The Republican Party of Virginia is continuing to struggle with finalizing its nomination process, plus more from VA politics
The latest in Virginia politics
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The Republican Party of Virginia is continuing to struggle with finalizing its nomination process.
RPV Chairman Rich Anderson sent a letter out this morning explaining the next steps after the RPV site visit to Liberty University this week. RPV has previously voted to hold a convention at Liberty University, but Liberty immediately pushed back by saying that they had not yet agreed to host the event. Now it looks like the event won’t be able to take place on or around the campus at all and Anderson has called for another meeting in an attempt to make a change to the party plan, a task that has seemed impossible in recent months.
Read the letter that Anderson sent to Republicans this morning, below:
Additionally, members of the committee sent a letter to Anderson earlier this week calling for party plan amendments to be included in the agenda for the next meeting.
Governor Ralph Northam Endorses Delegate Jay Jones for Attorney General
Governor Ralph Northam, in his first endorsement of the 2021 cycle, formally backed Delegate Jay Jones’ campaign for Attorney General.
“We have made lasting progressive change over the last four years from Medicaid Expansion to abolishing the death penalty to criminal justice reform, but it is time for a new generation of leaders to take the reins. Jay Jones has stood with me every step of the way in our journey to make Virginia a more just and equitable place to live. He has been my partner as we have worked to change our Commonwealth. He also understands the deep scars of racism and will represent the diversity of our Commonwealth. That is why I’m honored to endorse him in his race for Attorney General. As a state delegate, Jay has led from the front in fighting for long overdue justice reform, prioritizing our consumers, and protecting our environment. As the son and grandson of Civil Rights leaders, and a descendant of enslaved Americans, Jay knows firsthand the kind of leadership it takes to bring about the change we seek across this Commonwealth, and I look forward to having him as our next Attorney General.”
Republican Attorney General Candidate Leslie Haley put out the following statement on Governor Northam’s Endorsement of Jones:
“This is another sign of the lurch to the far-left of the Virginia Democrat Party. Mark Herring has been such a failure as Attorney General that even the Democrat establishment is abandoning him for an even further left candidate. It’s time for the people of the Commonwealth to have an Attorney General who will put their interests first, instead of catering to left-wing interest groups.”
Email shows OSIG shared parole board report with Attorney General's office - WTVR
by Mike Birgazzi and Jon Burkett
A draft of a report that was highly critical of the Virginia Parole Board was sent from a state government watchdog to the Virginia Attorney General's Office one month before a shortened, official version of the report was sent to the Office of the Governor, according to emails obtained by CBS 6.
The report, written by Virginia Inspector General Michael Westfall, concerned the board's handling of the release of Vincent Lamont Martin, who had been serving life in prison for the murder of a Richmond police officer before he was set free last year.
McClellan Calls for Public Education Investment in Virginia, Announces New ‘Educators for McClellan’ Endorsements
McClellan’s K-12 “Equitable Education and Investment Plan” will:
Invest approximately $2.3 billion in new dollars annually into Virginia's K-12 education system
Create an Equity Accountability Program to address educational inequities by:
Adding a new Director of Inclusion and Diversity under the Secretariat of Education
Establishing a new task force to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline
Requiring all school districts to set concrete policies to address racism and bias
Fully implement and fund the Board of Education’s Standards of Quality.
Providing an additional $350 million to finish lifting the funding cap on school support staff, ensuring a ratio of no more than 250 students per support staff.
Create a sustainable and dedicated fund to provide localities with resources to build, renovate, and modernize school infrastructure.
Reform the Local Composite Index, updating the funding model to accurately calculate the true needs of school divisions
Build and sustain a robust, diverse teacher workforce by
Updating preparation and licensure programs
Increasing teacher salaries to be nationally competitive, averaging $65,000
Supporting educators’ work through targeted investments
Update the profile of a 21st Century Graduate to align early childhood education through 12th grade, and to strengthen assessments to ensuring that students have the life and career skills and competencies they need to succeed
Make Virginia a national leader in solar schools by accelerating the development of solar energy so that schools produce 7 times as much solar energy in 2025 as they do today.
Address long-standing inequities in special education
Empower local school divisions to determine when to start and end the school year.
McClellan also announced “Educators for McClellan” with 21 education leaders from across Virginia endorsing her campaign for governor, including two former presidents of the Virginia Education Association, the former President of the Arlington Education Association, the former President of the Richmond Education Association, the 2019 National Teacher of the Year, and a former Virginia Secretary of Education and Deputy Secretary of Education. McClellan is a five-time recipient of the VEA’s “Legislative Champion” Award.
“Today, I am proposing a new plan that will ensure a high-quality, equitable public education for every student in Virginia, regardless of their zip code or family’s income,” Sen. McClellan said Thursday. “For generations, underfunding in our K-12 education system has caused lasting disparities in academics and achievement, leaving too many students -- especially Black, brown, and low-income students -- behind because they weren’t born in the right zip code. It’s time for Virginia to end decades of underfunded schools - and that will be my top priority as governor.”
Large slate of legislators endorse Terry McAuliffe for Governor
The legislators endorsing Terry include House Democratic Caucus Chair Rip Sullivan, House Finance Committee Chair Vivian Watts, and Delegates Suhas Subramanyam, Schuyler VanValkenburg, and Shelly Simonds.
“I have always known Terry McAuliffe to be a strong and bold leader. In 2019, when we were working hard to take back the majority in the House of Delegates, Terry stepped up. He was relentless in his efforts to help us, raising money and participating in more than 140 events throughout Virginia. Thanks in no small part to his help, we have been able to make historic progress during the last two General Assembly sessions,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Rip Sullivan (Arlington and Fairfax Counties).
“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been devastating for people of Virginia and her economy. We need a leader who understands the need to go big and bold in our recovery while creating a more equitable future for our Commonwealth. Terry has wide-ranging plans to help Virginia come back stronger than ever, and that is why I am endorsing him for Virginia’s next governor,” said House Finance Committee Chair Vivian Watts (Fairfax County).
GOP gubernatorial candidates Kirk Cox and Glenn Youngkin participate in forum with Daniel Gade
Delegate Danny Marshall (R-Danville) endorsed Tim Hugo’s campaign for Lieutenant Governor
“We need to bring good jobs to Southside Virginia, and to do it we need leaders in our Commonwealth’s highest offices who understand the needs of entrepreneurs and small businesses,” said Marshall. “Tim Hugo understands those needs and I know he will be a strong partner in my fight to build a strong economy in our region. That is why I am proud to support his campaign for Lieutenant Governor.”
Teamsters Local 639 Endorses Elizabeth Guzman for Lieutenant Governor
“Labor loves Elizabeth Guzman,” said John Gibson, President of Teamsters Local 639. “Virginia is historically one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to workers’ rights. We need a union sister like Elizabeth Guzman to give working families a statewide platform to be heard. She is the voice for people making minimum wage, for the people who are wondering how to pay their bills every month, for the workers whose rights are weakened by Virginia’s right-to-work law. Our Teamsters Local 639 is excited to endorse her campaign and will work hard to help elect her as our next Lieutenant Governor.”
“My father was a union member in Peru, which gave my parents a stable life and allowed them to purchase a home through the union’s mortgage program,” said Guzman. “I am a second-generation union sister and we are so proud of my daughter, who is now a third-generation union member. We are a union family because unions strengthen families. As Lt. Governor, I will continue to fight for paid sick days for all, collective bargaining rights for all, a $15 minimum wage and the repeal of right to work. I am so grateful to Teamsters Local 639 for their support, and I promise that as Lt. Governor, I will fight to make Virginia #1 for workers!”
Senator Adam Ebbin (D) and Delegate Mark Sickles (D) Condemn Republican Pete Snyder’s Anti-LGBTQ Statements
Senator Adam Ebbin and Delegate Mark Sickles released the following statement condemning Pete Snyder for his recent comments and campaign’s pattern of lifting up anti-LGBTQ voices:
"Pete Snyder’s announcement that he is “proud” and “honored” to be endorsed by far-right figures with a long history of bigotry is shameful. Snyder’s anti-LGBTQ attacks and his decision to go out of his way to court supporters like E.W. Jackson are careless and potentially dangerous. He and other Republicans who seek to degrade the rights of others for political gain are out of touch with Virginia’s values.
This purposeful ignorance and divisiveness has no place in our Commonwealth. We made historic strides towards protecting the rights and advancing the equality of all Virginians since gaining the majority, and we will continue working together to ensure that extremist Republicans like Pete Snyder and their derogatory rhetoric remain in Virginia’s past, not our future."