AG debate this morning? And McAuliffe pushed to scrap the filibuster if needed
The latest in Virginia politics.
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McAuliffe wants Democrats to ‘get it done’ - Associated Press
by Steve Peoples
Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, on Tuesday called on leaders in Washington from both parties — including President Joe Biden — to “get their act together,” while pushing Senate Democrats to scrap the filibuster if needed to enact the party’s priorities on infrastructure spending and voting rights.
The harsh words from McAuliffe during an interview with The Associated Press come just three weeks before Election Day in Virginia. The former governor is facing Republican newcomer Glenn Youngkin in a race that represents a critical early test of the Democrats’ political strength in the first year of Biden’s presidency.
Campaign Geography:
Terry and Dorothy McAuliffe voted in Northern Virginia this morning
Glenn Youngkin is holding a ‘parents matter rally’ in Culpeper this afternoon.
First Lady Pamela Northam and Former Secretary of Education Anne Holton are holding conversations on education and supporting women in the workforce in Richmond and the Hampton Roads today.
AG Debate?
Attorney General candidate Jason Miyares (R) and Mark Herring (D) debated Wednesday morning with the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce. The event was not advertised ahead of time by either candidate. Virginia Scope is attempting to retrieve video from the debate.
Herring made a comment on a video after the event.
Miyares also released a statement. “Mark Herring has failed Virginians. He refused to hold the Parole Board accountable when they broke the law and let murderers, rapists, child abductors, and cop killers out with decades left on their sentences. His criminal first, victim last mentality takes police officers out of schools while making it easier for sexual assaults to be covered up,” Miyares said. “My opponent has made it perfectly clear that his desperate campaign will go as low as it takes to win political brownie points from his union donors and “Defund the Police” activists. His failing campaign is reflective of his failed record as a do-nothing Attorney General. Ralph Northam didn't think Mark Herring deserved a third term - and Virginians don’t either.”
The Unlikely Issue Shaping the Virginia Governor’s Race: Schools - NY Times
By LISA LERER
As a lifelong Republican in her home state of Virginia, Tammy Yoder faithfully casts her ballot for those who want to lower taxes, oppose abortion and back other conservative causes.
But the issue that transformed Ms. Yoder, a stay-at-home mother, from a reliable voter to the kind of person who brings three young children to an evening campaign rally wasn’t her Christian values or her pocketbook. It was something even more personal, she said: What her children learn in school.
More Gubernatorial links:
National Issues Dominate Ad Wars in Virginia Governor’s Race
Virginia’s GOP nominee for governor stokes fury over school curriculum
Federal judge presses AG to weigh in on election calendar. ‘I want him to do his job.’ - Virginia Mercury
by Ned Oliver
A federal judge is urging Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring to issue a formal opinion on the state’s election calendar after U.S. census delays forced members of the General Assembly to run in outdated districts this year.
Herring has steadfastly declined to weigh in despite receiving a formal request for an opinion five months ago from Del. Lee Carter, D-Manassas. The issue, which has been the subject of open speculation among lawmakers for more than a year, is now at the center of a lawsuit that aims to force a new round of House of Delegates elections next year once redrawn districts are finalized.
Richmond announces Spanish ballot option to align with the Voting Rights Act
In accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Voting Rights Act, voters in Richmond are now offered ballots that include all text in English and Spanish for the first time ever.
When voting in the upcoming election, whether early, absentee, or on the day of the election, Richmond voters who prefer to speak Spanish will have automatic access to accurate translations of all ballot instructions and items. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Census, Hispanic individuals now represent 10.5 percent of the city’s total population.
“The work of my office is contingent on a core belief: the right to vote is the foundational principle of our democracy,” said General Registrar and Director of Elections Keith Balmer. “Because of this commonsense addition to the ballot, that right is now more secure and accessible for any Richmonders who are more comfortable communicating in Spanish rather than English.”
The ballot was made possible by a collaboration between the General Registrar’s Office and the city’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Engagement (OIRE). “We are thrilled to collaborate with the General Registrar,” Says OIRE Manager Karla Almendarez-Ramos. “Ensuring the highest quality of translation for all ballots is part of our Language Access Program. This guarantees a more inclusive and accessible voting process.”
The General Registrar’s Office invited any organizations focusing on Spanish language voter outreach to contact the office to facilitate collaboration and deliver reliable voter information.
More Virginia News
Northam, Spanberger say Democrats should stop stalling infrastructure vote
Lobbyists in Virginia don't have to report how much they actually earn
Black entrepreneurs got far less money than whites from Virginia’s pandemic grant program
Gilbert seeking reelection to continue work for district, state
Democrat says he's dropped out of 8th District state House race
Hanover parents weigh in on proposed policies for transgender and nonbinary students
National
GOP group close to McConnell to air ads attacking Democratic senators on spending
Social Security benefits to rise 5.9%, biggest cost-of-living bump in decades
2020 Census may have undercounted Black Americans, analyses say
Dems torn between wooing and badgering the Biden agenda holdouts
Military archbishop says Catholic troops can refuse Covid vaccines on religious grounds