A new TV ad from Anderson
And headlines from Virginia politics
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Derrick Anderson released a new TV ad
VA-07 Republican candidate Derrick Anderson released a new TV ad Thursday.
Orange County School Board Exits VSBA - MadRapp Recorder
By Becca Pizhmot
During a scheduled work session Monday evening members of the Orange County School Board moved to discontinue membership in the Virginia School Boards Association.
In a split 3-2 decision with strong opposition from District 5 Representative Sandy Harrington, the group opted out of the non-partisan organization which cites promoting excellence in public education through leadership, advocacy and services as their mission statement.
Lawmakers call for further inquiry into Virginia prison that had hypothermia hospitalizations - AP
by Sarah Rankin
A raft of hypothermia hospitalizations and other questionable conditions at a Virginia prison uncovered in a recent report deserve further scrutiny, leading Democratic state lawmakers said this week.
Lawmakers pledged to press Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration for answers and called for a newly created prisons watchdog to look into the findings of an Associated Press report, which found at least 13 hospitalizations for hypothermia over three years at the Marion Correctional Treatment Center.
A comment from Trump and GOP actions in the states put contraceptive access in the 2024 spotlight - AP
BY CHRISTINE FERNANDO AND GEOFF MULVIHILL
Republican lawmakers in states across the U.S. have been rejecting Democrats’ efforts to protect or expand access to birth control, an issue Democrats are promoting as a major issue in this year’s elections along with abortion and other reproductive rights concerns.
Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, pushed the issue into the political spotlight this week when he said in an interview that he was open to supporting restrictions on contraception before he reversed course and said he “has never and never will” advocate to restrict access to birth control. He went further in the post on his social media platform, saying “I do not support a ban on birth control, and neither will the Republican Party.”
Two GOP contenders seek Trump's nod for Virginia's 5th Congressional District primary - Staunton News Leader
by Elizabeth Beyer
Republican Congressman Bob Good has faced a primary challenger in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District before, but June’s primary will be different than the contests he’s won in the past.
That’s thanks to a state law that was patroned by Democratic Del. Dan Helmer and signed by former Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam in March 2021. That law, which went into effect in January, had one unintended consequence: It all but outlawed conventions in any election, including party primaries, in Virginia.
Mapping Arlington’s History of Racially Restrictive Neighborhoods - Arlington Magazine
by Stephanie Kanowitz
Northern Virginia’s fraught history of racial discrimination is well-documented. Now, three researchers have mapped out just how prevalent “whites-only” housing was in the early 20th century—and how those exclusionary policies shaped the communities we live in today. Their hope is that their work will inspire current residents to investigate and learn from their property’s past.
Covenants preventing non-White people from owning or occupying land were once commonplace in this area. “[The practice] was pretty evenly spread across Arlington,” says Krystyn Moon, a researcher and a professor of history and American studies at the University of Mary Washington (UMW) in Fredericksburg. “More lots than not seem to have [had] them,” she says, citing well-known Arlington neighborhoods such as Bellevue Forest, Douglas Park, Arlington Forest and Addison Heights.
Watch the General Assembly blooper released by VPAP
From behind the paywall:
With Trone’s loss as an example, Vindman might have to do more than outraise other candidates
Nomination contests often become competitions centered around networking with party insiders and demonstrating sufficient fundraising ability ahead of a potential candidacy in the general election. Typically, those two occurrences coincide—but not always.
Wealthy outside candidates can appear out of thin air and occasionally gain steam, like Glenn Youngkin in 2021. Still, more often than not, they spend a boatload of money to finish well below the candidate with an established presence in the district.
In VA-07, Democratic candidate and fundraising frontrunner Eugene Vindman jumped into the race for the open nomination this year. He is well-known nationally for his family’s involvement in Donald Trump’s impeachment and has done very well fundraising.
However, some in VA-07 still consider him an outsider because he was not heavily entrenched within the district before announcing his candidacy.
“I’m sorry – who is this? I’ve never seen this person in our area. At. All,” tweeted Del. Josh Cole, D-Stafford, when Vindman announced his candidacy.
Vindman is running against multiple Democrats for the nomination—two of whom have been elected to the General Assembly representing parts of the district: Del. Brianna Sewell, D-Prince William, and former Del. Elizabeth Guzman, D-Prince William.
Vindman has raised $3.7 million, compared to Guzman’s $204,979 and Sewell’s $172,724, according to VPAP.
Multiple other Democratic candidates from the area are also seeking the nomination, which could benefit Vindman if they split the local insider vote share.
In Maryland, Angela Alsobrooks, who leads the state’s second-largest county, ran against Total Wine owner and Congressman David Trone for the Democratic nomination in the United States Senate race.
Trone, who has a large personal net worth, massively outspent Alsobrooks, spending $51 million compared to Alsobooks’ $5.9 million.
Money doesn’t always translate into a victory, however. Alsobrooks won the nomination contest by more than 10 points.
While there are some similarities between Maryland’s Senate race and VA-07, Trone, a very wealthy individual, was painted as out of touch with the common Maryland voter experiences and failed to bring in the Democratic faithful to support his campaign.
Vindman’s background is more grounded than Trone’s.
He served in the Army for 25 years, eventually earning a law degree and working his way up to the National Security Council. While he was on the NSC, his twin brother, Alexander, also on the NSC, listened to Trump’s phone call with Ukraine’s president when he attempted to extort information about Joe Biden. Alexander and Eugene reported the call together, which resulted in Trump’s second impeachment hearing.
After Trump was acquitted, he fired the Vindmans.
This is a cause that Democrats could rally behind, especially in Virginia, where Trump lost in 2016 and 2020.
But in order to rally the general election voters in November, Vindman must first secure the Democratic nomination.
“In a primary campaign, you are not trying to win over low-interest general election voters,” said Richard Meagher, a political science professor at Randolph Macon College. “Primary voters are more likely to be plugged into the party, even if they are not active members. Money is important, but it’s easier to translate it into media buys, which helps more with name recognition than the ground organization you need to turn out primary voters.”
Meagher says the Maryland Senate primary race proved this true and that it might be even more applicable to a House race.
“This seems to have proven true in the Maryland Senate primary, but this kind of dynamic should be even more applicable to a House race, which is more concentrated than a statewide. A well-known local official can have networks of supporters that turn into votes more easily than a media blitz.”
Vindman has tried to prove his grassroots support despite a large portion of his donations coming from outside the district.
In April, his campaign released a map showing the donations he received from within Virginia, a tactic that Republicans criticized.
“Authentic ground game campaigns don’t get this defensive about their ground game,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Delanie Bomar said at the time.
Meagher emphasized that personal connections mean a lot in these nomination contests.
“He’s raised lots of money from outside donors, but does anyone in the district actually know him like they know state electeds like Guzman or Sewell, or local electeds like Franklin or Bailey,” he continued. “Vindman’s supporters argue he has the profile to win over general election voters, but that kind of argument doesn’t always work with primary voters, who tend to vote for the people they know.”
Primary day is June 18. Early voting has already started.