The audio at the top of this newsletter is an audio interview with Republican state Delegate Carrie Coyner (R-Chesterfield). She represents the 62 district in the House of Delegates. She was first elected in 2019.
This is a daily newsletter covering Virginia politics from top to bottom. Please consider supporting non-partisan, independent news by becoming a paid subscriber today.
Update: McAuliffe files motion to dismiss the GOP lawsuit trying to remove him from ballot
Update: Friday, August 27 at 8:15 p.m.
Terry McAuliffe is filing his own motion with a request for dismissal of the Republican lawsuit aimed at removing him from the general election ballot.
“We haven’t even made it to Election Day and Virginia Republicans are already trying to undermine the election results in court using Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani’s playbook,” said McAuliffe spokesperson, Christina Freundlich in a statement Friday night. “Terry McAuliffe overwhelmingly won the Democratic primary with the support of hundreds of thousands of Virginians – more than any other primary candidate in Virginia history – and this Trumpian attempt to distort the law and the will of the voters will not prevent him from becoming the Commonwealth’s next governor.”
A Republican Party official provided a statement to Virginia Scope Saturday morning. “They must be worried about the apparent fraudulent form or else they wouldn’t bring Marc Elias in to defend it.”
The filings from McAuliffe and the Democratic Party of Virginia can be viewed here and here.
Coyner touts her record as she seeks reelection to a second term in the House of Delegates
Carrie Coyner (R-Chesterfield) was first elected to represent the 62 district in the House of Delegates two years ago. Now she is seeking reelection after having a promising two years of passing legislation as a Republican in a chamber that is ruled by the Democratic majority.
Her district encompasses the southern parts of Chesterfield, all of Hopewell, and part of Prince George.
Before winning her House race in 2019 she served on the Chesterfield school board for eight years. “My first passion is really service involving families and children,” she said in an interview while waiting in line to pick her kids up from school Friday. “My passion and desire to serve in the community really started from my mission work within my own church.”
Coyner credits her time working with low-income families and single mothers and seeing their struggle of needing to work while also being a parent to their child as part of a reason she ran for office. “Seeing how much they loved their kids and wanted the best for them but could not be at work and be at home at the same time really led to me trying to become a voice for so many moms at the school level.”
Then after eight years working in public education, Coyner says she saw there were not enough people with public school knowledge at the state level. So she ran — and she won.
The audio at the top of this newsletter is Virginia Scope’s full interview with Coyner.
Nearly every person evacuated from Afghanistan has tested negative for COVID-19 when arriving in Virginia
In a press call Friday morning, Governor Ralph Northam provided an update on the evacuation mission from Afghanistan and the COVID-19 protocols within the process.
Of the roughly 14,000 Americans and Afghan refugees that have arrived in the United States through Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia, less than 20 of those people have tested positive for COVID-19. “Since the mission began 11 days ago, less than 20 people have tested positive and those individuals are being quarantined,” Northam said Friday morning.
“That is much better than our statewide numbers,” he continued. “If people are saying this mission is bringing COVID to the United States, it just simply is not true.”
Northam said that there are no direct flights from Afghanistan to the United States. The people who have been arriving here have come from Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Germany, Spain, and Bulgaria. He expects that list to expand in the future.
School superintendent calls for a stop to verbal abuse directed at staff - Fauquier Times
By Robin Earl Times
David Jeck, superintendent of Fauquier County Public Schools, posted a video update for parents on Friday night. With COVID-19 case numbers still rising in the county, he addressed the large number of students who have been quarantined after only two weeks of school and how staffing shortages have affected transportation and instruction.
His most heartfelt remarks – about how some parents are treating school employees -- came at the end of the brief address.
Delegate criticizes VB mayor for comment that masks ‘don’t give much protection’ - WAVY
by Stephanie Harris
As the mask debate continues in our communities, one local lawmaker is calling out another on social media.
Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler (D-Virginia Beach) posted a clip from this week’s Virginia Beach City Council meeting that is causing a bit of a stir.
More Virginia News
Most Virginia colleges say they mandated COVID vaccines, but not all are enforcing their policy
Rent relief funds flow in the region, but some tenants lack protection
UVA athletics proposes $65 million football facility; AD calls current building 'worst' in the ACC
Four years after credit watch, Virginia's brimming reserves may get constitutional 'super' boost
Thousands expected to rally for voting rights, D.C. statehood today in Washington
National
Photos and videos reveal crowded checkpoints, chaos at Kabul airport on day of the attack
‘Guidance is to just do it:’ Military expects additional retaliatory strikes on ISIS-K
A newlywed Marine, expecting a baby, among U.S. troops killed in Kabul
‘Nobody is this incompetent’: Rental aid slowdown puts target on governors, mayors
Afghan evacuees left on planes for hours at Dulles before being allowed entry
Taxing companies' overseas profits could be the next rift among Democrats
Governor Northam Announces Administration Appointments
RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam announced additional appointments to his Administration today.
Secretariat of the Commonwealth
Board Appointments
Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Jacquelin Easter of Amelia, Farmer
James S. Huffard III* of Crockett, Huffard Farms and Duchess Dairy
Donald H. Horsley* of Virginia Beach, Owner and Manager, Land of Promise Farms
Richard Sellers, PAS, Dipl., ACAS* of Burke
Cecil E. Shell* of Kenbridge, Owner and Farmer, Shell’s Farm
Tyler Wegmeyer of Hamilton, Owner, Wegmeyer Farms
Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers
Lacyn Barton of Sandston, Funeral Service Licensee, Woody Funeral Home and Cremation Service
Muhammad Hanif* of Midlothian, Member of the Board of Trustees, Islamic Center of Virginia
Board of Psychology
Aliya Chapman* of Blacksburg, Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Owner, Pathways Psychology, LLC
Dr. Norma Murdoch-Kitt of Richmond, Clinical Psychologist
Board of Social Work
Eboni Bugg of Albemarle, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Central Virginia Clinicians of Color Network
Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
Paul A. Holland, AICP* of Arlington, Environmental Consultant
Mark Peterson* of Loudoun, Deputy General Manager of Administration, Loudoun Water
Virginia Aviation Board
Donald T. Robertson of Smithfield, Assistant County Administrator, Isle of Wight County
Sophie Chafin Vance of Lebanon, Chief Branch Operations Officer and Senior Vice President, First Bank and Trust Company
Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board (GO Virginia)
Leah Fremouw* of Chesterfield, SVP, Director of Community Innovation, Virginia Community Capital
Todd Stottlemyer* of Oakton, Chief Executive Officer, CNSI
This is a daily newsletter covering Virginia politics from top to bottom. Please consider supporting non-partisan, independent news by becoming a paid subscriber today.
McAuliffe files motion to dismiss GOP lawsuit, interview with Carrie Coyner, and more from Virginia politics.