What has happened and what is next in the Republican convention
Latest update on Virginia politics
30,000 Virginia Republicans voted in an unassembled convention on Saturday to determine their nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. So far, the party has only tabulated the results for attorney general — but the surprisingly close results from that race have left operatives and strategists spending Sunday night predicting what this will mean in the gubernatorial race.
What has happened so far:
After voting was finished at 4 p.m. on Saturday, the ballots were transferred by courier to the Marriott in Richmond to be counted in one room under the watchful eye of campaign observers with a camera live-streaming the process.
The ballot reconciliation process began on Sunday morning and went smoothly according to sources close to the process. The counting process began around 3 p.m. for the attorney general nomination.
After the first round, none of the candidates reached the 50.1% mark needed to win — meaning a second round takes place with the lowest performer, Chesterfield Supervisor Leslie Haley being removed from the ballot. Due to the rank choice method that was used, the next step was to redistribute Haley’s votes to their second choice options.
None of the three remaining candidates were able to reach 50.1% in the second round either, meaning the lowest performer, Jack White, was removed from the ballot and his voters were redistributed between state Del. Jason Miyares and Chuck Smith in the third and final round.
Prior to the convention, it appeared that Miyares, the more moderate candidate, was the front runner in this race for the nomination. But Chuck Smith, a candidate to the right of Miyares that aligns with firebrand state Senator Amanda Chase mail it a nail-biter until the end.
Eventually, Miyares narrowly prevailed in the third and final round — but Smith’s strong showing has some people convinced that Chase will perform strongly when they begin counting gubernatorial ballots at 9 a.m. Monday.
While recent polling shows that Virginia Republicans still have very high favorability ratings of Donald Trump, one Republican operative said that Chase and Smith were talking directly to the base making them strong candidates in the convention. This comes after Trump lost Virginia by 10 points last year.
“One thing we seemed to forget is that the Republican Party remains the party of Trump,” said Richard Meagher, a professor of political science at Randolph Macon College. “While the story coming out of Republican circles was that Miyares should cruise to victory, Chuck Smith was out there communicating to voters using the language of today’s GOP. Clearly, his message resonated.”
Statement from Jason Miyares on Winning the GOP Nomination for Attorney General
“I am honored to have earned the trust and support from voters all across the Commonwealth. Now the movement continues to restore integrity to the Office of Attorney General by replacing Mark Herring with a leader who will focus on keeping violent criminals behind bars, supporting our law enforcement officers, and keeping our neighborhoods safe. The Attorney General should be focused on enforcing the law fairly, not using the office to push a partisan political agenda. Over the last eight years we have seen what the scandal plagued Attorney General has tried to do to advance his personal political agenda and the voters of Virginia believe it is time to restore honor to the office and bring a check and balance to state government. As Attorney General I will use my experience as a prosecutor to keep violent criminals off our streets, enforce our law fairly and impartially, and defend the constitution of Virginia and the United States.”
Democrats respond to Miyares’ nomination
A spokesperson for Attorney General Mark Herring released the following statement: “As the Republican Party of Virginia’s Attorney General nominee, Jason Miyares is beholden to the values and policies of Donald Trump — and he’ll bring them the same result that Trump did in 2016 and 2020,” said Farah Melendez, Herring for Attorney General Campaign Manager. “Miyares is anti-healthcare, anti-civil rights, anti-criminal justice reform and anti-gun safety. His vision for Virginia is no different than Donald Trump’s, and Virginians will overwhelmingly reject him in favor of four more years of progress under Attorney General Mark Herring.”
Herring’s Democratic primary challenger Del. Jay Jones released the following: “Jason Miyares is running to roll back the progress that I have fought for and Virginia can’t afford to have him as our next Attorney General. Whether it’s his opposition to Medicaid expansion, his desperate attacks on our working families, or his extremist policing agenda that will gut Civil Rights protections and make our communities less safe, particularly Black communities that have been victimized by police brutality, it’s clear Miyares doesn’t share our Commonwealth’s values. He’s out of step and out of touch and I look forward to holding him accountable for his far-right agenda, beating Republicans up and down the ballot in November, and reimagining the Attorney General’s office to bring about the true reform that Virginians are looking for.”
The Democratic Party of Virginia released the following statement: "Jason Miyares came within inches of losing to Chuck Smith, an all-out conspiracy theorist and Amanda Chase supporter. Now he'll have to move even further to the right to win her voters -- alienating Virginians across the commonwealth. We need an attorney general committed to ensuring justice and safety for everyone, not advancing an extreme agenda that puts Virginians at risk and preserves an unjust status quo," said DPVA Communications Director Grant Fox. "With Republican Party insiders nominating an extreme candidate like Miyares for attorney general, the stakes are clear for Virginians this November."
Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Jennifer Carroll Foy released a plan that she says will support working mothers and families
“The challenges working moms and families face have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. I know this struggle first hand, working multiple jobs while trying to afford the high cost of childcare,” Carroll Foy said. “We need to build an economy that makes it possible for working moms and families, and especially women of color, to not just survive, but thrive. That is why I have fought hard to pass bills and budgets to address pay inequity, end sex discrimination, and ensure accommodations for pregnant women, and as Governor, I will continue to be a champion for workers and especially working moms. I will make sure that our post-COVID-19 economy works for everyone.”
Highlights of her plan include:
Pass paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave in the state.
Accelerate the raising of the minimum wage to $15 per hour and advocate for the inclusion of overlooked workforces under the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act.
Work to close the gender pay gap and strengthen pay transparency policies for workers and employees.
Strengthen labor protections for workers, and especially for domestic workers. Specifically, the Carroll Foy administration will support legislation that promotes written contracts, fair scheduling, and expanded opportunities for professional development.
Elevate and protect the voices of working people by ensuring that union members get appointed to boards and commissions.
Repeal right-to-work laws and ensure full collective bargaining rights for workers across the public sector.
‘Tired of getting whupped’: GOP convention voters offer competing visions for a red Virginia - Virginia Mercury
by Graham Moomaw and Ned Oliver
Republicans around Virginia streamed into voting sites Saturday to choose their nominee for governor, and in Caroline County, Don Denton was first in line.
He said he was backing Amanda Chase, a state senator who ran a hard-right campaign and pitched herself as “Trump in heels” despite the former president’s overwhelming losses in Virginia, which has grown progressively bluer in the 11 years since a Republican last won a statewide election.
Falls Church News-Press Endorses Terry McAuliffe for Virginia Governor
by FCNP.com
As our endorsement policy is generally to support incumbents when they are doing a good job, the closest thing to an incumbent seeking reelection possible is running, Terry McAuliffe, one of the most effective governors the state has ever had, following a four-year hiatus required by that silly law here. So, we view it as McAuliffe seeking re-election to a second term.
Our endorsement for governor in the June 8 Democratic primary, then, is McAuliffe. This we do enthusiastically. It is not because his birthday is the same as our esteemed chief, which is also the same as the nation’s ninth president, a good Whig, William Henry Harrison. It is because his outstanding, energetic leadership produced more jobs and economic development in Virginia than in just about any four year period in its history. Plus, he gave felons who’d paid their debts to society the cherished right to vote and protected women against a once-powerful misogynist voting block in the state with two dozen vetoes of bills restricting women’s rights, all of which were upheld and so, thanks to him, none of which became law.
Lexington resident challenging Ronnie Campbell for GOP nomination - News Advance
Del. Ronnie Campbell, R-Rockbridge, and Lexington resident Mark Reed are vying for the Republican nomination in Virginia’s House 24 district, which includes parts of Amherst County. Early voting already is underway in the June 8 primary.
Campbell, an Augusta County native and retired Virginia State Police trooper, has served the district since January 2019. He succeeded Ben Cline, current U.S. Rep., 6th District, who previously served in the role for 16 years. Reed, a military veteran, retired social services worker and child welfare reform advocate, publicly said he has spent more time in Amherst County campaigning than anywhere else.
A single mom took down Virginia Beach’s discriminatory voting system — and she’s not done yet - Virginia Pilot
by Alyssa Skelton
She said children in her neighborhood reported the same allegation — that the school staff locked students in a small closet-likeroom as a tactic to punish them. The school district would not comment on the allegations because it’s a legal matter.
Holloway’s struggle in resolving that situation led the 42-year-old single mother of four to — without an attorney and despite suffering from dyslexia — file a lawsuit against the city and take aim at Virginia Beach’s voting system, which she viewed as discriminatory.
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