31 sheriffs and commonwealth attorneys endorse Segura
SD-31 Republican nominee Juan Pablo Segura has secured the nomination of 31 sheriffs and commonwealth attorneys who represent more than 2 million Virginians.
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31 sheriffs and commonwealth attorneys endorse Segura
SD-31 Republican nominee Juan Pablo Segura has secured the nomination of 31 sheriffs and commonwealth attorneys who represent more than 2 million Virginians. He is running for the open state Senate seat against Russet Perry.
Segura has been running as an ally to law enforcement while trying to paint Perry as someone who is soft on crime despite her experience working as a prosecutor in the Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney office.
“If you’re concerned about keeping our district safe, then I highly recommend voting for Juan Pablo Segura,” Fauquier Commonwealth’s Attorney Scott Hook said.
Fauquier makes up 10 percent of SD-31 while Loudoun County makes up the rest of the district.
Loudoun’s Sheriff Mike Chapman is endorsing Segura and the Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj has campaigned for Perry.
The statements released with Segura’s endorsements echo the sentiment that he has been campaigning on this year.
“I gladly endorse Juan Pablo Segura for District 31 Virginia Senate. He understands that public safety is a top priority and necessary for the function of any community,” Lynchburg City Commonwealth’s Attorney Bethany Harrison said. “Having prosecuted for over 15 years, I learned that there is a balance of rehabilitation for low risk offenders while holding violent and repeat offenders accountable. Juan Pablo understands this balance as well as how important it is to support law enforcement who are the front line against violent crime.”
According to analysis from VPAP, SD-31 voted for Glenn Youngkin by less than one point in 2021. Democrats won the district by five points during federal elections in 2022, however.
The latest fundraising reports from this district show that Perry had $461,967 cash on hand at the end of September. Segura reported having $26,354.
Youngkin has made this district a priority as he tries to help Republicans take control of the chamber this November. His Spirit of Virginia PAC gave Segura’s campaign $250,000 in September. He has also campaigned for Segura multiple times in recent months.
Democrats are also making this race a priority in an attempt to keep the majority. The Senate Democratic Caucus gave Perry’s campaign $520,000 in September.
Perry recently said in an interview that “protecting access to abortion, investing in our public schools, bringing down the cost of living, and keeping our communities safe” are her priorities.
She has been attacking Segura by accusing him of wanting to ban abortion. Segura says she is lying but admits he does support Youngkin’s proposal to ban abortion at 15 weeks with exceptions for rape, incest, or if the mother’s life is in jeopardy.
Segura, meanwhile, continues to emphasize his support for law enforcement while accusing Perry of being anti-police after she was endorsed by groups that recently advocated for defunding police departments. “I think we have to celebrate law enforcement,” he said in a recent interview. “They keep us safe in our communities every day.”
Segura also says he wants to prioritize education, stating that he believes “success starts with a good education. We’ve got to raise standards for our kids, not lower them. We’ve got to focus on excellence in the schools and keep our children safe.”
Election day is Nov. 7.
Full list of Segura’s 31 endorsements:
Appomattox County Commonwealth’s Attorney Les Fleet
Augusta County Sheriff Don Smith
Bedford County Sheriff Mike Miller
Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney Wes Nance
Campbell County Sheriff Whit Clark
Carroll County Sheriff Kevin Kemp
Chesapeake City Sheriff Jim O’Sullivan
Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard
Culpeper County Commonwealth’s Attorney Russ Rabb
Essex County Commonwealth’s Attorney Vince Donoghue
Fauquier County Commonwealth’s Attorney Scott Hook
Gloucester County Sheriff Darrell Warren
Goochland County Commonwealth’s Attorney Mike Caudill
Grayson County Sheriff Richard Vaughan
Louisa County Sheriff Donald Lowe
Louisa County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rusty McGuire
Lynchburg City Commonwealth’s Attorney Bethany Harrison
Madison County Sheriff Erik Weaver
New Kent County Sheriff Joe McLaughlin, Jr.
Page County Sheriff Chad Cubbage
Pulaski County Commonwealth’s Attorney Justin Griffith
Rockingham County Commonwealth’s Attorney Marsha Garst
Russell County Commonwealth’s Attorney Zack Stoots
Virginia municipalities crack down on short-term rentals
By Sam Brown
Capital News Service
RICHMOND, Va. — Several Virginia municipalities have recently drafted or passed ordinances to regulate short-term rentals.
Scrutiny of short-term rentals mirrors a nationwide trend. Companies like Airbnb and Vrbo have become popular lodging options for tourists, as well as people in need of temporary housing.
Municipalities have pushed back against the rental options for reasons that include parking issues, noise complaints, trash and septic tank use volume. Supervisors have also cited concern over loss of hospitality tax revenue, as well as limiting available housing inventory.
Approximately 30 localities throughout the U.S. have regulated short-term rentals, according to a Business Insider report.
Most Virginia short-term rentals are found in more populous areas and tourist destinations, according to Capital News Service analysis of the market research site AirDNA.
Louisa County
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance earlier this month to add restrictions for short-term rentals and establish the zoning districts where they are allowed.
Rental owners must provide documentation of septic system inspections and repairs to the county. The renter must have the owner’s contact information as part of the new policy. One parking space per bedroom is now required. The changes don’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2025.
Citizens told county supervisors they are concerned about the septic tank failures caused by over-occupied rentals. The new occupancy restrictions hope to limit the impact on septic systems and prevent failures.
Rentals became a hot topic in Louisa due to Lake Anna tourism. There are fewer short-term rentals than in a city like Richmond or Alexandria, but the rentals are entire homes, and a majority larger than three bedrooms, according to AirDNA data.
Short-term rentals spiked in Louisa by 130% over a three-year period, according to AirDNA, with peak occupancy in the warmer months. There are just under 60 rentals, a fraction of offerings in larger cities.
Residents are worried about the water quality due to septic failures.
“We need to be inspecting these septic systems and particularly the ones where they are being overloaded in rentals,” said Phillip Winston, a Mineral resident who spoke at the meeting.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality added Lake Anna to the state’s impaired, or “dirty” waters list last year, due to algae blooms. Parts of the lake have been closed multiple times due to the blooms.
The Lake Anna Civic Association recommended that occupancy be limited to two guests per bedroom to reduce the risk of septic tank damage, according to its website. The Louisa Planning Commission advised county leaders to require conditional use permits for short-term rentals, which would have regulated occupancy.
The Board did not pass that as part of the new ordinance.
Part of Lake Anna is in Spotsylvania County. Spotsylvania has drafted its own ordinance similar to Louisa.
Richmond
There are over 1,000 listed units in Richmond as of September, an increase of 76% in a three-year period, according to AirDNA data. However, the majority of the units in Virginia are not operated legally, according to a VPM review of city permits in June.
Richmond City Council recently passed a long debated ordinance that put several new regulations on short-term rentals, including reducing the number of rentals allowed on a lot in residential zoned areas.
Other ordinance changes now require the rental to be located at the host's primary residence in all residential-zoned districts and limit the maximum occupancy of a rental from 10 to eight people.
City leaders also extended the length of a short-term rental certificate to 730 days. And voted to allow homeowners to build an accessory dwelling unit, within parameters, without a permit. These are smaller units like an in-law suite or carriage house.
The changes will help create a “convenient, attractive, and harmonious community” by limiting the number of transient visitors in residential neighborhoods, according to city planners.
Only homeowners can offer short-term rentals, something that 1st District City Councilmember Andreas Addison said there is confusion about.
He heard from several renters upset that they would be unable to generate money from renting out their apartments.
“You can not rent out your rented apartment,” Addison said. It could be cause for eviction.
Richmond increased regulations because of disturbances to residents, such as parking, trash and late-night noise, according to Addison.
“Short-term rentals I do see as a potential cause of nuisance because if you are not an owner of that house, and you’re renting it out, you don’t really care about the neighborhood,” Addison said. “You're just there for the money.”
Caroline McDonald is a physical therapy student who plans to use Airbnb during the four months she is temporarily placed at a Richmond hospital. She used Airbnb because of the ease of rental process, which is a monthly payment with an advance deposit.
“Someone still lives there, but I’m just detached from their house,” McDonald said.
Most rentals will primarily come from pre-existing additions, because of the costs of building a unit solely for a short-term rental, according to Addison.
“I feel like a lot of the concerns and objections being raised and elevated have a place of legitimacy, but I also think they may be a little excessive,” Addison said.
Tourism was a metric that Council heavily considered when passing the ordinance.
“We can't expect people that are going to come to visit the James River with a kayak and a bike to stay in a hotel,” Addison said.
Hampton
Hampton City Council halted short-term rental permits in August. The decision gives the city time to receive legal guidance and consider its regulatory options, according to Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck. The pause allows for public input on how to move forward without acting on new permits, Tuck said.
Nearby Virginia Beach, a popular tourist destination, has one of the highest short-term rental listing numbers in the state at over 2,000, per market data.
Danville
Danville has seen an over 800% increase in short-term rental listings in a three-year period, according to AirDNA. The market research indicates there are currently 154 listings. Caesars casino partially opened in Danville this year, with a full opening slated for 2024.
The Danville Planning Commission recently recommended capping the number of rentals allowed in the city, along with other regulations. A public hearing about the commission’s proposals will take place on Nov. 13
Spanberger defends support for Israel in tense exchange with UVa student - Daily Progress
By Jason Armesto
There was a tense exchange during U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger's Monday visit to the University of Virginia, where the Virginia Democrat planned to discuss her career in public service.
During a question-and-answer session, a UVa student challenged Spanberger's support for the state of Israel, a country now embroiled in a dayslong war on its border with the Palestinian territory of Gaza after the Hamas terrorist group that administers the territory launched a surprise attack on civilians more than a week ago.
Unexpected entry of Fariss creates 3-way contest in 51st House District race - Cardinal News
by Markus Schmidt
The election in Virginia’s 51st House of Delegates District, which started off as a likely shoo-in for Republican Eric Zehr after incumbent Del. Matt Fariss, R-Campbell County, missed the deadline for filing to once again seek the Republican nomination, turned into a competitive three-way contest in June when Fariss entered the race unexpectedly as an independent candidate.
Zehr, a former Campbell County supervisor who became the GOP’s nominee by default in June, and Fariss, an 11-year veteran of the legislature who was recently indicted on two felony charges in an alleged hit-and-run that injured a woman he was seeing romantically, are facing Democrat Kimberly Moran, a small-business owner from Bedford County, on Nov. 7.
Virginia NAACP threatens suit for more records on rights restoration process - RTD
by Charlotte Rene Woods
After receiving some information on how rights are restored to formerly incarcerated people, the Virginia conference of the NAACP has identified additional documents it alleges the Youngkin administration should have produced — and the organization is preparing to go to court for them.
A potential presidential run for Glenn Youngkin would face logistical hurdles and voter skepticism - AP
by Sarah Rankin and Michelle Price
Glenn Youngkin was waving off talk about running for the White House back in 2021, before he’d even made it to the Virginia governor’s mansion.
Brad Hobbs, a childhood friend, told The Associated Press at the time that his ultimate goal was to see the Harvard-educated Republican businessman run for president. Hobbs said he brought it up nonstop, even in front of others, which irked Youngkin. “He doesn’t commit to that. He looks at me like, ‘Stop saying it; I don’t want to hear that,’” Hobbs said.
