Endorsements in the gubernatorial race, Cox asks convention delegates for second-choice votes, and two LG candidates are making TV ad buys.

The latest in Virginia politics

Apr 27, 2021

Washington Post Editorial Board: Terry McAuliffe was a first-rate governor. He makes a compelling case that he would be again.

If Virginia governors were allowed consecutive terms in office, Terry McAuliffe could have run for reelection in 2017 and almost certainly would have won easily. But the commonwealth is an outlier — the only state whose constitution mandates eviction for governors every four years — so Mr. McAuliffe is making what amounts to his reelection bid now. His first hurdle, the Democratic primary on June 8, pits him against four rivals, none of whom has landed more than a glancing blow.

And no wonder. The fact is that Mr. McAuliffe was an excellent governor who notched major achievements despite being hamstrung by Republicans, who then controlled the state legislature. His performance in office — tireless, bold, pragmatic — confounded the expectations of many, even in his own party, who once regarded him as a fast-talking opportunist.

Kirk Cox Asks for Second Choice Votes, Calls to Unify Party Ahead of May 8 Convention

Republican candidate for governor Kirk Cox released a new video today asking delegates who have already settled on a first choice in the convention to consider ranking him as their second choice. (The Republican Party is using ranked-choice ballots to nominate statewide candidates in their nomination convention on May 8.)

Senator Bill Stanley Endorses Kirk Cox for Governor

"There is only one true leader that needs to be our Republican nominee to be the next Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and that's my friend Kirk Cox," Sen. Stanley said of his endorsement. "Thank you for your strong stance on life and on the Second Amendment. Those are the things that matter most to us here in Southwest and Southside Virginia."

Jennifer McClellan Proposes Historic Expansion of Voting Rights

On Monday, gubernatorial candidate state Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) announced her plan to voting rights in Virginia. McClellan’s agenda builds on the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, legislation she sponsored and helped pass this year.

In the new plan, McClellan lays out her agenda: creating a universal vote-by-mail system, implementing back-end automatic voter registration to increase registration efficiency; passing constitutional amendments to stop racial gerrymandering and restore the rights of previously incarcerated Virginians; and making Virginia the first state in the South to implement statewide ranked choice voting.

READ: McClellan’s Plan to Make Virginia #1 for Voting Rights

McClellan says her plan — entitled “Making Virginia Number One in the Nation for Voting Rights” — would also ensure that 100% of polling locations are accessible for Virginians with disabilities, protect the gains made on Virginia’s voter laws by funding the newly established Voter Education and Outreach Fund, and engage Virginia’s youngest voters through a civic engagement workgroup.

“It’s time to make Virginia the number one state in the country for voting rights,” McClellan said. “My great-grandfather faced literacy tests, and my father was subjected to poll taxes. We remember what generations before us faced, and we must protect voting rights for generations to come. As governor, I will build on the Voting Rights Act of Virginia with an expansive voting rights plan, so that no community across our Commonwealth will have to endure obstacles to the ballot box. While other states pass damaging legislation, Virginia must remain a national leader on protecting the right to vote.”

Under her plan to McClellan will:

Protect the gains made on Virginia’s voter protection and access laws by funding her newly established Voter Education and Outreach Fund
End felony disenfranchisement by using her executive power to restore voting rights to those who have served their sentence until her automatic restoration constitutional amendment passes the General Assembly
Introduce legislation to create an automatic vote-by-mail ballot system for all eligible voters in Virginia, building on the recently expanded absentee voting system
Implement a ranked-choice voting system in Virginia for to all local elections, statewide primary elections, and federal elections –– providing voters with more choice in exercising their most fundamental right
Implement a “back-end opt-out” model for automatic voter registration to modernize Virginia’s current system and make for a registration system that works better for voters and state election officials alike
Make 100% of polling locations accessible for Virginians with disabilities, addressing the locations currently inaccessible and directing the Board of Elections to partner with disability advocacy groups to conduct ADA accessibility audits of every polling place in Virginia
End gerrymandering by working to enshrine redistricting criteria to explicitly protect minority groups in the Virginia Constitution
Form a working group that develops recommendations on how to engage high school students and young adult voters in the voting process

Kirk Cox: The Northam Administration’s Employment Commission Continues to Fail Virginians

Gubernatorial candidate Kirk Cox (R) released the following statement after reports that Virginia continues to rank last in the nation for quickly resolving issues with unemployment insurance claims.

“Despite saying over a month ago that he was ‘pleased with where Virginia is at,’ Governor Northam’s Employment Commission is still ranked last in the nation for resolving issues with unemployment claims in a timely manner. This situation should have been dealt with months ago, but instead Virginians continue to be abandoned by the Northam administration.

“Instead of working to provide the support many in the Commonwealth needed during the pandemic, Northam’s administration hung Virginians out to dry. As Governor, I will make sure the Virginia Employment Commission is equipped to do its job in a timely fashion and take care of Virginians in need of assistance.”

Sam Rasoul (D) launches TV and Andria McClellan (D) makes TV ad buy in their lieutenant governor campaigns

Rasoul’s ads will air on both cable and broadcast in the Richmond media market and on cable in the Northern Virginia market.

Andria McClellan says her campaign has placed a five-figure television advertisement buy in the Hampton Roads and Richmond media markets.

“This campaign is proud to lead the field in contributions from Virginians, which shows that Andria’s message of equitable access to opportunity is resonating across the commonwealth,” said Tova Yampolsky, Campaign Manager for Andria McClellan for Lieutenant Governor. “We will continue to spread that message to hundreds of thousands of Virginians who are excited to hear it over the next six weeks.”

A 6-way, big money race for the part-time Lt. Governor’s post in the Democratic primary - Virginian-Pilot

by Dave Ress

It’s a part-time job that pays just $36,321 a year and six hopefuls have raised more than $3.6 million hoping to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination as voting started Friday.

“You run for it because you want to run for governor later,” said Christopher Newport University political scientist Quentin Kidd. “I don’t know any people whose career ambition it is to preside over the state Senate.”

How Virginia’s new redistricting commission could still draw maps that protect incumbents - Virginia Mercury

by Graham Moomaw

Near the end of a training video prepared for the 16 members of the new Virginia Redistricting Commission, a legislative staffer raised a point that got to the heart of why many reformers wanted an independent commission to begin with.

In the past, it was accepted that the General Assembly would look at where incumbent lawmakers lived and avoid drawing maps that put multiple incumbents in the same district, effectively pitting legislators against each other.

Virginia isn’t eliminating accelerated math courses. But it’s one of many states rethinking math education - Virginia Mercury

by Kate Masters

It started with a Fox News story declaring that the state Department of Education was moving to eliminate all accelerated math classes before 11th grade, “effectively keeping higher-achieving students from advancing as they usually would in the school system.”

Republican leaders soon joined a chorus of dissenters. House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert criticized the department’s “plan to lower standards,” stating that “Virginians have had enough of the insatiable agenda to eliminate opportunities for students to excel in the quest to achieve mediocrity for all.” Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin slammed the decision in another statement, saying families across the state were “up in arms.”

Census: Virginia will hold steady at 11 congressional seats - Associated Press

Virginia’s population grew over the past decade but not enough to gain an additional seat in Congress, according to new figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Monday.

Monday’s data release was the first to emerge from the nation’s once-a-decade head count. It showed that from 2010 to 2020, Virginia’s resident population grew by 7.9% to 8,631,393. That growth will not change Virginia’s allotted number of congressional seats, 11.

More News:

Graduation plans vary across Virginia universities

College graduations will still look different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but more Virginia universities are returning to in-person ceremonies. Graduations will be held online, in person or a hybrid format. Gov. Ralph Northam announced last month preliminary guidance for graduation events, which continues to be updated.

“The acceleration of the vaccine program and the decrease in new COVID-19 cases make it safer to ease restrictions on activities like in-person graduations,” Northam stated in March.

Graduation events for K-12 schools and colleges will operate under two sets of guidelines, depending on the date. Graduation events held outdoors before May 15 will be capped at 5,000 people or 30% of the venue capacity, whichever is less. Graduation events held indoors may have up to 500 people, or 30% of the venue capacity, whichever is less.

More people can attend graduations held on or after May 15. The governor’s orders allow an increase to 50% of venue capacity or 5,000 people at outdoor graduations. Indoor events cannot exceed either 50% venue capacity or 1,000 persons.

Virginia Political Newsletter

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