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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia's Democratic lieutenant governor candidates discuss taking on Trump, federal cuts
A field of six candidates is competing to be the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in Virginia's June 17 primary election. It's a job that, at first blush, doesn't appear to have as many responsibilities as other elected offices. The lieutenant governor is first in the line of succession for the governor, and shall assume the position if the governor is not able to complete his or her job duties, according to the Constitution of Virginia. But the office also presides over the Virginia Senate, and casts tiebreaking votes. It's a distinct possibility in the chamber, which currently has a 21-19 Democratic advantage. Additionally, several former lieutenant governors, such as Doug Wilder, Tim Kaine and Ralph Northam, have used the office as a springboard to successfully run for governor. This year, retired attorney Alex Bastani, state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, Prince William County School Board Chair Babur Lateef, state Sen. Aaron Rouse, former prosecutor Victor Salgado and former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney are Democratic primary. The winner will face Republican nominee and former talk radio host John Reid in the November general election. At least by campaign fundraising amounts and endorsements, the candidates can be divided into two groups: three longtime Virginia Democrats with years of governing experience and three relative newcomers to politics. Leading the money race this year is Stoney with about $1.4 million raisedas of March 31, Rouse with $1.2 million and Hashmi with $1.1 million , according to the Virginia Public Access Project. During the same time period, Lateef has raised about $970,000, Salgado has raised $204,000 and Bastani $134,000. In cash donations of less than $100 — a metric campaigns often tout as an indication of grassroots support — Hashmi leads with 1,721 donations as of March 31, followed by Rouse with 994 donations, Lateef with 374, Stoney with 210, Salgado with 117 and Bastani with 14. In the endorsement game, Stoney has the backing of former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and former Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Rouse has endorsements from U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott and state Sen. Louise Lucas. Hashmi has endorsements from Rep. Ro Khanna of California and the Sierra Club. Lateef has been endorsed by the Move Chamber, a Muslim chamber of commerce, and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 51. The list is compiled through campaign announcements and websites and is not definitive. Several candidates say their government experience helps them stand out, while others touted their outsider status. Rouse, a former professional football player and Virginia Beach City Council member, touted his experience in local government and the Virginia Senate. He noted his track record of moves such as sponsoring a bill to revise a property tax exemption program for seniors and winning a seat previously held by a Republican in a 2023 special election that helped safeguard against a GOP effort to enact a 15-week abortion ban. That bill however, was defeated in committee and Rouse did not vote on the legislation. 757 Votes: The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press 2025 primary election guide 6 Virginia Democrats run for election in crowded lieutenant governor primary Democrats running for attorney general say Virginia needs to challenge Trump Rouse, who was raised in Norfolk and later Virginia Beach by a single mother, said he would continue to showcase the values the region taught him. 'I look forward to making my hometown proud,' he said. Hashmi is the first Muslim elected to the Virginia Senate and spent 30 years as a college professor. She took office in 2020 and touted her experience in the state legislature. She serves as chair of the of the Senate Education and Health Committee. 'I think it's really important to have someone in this position that's ready on day one to start taking on the critical areas that are impacting Virginia,' she said. Stoney, who was Richmond mayor for eight years and secretary of the commonwealth under McAuliffe, touted his experience as well. 'For eight years, I've had to make bold, consequential decisions in the daily lives of Virginians,' Stoney said. During his time as mayor, Stoney decided to remove over a dozen Confederate monuments after 2020 protests triggered by the police killing of George Floyd. However, he faced criticism over the police tear gassing of peaceful protestors, unrealized development projects and supporting two failed casino referendum votes. Lateef is a is an ophthalmologist and has served as chair of the Prince William County School Board since 2018. He touted student improvement during his time on the school board, and said he would focus on kitchen table issues like the economic prosperity for all Virginians. He also said he would advocate for using the state's recent revenue surpluses to invest in Virginia school capital improvement projects. Salgado, a former federal prosecutor with the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, said he had anticipated the federal government's incursion into states' rights and would help advise the governor and attorney general on how to fight back against the Trump administration. He's also made campaign finance reform a central pillar of his campaign, saying he would withhold votes in the Virginia Senate if a campaign finance bill was not passed by lawmakers. Salgado is pushing for limits on personal and corporate campaign contributions, to forbid conduit contributions — where a straw donor is used to hide the identity of the actual donor — and to create a watchdog agency to investigate violations. Bastani, a former U.S. Labor Department lawyer, is presenting himself as the progressive choice for the office by supporting universal health care and repealing the state's right-to-work law, which lets workers choose whether or not to pay union dues. All six candidates say they would like to repeal the measure, but Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger told a Richmond TV station she would not sign a repeal. Bastani said his potential win would signal that voters want to repeal the law and put additional pressure on Spanberger to sign a bill. He also believed universal health care could be implemented at the state level, saying studies have shown the program could save billions if implemented in the entire country. The candidates also offered differing solutions to standing up to President Donald Trump's cuts to federal jobs, grants and services like Medicaid. Hashmi said she would move for Virginia to quickly rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, saying it could provide millions of dollars in climate program funding to plug holes from federal cuts. Gov. Glenn Youngkin directed Virginia to leave the 12-state carbon emissions reduction program in 2022. A federal judge ruled the move was unlawful in November, but the state is appealing the ruling. Rouse said he would attempt to not only push back but work together with federal officials to try and reverse the cuts. Stoney said he would continue to speak out about the cuts, and called out Youngkin and current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP candidate for governor, for not doing more to resist the federal actions. Salgado said the state must be ready to combat Trump's bill in court immediately once it is signed into law. Additionally, he called for looking into whether state funding sources could be used as stopgap measures. Lateef also supported taking the Trump administration to court, and advocated for civil disobedience if the administration did not comply with court orders. Bastani also advocated with working together with federal lawmakers to reverse the cuts, and said he supported raising Virginia's corporate tax rate to create more revenue to support affected communities. Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345,
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Buttigieg endorses Levar Stoney for Virginia lieutenant governor
Pete Buttigieg is endorsing former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney (D) on Monday in the race for Virginia lieutenant governor ahead of the June 17 Democratic primary. 'As a mayor, I know leadership starts on the ground—and no one understands that better than @PeteButtigieg. I'm proud to have his endorsement in our campaign for Lieutenant Governor,' Stoney said in a post on X. 'Mayors know how to lead—and it's time to bring that experience statewide,' he added. Six Democratic candidates are running to be Virginia's No. 2 official: local labor leader and former Labor Department economist Alex Bastani; state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi; Prince William County School Board chair Dr. Babur Lateef; state Sen. Aaron Rouse; Georgetown University Law Center professor Victor Salgado; and Stoney. The endorsement from Buttigieg — himself a former mayor of South Bend, Ind. — is notable given he's widely been seen as a 2028 White House contender. His endorsement comes just two weeks from the primary. Radio host John Reid is the only Republican running for Virginia lieutenant governor. The general election is Nov. 4 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
02-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Buttigieg endorses Levar Stoney for Virginia lieutenant governor
Pete Buttigieg is endorsing former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney (D) on Monday in the race for Virginia lieutenant governor ahead of the June 17 Democratic primary. 'As a mayor, I know leadership starts on the ground—and no one understands that better than @PeteButtigieg. I'm proud to have his endorsement in our campaign for Lieutenant Governor,' Stoney said in a post on X. 'Mayors know how to lead—and it's time to bring that experience statewide,' he added. Six Democratic candidates are running to be Virginia's No. 2 official: local labor leader and former Labor Department economist Alex Bastani; state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi; Prince William County School Board chair Dr. Babur Lateef; state Sen. Aaron Rouse; Georgetown University Law Center professor Victor Salgado; and Stoney. 2024 Election Coverage The endorsement from Buttigieg — himself a former mayor of South Bend, Ind. — is notable given he's widely been seen as a 2028 White House contender. His endorsement comes just two weeks from the primary. Radio host John Reid is the only Republican running for Virginia lieutenant governor.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
5 summer elections to watch
A series of key primaries will take place over the summer, setting the stage for general election match-ups this November. Voters will head to the polls to choose nominees for major contests in New Jersey, home to one of only two gubernatorial races this year, and in New York City, the most populous city in the country where voters are potentially poised to choose controversial former Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the Democratic nominee. Meanwhile, the son of one of the most well-known names in New England is challenging the sitting mayor of Boston. Here are five elections to watch this summer: The Garden State experienced one of the largest rightward shifts of any state in the 2024 presidential election, and the gubernatorial race this year will be a test of whether Republicans can continue to make inroads. The GOP primary appears increasingly likely to renominate Jack Ciattarelli, a former state Assembly member who was the Republican nominee for governor in 2021. After having lost to Gov. Phil Murphy (D) four years ago by 3 points, Ciattarelli has been the clear favorite in polling and picked up President Trump's key endorsement earlier this month. The Democratic field to replace Murphy, who is term-limited, has been much more open. Six well-established candidates are facing off against each other, and polling had shown the field in a close match-up for months, with a slight lead for Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.). But that has started to shift — Sherrill has taken a double-digit lead over her closest competitor in the most recent few polls. Still, as many as a quarter of respondents have said they're undecided, and Sherrill has only received support from up to a third of voters in polls. This could give an opening for other Democratic candidates — like Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (N.J.) — with the primary just more than two weeks away. The nominees for governor of Virginia to succeed outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) have already been chosen: GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger were the only candidates to run for their respective parties' nominations. But voters will head to the polls in mid-June to choose nominees for lower-level offices, including lieutenant governor and state attorney general. The Democratic primary for Virginia's second-highest office features several candidates who have received support from notable Democratic political leaders. State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi has the support of Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), various Virginia state senators and delegates and EMILY's List, while state Sen. Aaron Rouse has his own group of state senate and delegate endorsements, along with that of Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and former Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.). Former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, who briefly ran for governor, is also seeking the office with support from former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), who co-endorsed him and Prince William County School Board Chair Babur Lateef. Limited polling has shown Stoney, Rouse and Hashmi within range of each other. Former radio host John Reid is the only candidate running for lieutenant governor as a Republican. What normally would be an uneventful reelection campaign for the sitting mayor of one of the most liberal cities in the country quickly became a packed race to oust New York City Mayor Eric Adams amid the legal controversies surrounding him. Cuomo has been the favorite since he entered the race, and no candidate — at least yet — seems poised to be able to take him on. Polling has shown him well ahead of the crowded field for the Democratic nomination. And he's scored a range of endorsements, seemingly repairing relationships with plenty of key stakeholders since he resigned as governor in 2021 after a string of controversies. State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani has the best case to be the main alternative to Cuomo, running as a progressive and being the only other candidate regularly reaching double digits in polls. But he still has ground to make up to pull off an upset in the ranked-choice voting system. Whoever wins the Democratic primary, just one month away, will be a clear favorite in the general election, even with Adams running for a second term as an independent. For the GOP, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who was the 2021 Republican nominee, seems likely to become the nominee again, gaining support from the leaders of the party in all five boroughs. A solidly blue House seat opened up in March when the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) died following a battle with cancer. Several candidates have jumped into the Democratic primary for the seat representing Arizona's 7th Congressional District. Whoever wins the primary in mid-July should easily win the general election in September. One of the most prominent is Adelita Grijalva, the late congressman's daughter and a former member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, who vowed to uphold her father's values if elected. She's notched endorsements from both of Arizona's senators — Democrats Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego — as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and some progressives in the House. Another candidate is former state Rep. Daniel Hernández Jr., who interned for former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) and is credited with saving her life during an assassination attempt on her. He's received support from Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) and Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.). The Democratic candidates are set to face off in a debate on June 10, a month before the primary. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (D), the city's first female mayor and first mayor of color, is facing a few challengers as she seeks a second term, most prominently the scion of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Josh Kraft, the former head of the New England Patriots Foundation, launched his campaign in February as a Democrat opposing Wu. He's criticized her handling of issues like affordable housing and education. Wu has argued that she's invested more in affordable housing than any past mayor and touted consistently declining gun violence since she took office. Early on, Wu seems to be in a decent position to be reelected. She's secured a range of local endorsements and one poll from last month showed her with a big lead. Kraft has gained support from former Boston Police Commissioner William Gross and a few unions. Wu, Kraft and the other candidates will participate in a nonpartisan primary in September in which the top two best-performing candidates advance to the general election in November. Kraft seems likely to advance along with Wu, and eyes will be on their performances in the primary to hint what the final result may be. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
5 summer elections to watch
A series of key primaries will take place over the summer, setting the stage for general election match-ups this November. Voters will head to the polls to choose nominees for major contests in New Jersey, home to one of only two gubernatorial races this year, and in New York City, the most populous city in the country where voters are potentially poised to choose controversial former Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the Democratic nominee. Meanwhile, the son of one of the most well-known names in New England is challenging the sitting mayor of Boston. Here are five elections to watch this summer: The Garden State experienced one of the largest rightward shifts of any state in the 2024 presidential election, and the gubernatorial race this year will be a test of whether Republicans can continue to make inroads. The GOP primary appears increasingly likely to renominate Jack Ciattarelli, a former state Assembly member who was the Republican nominee for governor in 2021. After having lost to Gov. Phil Murphy (D) four years ago by 3 points, Ciattarelli has been the clear favorite in polling and picked up President Trump's key endorsement earlier this month. The Democratic field to replace Murphy, who is term-limited, has been much more open. Six well-established candidates are facing off against each other, and polling had shown the field in a close match-up for months, with a slight lead for Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.). But that has started to shift — Sherrill has taken a double-digit lead over her closest competitor in the most recent few polls. Still, as many as a quarter of respondents have said they're undecided, and Sherrill has only received support from up to a third of voters in polls. This could give an opening for other Democratic candidates — like Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (N.J.) — with the primary just more than two weeks away. The nominees for governor of Virginia to succeed outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) have already been chosen: GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger were the only candidates to run for their respective parties' nominations. But voters will head to the polls in mid-June to choose nominees for lower-level offices, including lieutenant governor and state attorney general. The Democratic primary for Virginia's second-highest office features several candidates who have received support from notable Democratic political leaders. State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi has the support of Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), various Virginia state senators and delegates and EMILY's List, while state Sen. Aaron Rouse has his own group of state senate and delegate endorsements, along with that of Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and former Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.). Former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, who briefly ran for governor, is also seeking the office with support from former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), who co-endorsed him and Prince William County School Board Chair Babur Lateef. Limited polling has shown Stoney, Rouse and Hashmi within range of each other. Former radio host John Reid is the only candidate running for lieutenant governor as a Republican. What normally would be an uneventful reelection campaign for the sitting mayor of one of the most liberal cities in the country quickly became a packed race to oust New York City Mayor Eric Adams amid the legal controversies surrounding him. Cuomo has been the favorite since he entered the race, and no candidate — at least yet — seems poised to be able to take him on. Polling has shown him well ahead of the crowded field for the Democratic nomination. And he's scored a range of endorsements, seemingly repairing relationships with plenty of key stakeholders since he resigned as governor in 2021 after a string of controversies. State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani has the best case to be the main alternative to Cuomo, running as a progressive and being the only other candidate regularly reaching double digits in polls. But he still has ground to make up to pull off an upset in the ranked-choice voting system. Whoever wins the Democratic primary, just one month away, will be a clear favorite in the general election, even with Adams running for a second term as an independent. For the GOP, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who was the 2021 Republican nominee, seems likely to become the nominee again, gaining support from the leaders of the party in all five boroughs. A solidly blue House seat opened up in March when the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) died following a battle with cancer. Several candidates have jumped into the Democratic primary for the seat representing Arizona's 7th Congressional District. Whoever wins the primary in mid-July should easily win the general election in September. One of the most prominent is Adelita Grijalva, the late congressman's daughter and a former member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, who vowed to uphold her father's values if elected. She's notched endorsements from both of Arizona's senators — Democrats Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego — as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and some progressives in the House. Another candidate is former state Rep. Daniel Hernández Jr., who interned for former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) and is credited with saving her life during an assassination attempt on her. He's received support from Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) and Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.). The Democratic candidates are set to face off in a debate on June 10, a month before the primary. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (D), the city's first female mayor and first mayor of color, is facing a few challengers as she seeks a second term, most prominently the scion of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Josh Kraft, the former head of the New England Patriots Foundation, launched his campaign in February as a Democrat opposing Wu. He's criticized her handling of issues like affordable housing and education. Wu has argued that she's invested more in affordable housing than any past mayor and touted consistently declining gun violence since she took office. Early on, Wu seems to be in a decent position to be reelected. She's secured a range of local endorsements and one poll from last month showed her with a big lead. Kraft has gained support from former Boston Police Commissioner William Gross and a few unions. Wu, Kraft and the other candidates will participate in a nonpartisan primary in September in which the top two best-performing candidates advance to the general election in November. Kraft seems likely to advance along with Wu, and eyes will be on their performances in the primary to hint what the final result may be.
