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Today’s Sponsor:
As the Virginia Senate returns to Richmond today, one fact has become abundantly clear: advocates for convenience-store slots will do anything to push for expanding gambling in Virginia. The latest? Attempting to hijack today’s special session. Gold Star Spouse Kristen Fenty said it best when she recently told legislators, “when commitments made to families of those who have laid down their lives in service or suffered immeasurably because of that service are held hostage to priorities of profit such as higher ed and skill game revenue, we must reevaluate our commonwealth leadership in every branch and at every level.” Learn more here.
Polls are open for primary day in Virginia. Remember, you can vote if you are in line by 7 p.m.
Today’s General Assembly Schedule
The Virginia Senate is meeting today to take up VMSDEP and skill games legislation. The meeting schedule is below:
10:00 a.m. - State Board of Elections; Virtual Meeting
10:30 a.m.Senate Democratic Caucus; Senate Subcommittee Room 3, Room 300, General Assembly Building
11:00 a.m.Virginia Indigent Defense Commission; Administrative Offices, 1604 Santa Rosa Road, Suite 200, Richmond
11:45 a.m.Senate Finance and Appropriations; Senate Committee Room A, Room 305, General Assembly Building (committee info)
12:30 p.m. - House Select Committee on Advancing Rural and Small Town Health Care; Longwood University, Maugans Alumni Center, Martinelli Board Room, 1201 High Street, Farmville (Agenda)
12:30 p.m.Senate Republican Caucus; Senate Room 2, The Capitol
1:00 p.m.Senate Convenes - Special Session 2024; Senate Chamber, The Capitol
Virginia Senate set to take up military tuition program, skill games - Virginia Mercury
by Graham Moomaw
The Virginia Senate will reconvene in Richmond today with major uncertainty looming over both of the two main topics on its agenda: changes to a tuition benefit program for military families and a possible end to the ban on skill games.
The Senate is scheduled to gavel in at 1 p.m. to take up the potential restoration of previous eligibility rules for a state program that provides free college to children and spouses of military members killed or disabled as a result of their service. To try to scale back costs, the General Assembly and Gov. Glenn Youngkin changed the program’s rules last month to limit who’s eligible for it.
GOP contest between Bob Good and John McGuire highlights primary slate in Virginia - AP
BY MATTHEW BARAKAT AND BEN FINLEY
One of America’s most conservative congressmen is facing a serious primary challenge after his opponent was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, while voters in two other districts are nominating candidates to fill two open seats in Virginia’s primary election Tuesday.
Rep. Bob Good, who chairs the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, is seeking a third term representing Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, but state Sen. John McGuire has mounted a strong challenge that highlights frictions in the party.
From behind the paywall: Trump just did a tele-rally for John McGuire
Former President Donald Trump held a tele-rally on Monday night in support of state Sen. John McGuire, R-Goochland, and his primary campaign against Rep. Bob Good, R-VA5.
“John is running against Bob Good, who is not good,” Trump said during the brief call. “He, despite his name, really has been bad for Virginia and bad for the country.”
“He fought us on so many different things that would have been so good,” he continued. “If he's reelected, he will stab Virginia in the back, sort of like he did with me. He stood against things that everybody would have wanted and always made it difficult. He is not a very popular guy, I will tell you that. And people fight him all the way, because he's just worth fighting, and he just let us down.”
Good originally supported Ron DeSantis in the presidential nomination contest. Trump has not forgotten that — and called out Good for trying to cozy up to him after it was clear he would be the nominee.
“As you probably know, he was against me for numerous years, and then after I won the primaries, he became a big fan,” Trump said. “But that's not good enough, because those are the people that tend to leave you very quickly. Also, unlike Bob Good, John McGuire will not let you down.”
Trump also seemed to reference the cease-and-desist letter his campaign sent to Good’s campaign.
Good’s campaign used signs labeling him as a “Trump Republican” and included the phrase “Make America Great Again” on press releases. These actions led to the cease-and-desist.
“John McGuire has my complete and total endorsement,” Trump said. “I want that to be understood, because Bob Good's going around saying we're friends. I mean, he was fine the last six months, but before that, he was a basic disaster.”
Trump quickly pivoted to the presidential race and attacked President Joe Biden for several issues, including immigration, trans policies, law enforcement and more.
He wrapped it up by talking about his efforts in Virginia and working with Gov. Glenn Youngkin, whom he called excellent, to win the commonwealth in November.
Shortly before the Trump and McGuire call, Good held a tele-rally with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky.
"McCarthy gave away the majority,” Paul said. “Even the new speaker voted to send billions to Ukraine and to allow the government to continue spying on Americans. We need fighters like Bob Good."
Good has been in Congress since he was first elected in 2020 when he defeated former Rep. Denver Riggleman in a nomination convention.
This district is heavily Republican, meaning the winner of this nomination battle will be strongly favored to win the general election in November.
Voters are heading to the polls Tuesday in Virginia’s primary, where they’ll decide nominees in some hotly contested congressional races as well as local government posts in Arlington and Alexandria.
The commonwealth’s three most closely watched primaries — in the 5th, 7th and 10th districts — are among the top 10 House primaries nationwide with the most outside spending, underscoring some of the bruising intraparty battles that will be decided.
Accusations of lying and a Trump signage battle: The House GOP’s nastiest primary goes out with a bang - Politico
by Olivia Beavers
No matter who wins Tuesday’s GOP primary battle between the leader of the conservative Freedom Caucus Rep. Bob Good and Virginia state Sen. John McGuire, the results will reverberate among House Republicans.
If Good goes down, he would be the first sitting chair in the influential group’s nearly decade-long history to be defeated — a loss that would embolden critics of the increasingly fractious bloc.
High-stakes primaries in two Virginia congressional districts Tuesday night will test the enduring influence of former President Donald Trump on voters of both parties.
In Virginia's 5th district, Rep. Bob Good, leader of the anti-Republican-establishment House Freedom Caucus, is running up against a challenger bolstered by the endorsements of Trump and former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. On Tuesday, voters will signal which brand of conservatism they prefer.
