A Primary Race to Watch: VA House District 86
Early Voting for Democratic Party Primary begins April 23 in Fairfax County
Early Voting at the Fairfax County Government Center for the Democratic Party Primary Election begins April 23.
Two-Front Primary
Self-styled 'aggressive progressive' wages statewide campaign while defending House seat
Northern Virginia has one of the most competitive Democratic primaries for the House of Delegates this year, a race that's complicated by an incumbent who's seeking reelection while also seeking a statewide office. Del. Mark Levine (D-45) will be appearing twice on the ballot, once toward the top of the ticket for lieutenant governor and then again for reelection to the House seat that he's held since his first election in 2015.
Virginia State Candidates Seek Your Signature
With completion of the 2021 General Assembly session, the odd-year political election cycle is upon us in Virginia.
Night Court
Lawmakers to consider eliminating no-knock warrants, new hurdles for nighttime search warrants.
Lawmakers in Virginia are about to consider banning no-knock warrants and creating a new requirement that judges — not magistrates — sign off on search warrants executed at night.
At the Crossroads
Lawmakers to slash the state budget and consider criminal-justice reforms.
The threadbare Franklin and Armfield office on Duke Street stands at the crossroads between racial injustice and economic crisis. It’s a ramshackle building now, but it was once the headquarters for the largest domestic slave trading firm in the United States, present at the creation of the systemic racism that plagues Virginia cops and courts. It’s also the city’s latest acquisition, and the state budget was to include $2.5 million to help transform it into the Freedom House Museum. But then the pandemic hit, and the governor hit the pause button on that line item as well as all the other spending priorities of the new Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.
Following the Money
Special-interest groups seek power and influence.
A look at campaign-finance documents from the 2019 election cycle reveals an intricate web of special-interest money, everything from Dominion and Verizon to casino developers and car-title lenders. Members of the Alexandria delegation took money from lobbyists and associations who have pending business during the upcoming two-month General Assembly session, when lawmakers will be forbidden from taking campaign cash.
Republican Requiem
Democrats take General Assembly, sweep Fairfax School Board; Republicans hold Springfield.
It wasn’t all that long ago that Northern Virginia had its own breed of Republicanism. People like U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-11), U.S. Sen. John Warner and Del. Dave Albo (R-42). Now, after a series of stunning defeats since the election of Donald Trump to the White House, Northern Virginia Republicans are a dying breed, with moderates bowing out or being voted out.
Generation Gap
Millennials and Gen X now outnumber older voters. So why do Baby Boomers dominate?
Millennials and Gen Xers now outnumber Baby Boomers and older voters in Virginia, according to data from the Census Bureau. But that doesn’t mean they have as much influence. Census numbers also show another trend: People over the age of 45 vote at much higher rates.
Off-Year Campaign Cash
Money from Alexandria will help shape Election 2019.
More than $3.5 million in campaign cash has an Alexandria mailing address this election cycle, a spending spree that reflects the stakes this year’s election. Control of the House of Delegates and state Senate is at stake, and partisans on both sides are trying to influence the outcome.
Virginia Democratic Primary: Small Voter Turnout Heralds Big Changes
McKay’s ‘Experience Counts’ tagline resonates, as does the call for criminal justice reform in the Commonwealth’s Attorney race.
.
Virginia House Whip Faces Democratic Primary
Spain criticizes Lopez's work on immigration, relationship with governor, presence in community.
If Democrats seize control of the House this November, Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-49) is poised to be in a leadership position helping to guide the agenda of a party that has not been in power since the 1990s. But that’s only if he makes it through the primary.
Blue Wave Retains 86th District
Ibraheem S. Samirah (D) defeats Gregg Garrett Nelson (R) in Special Election.
.
86th District Candidates Share Their History, Viewpoints
Special Election for member of the House of Delegates 86th District to be held on Tuesday, Feb. 19.
.