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Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Primary season begins as early voting kicks off Friday and Virginians start shaping the 2025 ballot
Early voting in the June 17 primaries starts May 2. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) Virginia voters can begin casting ballots Friday, May 2, as early voting opens for the June 17 primary elections. These primaries will determine party nominees for key statewide offices and legislative seats ahead of the November general election, which could reshape the state's political landscape. While Virginia's gubernatorial race between Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is set, Democrats still have to settle their tickets for lieutenant governor and attorney general. All 133 Virginia localities will hold a Democratic primary, while just 31 will host a Republican one. Six candidates are competing in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor: A labor leader and employment attorney from Northern Virginia, Alex Bastani once juggled law school at night while working as an economist at the U.S. Department of Labor. Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, made history in 2019 when she became the first Muslim and South Asian American woman elected to the Virginia Senate. With a background in medicine and education, Dr. Babur Lateef chairs the Prince William County School Board and has led the University of Virginia Health System Board. State Sen. Aaron Rouse, a Virginia Beach state senator and former NFL safety, won his seat in a 2023 special election. A former federal prosecutor now practicing law in Arlington, Victor Salgado handled high-profile cases during his tenure, including the prosecution of Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. And Levar Stoney, who served as Richmond's youngest mayor until January, also held the role of Virginia's Secretary of the Commonwealth before launching his bid for higher office. The winner will face Republican nominee John Reid, a conservative radio host and the first openly gay man to run statewide in Virginia. Reid's candidacy has sparked controversy within the GOP after explicit images surfaced online, leading Gov. Glenn Youngkin to request his withdrawal. Reid denies any connection to the images and has vowed to continue his campaign, highlighting internal divisions within the party. For attorney general, the Democratic primary features Jay Jones, a former state delegate from Norfolk who in 2021 unsuccessfully challenged then-incumbent Mark Herring for his party's nomination, and Shannon Taylor, Henrico County's commonwealth's attorney. Jones, a lifelong Norfolk resident, previously served as an assistant attorney general and represented the 89th District in the House of Delegates. Taylor, first elected in 2011, has emphasized her experience as a prosecutor in her campaign. The victor will challenge incumbent Republican Jason Miyares, who is seeking re-election. House of Delegates: Competitive primaries across the state All 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates are up for election this year. Democrats currently hold a narrow majority, and both parties are fielding candidates in multiple districts. Several Democratic primaries are drawing attention: House District 1: Incumbent Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, faces a challenge from Sean Phillip Epstein and Arjoon Srikanth House District 32: Michael Forbes and Jonathan Michael Lucci are seeking their party's nomination to challenge Del. Bill Wiley, R-Winchester. House District 40: Donna Littlepage and Kiesha Preston are running to take on Del. Joe McNamara, R-Roanoke County. House District 49: Jasmine Lipscomb and Gary Miller are vying for their party's nomination in a Republican-leaning district currently represented by Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, who is not seeking reelection. House District 57: May Nivar and Andrew Schear are seeking to take on Del. David Owen, R-Henrico. House District 72: Randolph Critzer and Bilal Raychouni are competing for the chance to challenge Del. Lee Ware, D-Powhatan. House District 73: Voters will choose between Leslie Mehta and Justin Woodford to decide who challenges Del. Mark Earley, R-Chesterfield, and independent candidate Michael Talat Saleh Azab. House District 75: In the most crowded House primary this cycle, Lindsey Dougherty, Stephen Miller-Pitts and Dustin Wade are battling for the opportunity to oppose Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield. House District 81: Alicia Atkins is taking on Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond. No Republican has filed in this district yet. House District 89: The primary between Blaizen Buckshot Bloom and Karen Robins Carnegie will decide which Democrat will face the Republican nominee hoping to succeed Del. Baxter Ennis, R-Chesapeake. Republicans are having primaries in these districts: House District 21: Gregory Lee Gorham, Xanthe Larsen and Sahar Smith are competing for the chance to unseat Del. Josh Thomas, D-Prince William. House District 37: Austen Schwend is hoping to unseat Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt. If successful, he will face Sharron Burgess, the lone Democrat running in this Republican-leaning district, in the November election. House District 46: Mitchell Cornett and Adam Tolbert are hoping to face Democrat Jamie Ralston Henry in this district currently represented by Del. Jed Arnold, R-Smyth, who is not seeking reelection. House District 49: The primary contest between Vanessa Reynolds Scearce and Madison Whittle will decide who will succeed Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, and face the Democratic nominee who has yet to be selected. House District 62: Karen Hamilton and Clay Jackson are competing for the chance to take on Sara Ratcliffe, the lone Democrat running in this district. House District 70: The winner between Cynthia Scaturico and Hailey Shupe-Dollar will go up against Del. Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News, in November. House District 89: Either Mike Lamonea or Kristen Shannon will face the Democratic nominee in a district currently represented by Del. Baxter Ennis, R-Chesapeake, who is not running for reelection. House District 97: Former Del. Tim Anderson and Christina Miriam Felder are seeking the Republican nomination to take on Del. Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach. Voting information and key dates Virginia conducts open primaries, allowing any registered voter to participate in either party's primary, though not both. Early voting runs from May 2 through June 14. Voters can cast ballots in person at their local registrar's office or vote by mail. Important deadlines: May 27: Deadline to register to vote or update registration. June 6: Deadline to apply for a mailed absentee ballot. June 14: Last day for in-person early voting. June 17: Primary Election Day For more information on early voting locations and to find your polling place, visit the Virginia Department of Elections website. Voter turnout forecast In recent years, voter turnout in Virginia's primary elections has fluctuated, reflecting varying levels of public engagement. For instance, the 2021 Democratic primary saw about 8% of registered voters casting ballots — a slight decrease from the 10% turnout in 2017, which was one of the highest in recent history. This dip occurred despite the presence of competitive races and increased accessibility to early voting options. Nationally, primary election turnout often lags behind general elections. Since 2000, average turnout for general elections in the U.S. has been more than twice as high as for primaries. This trend suggests that while general elections draw broader participation, primaries are typically decided by a more engaged subset of voters. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Three Va. Planned Parenthood clinics affected by Trump administration's Title X funding freeze
A giant inflatable intrauterine device is displayed outside of Virginia's Capitol on Feb. 7, 2025. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) Three Virginia Planned Parenthood health centers in Richmond, Hampton and Virginia Beach have been affected by federal Title X family planning grant freezes, losing over $1 million in funds fueling family planning services. Established in 1970, the federal program helps low and extremely low-income people access family planning care like contraception, sexually transmitted disease screenings and treatment as well as cancer screenings, at low or no cost. Virginia League for Planned Parenthood CEO Paulette McElwain said that clinics in Virginia became aware of the federal funding changes on March 31, which means that about 11,000 patients will now have to pay higher costs for services. She added that more than half of the Title X patients that VLPP cares for have incomes at or below the federal poverty level — the demographics that the federal funding program is meant to support. 'VLPP is working hard to keep costs for patients as low as possible but inevitably, the loss of $1.2 million in funds that directly subsidized family planning services will impact patients,' McElwain said. 'It is profoundly disappointing that the Trump administration is putting politics ahead of the health care needs of the people Planned Parenthood serves.' The Trump administration is facing a lawsuit over the cuts to the funding. California, Hawaii, Mississippi, Maine, Missouri, Montana and Utah have been completely cut off from the grants, according to the lawsuit, while Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia have had their access reduced. While costs for care have gone up for patients in Virginia, other states have reported the possibilities of reduced hours, laid off staff or closures of clinics altogether. Filed in the District Court of Columbia, the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association and the American Civil Liberties Union's 35-page lawsuit argues that about 842,000 people across the affected states now face reduced access to care. With the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. named as the top defendant, the suit argues that HHS has withheld $65.8 million over disagreements about organizations' 'opposition to racism' and speculation of 'providing care to undocumented immigrants.' While legal challenges to changes in reproductive health care access play out at the federal level, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin may soon weigh in on a right-to-contraception bill from this most recent legislative session. After passing the legislature, he sought amendments. Youngkin's substitute of the bill reinforces two U.S. Supreme Court cases that deal with access to contraception nationwide, while the right-to-contraception proposal prior to his substitute would apply specifically to Virginia if those federal cases should be overturned. After helping overturn federal abortion protections in 2022, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas expressed interest in revisiting cases that upheld contraception protections. As some states have also explored contraceptive restrictions in recent years, reproductive rights advocates and some lawmakers in Virginia have emphasized the benefit of strengthening state law, should federal protections for contraception also be overturned. While the measure also cleared the legislature last year, Youngkin sought amendments that the bill's patrons said 'gutted' it because it reinstated the federal court cases for which protection hinges on before he ultimately vetoed it. He has until Friday to choose to sign the bill as it had cleared the legislature this year, or to veto it again. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
National organizations will give big boosts to Virginia Democrats this year
Virginia State Capitol. Charlotte Rene Woods / Virginia Mercury From building party infrastructure and strengthening candidate recruitment pipelines to supporting current candidates with tens of thousands in cash, both the Democratic Party of Virginia and candidates running in this year's pivotal House of Delegates election are getting fresh infusions of funds and energy from national organizations. Thursday, the Democratic National Committee announced that it will transfer more than $1 million per month to its state and territorial parties over the next four years. Meanwhile the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee announced its spotlight investment on a slate of Democrats who are challenging Republican incumbents in Virginia's statehouse. Women candidates pack Virginia's House of Delegates elections, tee up historic governor's race Those include women candidates who are facing a rematch this year against Republican incumbents they nearly ousted last time around. Those races are expected to be tight again as Republicans try to hold the line and Democrats hope to flip the districts. House District 82 challenger Kimberly Pope Adams lost to Del. Kim Taylor, R-Petersburg in 2023's election by just 53 votes and will face the delegate again with DLCC's backing. As will House District 41 challenger Lily Franklin who nearly beat Del. Chris Obenshain, R-Montgomery, and House District 71 challenger Jessica Anderson who nearly ousted Del. Amanda Batten, R- James City County. Both women will step up to bat again in November. DLCC also announced support for House District 22 challenger Elizabeth Guzman, a former state delegate looking to get back into the legislature by ousting Del. Ian Lovejoy, R-Prince William, in the competitive district. During Guzman's previous tenure in the General Assembly she was tapped to deliver the Spanish language response to Donald Trump's first State of the Union address during his first term in the White House. Now that he's earned a second term and Republicans control both chambers of Congress, Virginia's House of Delegates and state executive branch elections this year represent an opportunity for Democrats to hold onto their seats and claw back power at the state level. DLCC pours money into Virginia races, citing 'All eyes on 2025' With $350,000 already invested in Virginia specifically as one of its priority states, DLCC plans to build on that number. 'State Democrats in Virginia and across the country are holding the line against extremism in Washington,' DLCC president Heather Williams said in a statement. 'All eyes should be on the commonwealth as competitive campaigns ramp up and voters prepare to hold Republicans accountable for their extremism this November.' The focus on state-level gains is paramount for the party's national apparatus as well. 'When we organize everywhere to compete everywhere, we can win anywhere,' DNC chair Ken Martin told the media during a virtual call Wednesday morning. As part of the new investment strategy, he said that each state party is set to receive a minimum of $17,500 per month — up $5,000 from the current baseline. Republican-controlled states can also expect a total of $22,500 per month with a boost from the DNC's Red State Fund. A politically purple state, this doesn't apply to Virginia this time around, as the threshold for that funding source entails meeting at least two of three criteria: no Democratic governor or Democratic U.S. Senator; one-quarter or less of the state's congressional delegation being made up of Democrats; and Republicans holding supermajorities in both state legislative chambers. Those factors are in flux, Martin and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who was also on the call, emphasized, saying 'there's no such thing as a perpetual blue state or a perpetual red state.' But in order to build Democratic gains within the D.C. beltway, Martin said, the DNC can help support states as they recruit and support candidates in bodies like state legislatures and city councils. 'The role of political parties is to build infrastructure everywhere,' Martin said. With the fresh boosts from the DNC and DLCC, Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Lamont Bagby is ready to put the resources to work in this year's elections. 'We are committed to investing in every corner of the Commonwealth and mobilizing every voter to elect Abigail Spanberger as Governor, a Democratic Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General, and expand our majority in the House of Delegates,' he said in a statement to The Mercury. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Voting begins on Richmond's $3 million People's Budget
Richmond residents fill out cards to give their suggestions for capital improvement projects at the formal launch of the Richmond People's Budget on Sep 10, 2024. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) Last summer, the city of Richmond made waves by announcing a $3 million dollar check for its residents to spend as they see fit. Now, the city is handing the reins over to its people, inviting everyone 14 years and older to vote on how that money should be allocated. From April 1 to 15, Richmonders can head to pop-up events around the city or log on to cast their votes for the projects they want to see funded in what the city has dubbed 'The People's Budget.' Ideas on the table range from improvements to bus routes, tree plantings in underserved areas, and sidewalk enhancements for pedestrian safety, to more region-specific projects, like a 'Welcome to Southside' sign at entry points to Richmond's 8th City Council district, or better trail access to the James River in the 5th District. Instead of just picking one project, the process uses ranked choice voting, allowing participants to express preference for several initiatives. The People's Budget initiative, which was led by former city councilor and mayoral candidate Andreas Addison, started with other pop-up events and online solicitation to gather input from residents across the city. As for the $3 million, it's being divided across the city with a focus on equity. Isaac Samuels, lead organizer of the People's Budget, explained that Districts 1, 2 and 4 will each get $200,000, while Districts 3, 5 and 7 will receive $300,000 each, and Districts 6, 8 and 9 will be allocated $500,000. The goal of this varied distribution is to direct funding to areas that have historically been underinvested in, ensuring that all of Richmond's neighborhoods benefit. Richmond's Southside, home to many historically Black neighborhoods, has long faced challenges rooted in systemic inequality. Less tree canopy in these areas leads to higher ground temperatures during hot months, and a history of discriminatory housing policies has contributed to lower home values. In the 1930s, appraisers marked Black-populated neighborhoods nationwide in red, labeling them 'hazardous' for home loans. The lasting impact of these racist practices is still evident today, with each negative appraisal continuing to affect future evaluations and resulting in less local government investment in public infrastructure. 'This is a big milestone for us,' Samuels said. After months of outreach and community engagement, Samuels is thrilled to reach the voting phase, knowing the projects selected will soon become a reality. With voting ending on April 15, he expects the results to be available by April 21. From there, the implementation of winning proposals will vary based on which city departments are involved and the procedural steps leading up to any development work. 'We will be tracking it basically like a Domino's Pizza Tracker on our website, noting every different step that we're taking,' Samuels said. Ranked choice voting gives Richmond residents a better shot at seeing their favorite projects come to life. If their top choice doesn't get enough votes, their other picks may still make the cut, giving them a greater sense of influence over the outcome. This voting method has gained traction in Virginia in recent years. Former state delegate Sally Hudson carried legislation that was signed into law in 2020, allowing localities to adopt ranked choice voting for city council and board of supervisor elections. Arlington was the first to use it in 2023, and Charlottesville is set to implement it this year. Richmond nearly became the first locality to adopt it in 2022, but city councilors were still unsure and ultimately voted it down. A major concern was that the law couldn't be applied to school boards or citywide elections contests like Richmond's mayor, who, unlike most Virginia localities, is separately elected instead of being a member of the city council. This year, a bill from Sen. Saddam Salim, D-Fairfax, aimed to expand ranked choice voting, but it was recently vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin, who used ranked choice voting to secure his victory in the 2021 Republican gubernatorial convention, explained in his veto that more data was needed before expanding the method. He said doing so at this stage 'risks institutionalizing a system that has yet to prove its effectiveness in broader elections.' However, Hudson, now executive director of Ranked Choice Virginia, argues that Youngkin is overlooking 'the growing body of evidence' showing successful ranked choice voting trials. Arlington has already used it in several elections, and Falls Church and Loudoun county are also considering adopting it. Both Hudson and UpVote Virginia executive director Liz White have pointed to expanding use of ranked choice voting nationwide. 'I definitely see an increase in just people being familiar with it. I think that that, for us, is the biggest measure of progress,' White said. 'The more people use it, the more people know about it, the more they like it.' While more local elections are still waiting for the ability to use this method, White is thrilled to see it applied in Richmond's People's Budget. 'There's more nuance to (residents') votes and they can provide so much more information with their vote,' White said. 'I think that's really cool.' To vote online in the People's Budget, click here. For more details on in-person voting, click here. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Yahoo
Fires of desperation at Red Onion are a call for dignity and justice
A crowd rallies outside of the bell tower at Virginia's Capitol on Jan. 8, 2025 to protest allegations of mistreatment of inmates and prolonged use of solitary confinement at Red Onion State Prison and Wallens Ridge State Prison. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) At Red Onion State Prison, one of two supermax prisons in Virginia, at least 12 Black men last year set their own bodies on fire in horrifying and desperate acts of protest against inhumane conditions, including prolonged solitary confinement. I can understand the anguish that led these men to light themselves on fire. The stretches I spent isolated and alone in solitary confinement over my own 14 years of incarceration in New York left me with PTSD and severe insomnia. The trauma I experienced still impacts me every day over a decade after my release, and I'm still processing it in therapy. A 2020 United Nations report declared prolonged solitary confinement a form of psychological torture and sounded the alarm on the excessive use of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons. Yet even now, on any given day over 80,000 human beings — including children — are in solitary confinement in jails and prisons across the country. And just as Black men are more likely to be targeted by the carceral system, they are also more likely to be put in solitary confinement once imprisoned. Solitary confinement is meant to break you. It isolates you not just physically but mentally, stripping you of your sense of humanity and connection to other human beings. In my time in solitary, the lack of communication, support, and tools to express my pain left me feeling invisible—much like the men at Red Onion must feel today. These acts of self-immolation at Red Onion are not random. They are a response to conditions that render people trapped, voiceless, and forgotten. People incarcerated at Red Onion report relentless racial, physical, and psychological abuse, medical neglect including the withholding of medicine, inedible food contaminated by maggots and human saliva, and violent dog attacks. Many individuals at Red Onion have been placed in solitary for protracted periods, including one report of 600 consecutive days. Without meaningful avenues to raise their grievances or seek support, these men expressed themselves using the only tool they had left — their own bodies. It is a tragic indictment of a system that denies basic humanity to those it incarcerates. Red Onion has a long and sordid history of abusing incarcerated people. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International both released reports about abhorrent conditions in the prison back in 1999 and 2001. As of 2011, more than 500 of the 750 men locked up at Red Onion were in solitary confinement. Virginia later enacted a 'step-down' program supposedly intended to reduce the use of solitary confinement but eight years after the program was enacted, the Virginia chapter of the ACLU sued the state because abuse of solitary confinement continued at Red Onion. The organization where I work, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, has been organizing alongside the Interfaith Action for Human Rights (IAHR), and the Virginia Coalition on Solitary, with the national support of Unlock the Box and the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), to expose these abuses and demand systemic change. Together with solitary survivors, families, formerly incarcerated individuals, and advocates, our coalition is calling for independent investigations into the conditions at Red Onion, transparency from the Virginia Department of Corrections, and an immediate end to the use of solitary confinement. The conditions at Red Onion do not exist there alone, so our efforts aim to make changes that prioritize rehabilitation and dignity over punishment and isolation. To see change, we need action. Virginia's legislators and state officials must establish independent humane oversight of prison conditions and support legislation that limits or abolishes the use of solitary confinement. Two matching bills are now headed to Gov. Glenn Youngkin's desk that would take us a huge leap in the right direction by restricting and regulating solitary confinement in all Virginia state prisons. We must also amplify the voices of incarcerated individuals and their families, ensuring their experiences are central to reform efforts. Transformation will only come when we, as a society, demand that our systems treat every person with dignity and respect. As I reflect on these events, I ask: How can we ensure that no one feels compelled to commit desperate acts of self-harm to be heard? The answer lies in building sustainable community support and systems of accountability, fostering open communication, and committing to true justice that values healing and humanity. The men at Red Onion deserve to be seen, to be heard, and to be treated as human beings. Let us honor their cries for help by fighting for a future where no one feels the need to set themselves on fire to demand dignity. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
