinating and so it will have an impact,” said Wilmer Stoneman, vice president of agriculture development and innovation for the Virginia Farm Bureau.
HUD plans move to Alexandria, booting National Science Foundation from headquarters
The Department of Housing and Urban Development will move its employees out of D.C. to Alexandria, Virginia, booting the National Science Foundation from its headquarters, officials announced Wednesday. Government officials said it’s the first major agency to relocate its headquarters as part of the Trump administration’s effort to reduce federal real estate.
Hashmi to receive $1M from Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association
Virginia’s Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, will receive a $1 million donation from the national Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association — the largest donation ever received by a lieutenant governor nominee in the state, the group says. The DLGA is a national organization that works each year to elect Democratic lieutenant governors and candidates across the U.S.
Preliminary plan unveiled for Norfolk schools to be closed, repurposed, rebuilt
Ten Norfolk schools are set to consolidate, and after a series of meetings, a preliminary plan — that still needs to be voted on by the school board — has been provided to the committee spearheading the effort. In March, Norfolk City Council tasked the school district with developing a plan to consolidate and close 10 schools, while opting to renovate or repurpose others. The resolution, passed unanimously by the city council, asks the school board to come up with a plan by Aug. 1. The district would then close two schools a year starting before the 2026-2027 school year.
Wagner: Stop the PREVAIL Act from raising drug prices
Recently, the Virginia General Assembly took a big step in lowering prescription drug prices. A bipartisan bill passed both the House and the Senate that would create a board to oversee prescription drug prices, identify excessively priced medications, and recommend strategies to lower costs, including potential price caps. This bill represented a long-overdue recognition that the status quo is unsustainable and unfair to working families.