Tag: politics
More candidates running for Board of Supervisors
More candidates have surfaced since we last reported on the 2019 elections for the Board of Supervisors. There are now three candidates vying in a Democratic primary for BoS chair to succeed Sharon Bulova, who is not running for re-election: Tim Chapman, managing member of Chapman Development LLC and former chair of the Virginia Housing … Continued

Gary Aiken launches campaign for Mason District supervisor
Gary Aiken, the treasurer of the Fairfax County Republican Committee, has launched a campaign to represent Mason District the Board of Supervisors. If no other candidates surface, Aiken would face off against Mason Supervisor Penny Gross in the Nov. 5 election. “Fairfax County is becoming less wealthy and less of a desired destination,” Aiken states … Continued

Swanson plans run for school board
Swanson Jessica Swanson has announced plans to run for the Mason District seat on the Fairfax County School Board. Sandy Evans, who has held that position for nearly 10 years is not seeking re-election when her term ends next year. Swanson, the director of budget strategy for the District of Columbia Public Schools, is seeking … Continued

McKay lays out priorities in bid to chair Board of Supervisors
From the left: Supervisor Jeff McKay, at-large school board member Karen Keys-Gamarra, Rep. Gerry Connolly, and James Walkinshaw, candidate for Braddock District supervisor, at Walkinshaw’s campaign kickoff. Jeff McKay, the Lee District supervisor who is running for chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, says his main issues are environmental stewardship, affordable housing, and … Continued

Walkinshaw launches campaign for Braddock supervisor
James Walkinshaw, a Democratic candidate for the Braddock District seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, says his three key issues are education, transportation, and climate change. If elected, he would succeed John Cook, a Republican, who is not running for re-election. An aide to Rep. Gerry Connolly for the past 12 years, Walkinshaw … Continued

Cook won’t seek re-election as Braddock supervisor
Cook Braddock Supervisor John Cook announced Nov. 16 that he won’t be running for re-election in 2019, stating, after 10 years on the board, “it is time for me to focus on other priorities in my life.” James Walkinshaw, the chief of staff for Rep. Gerry Connolly, is running as a Democrat for the Braddock … Continued

Virginia voters reject Trump agenda
Sen. Tim Kaine speaks to supporters after easily winning re-election. Voters in Virginia solidly rejected the Trump agenda by re-electing key Democrats to Congress, including Sen. Tim Kaine, Reps. Gerry Connolly and Don Beyer, and in a closely watched Northern Virginia race that got national attention, replacing Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock with Democratic challenger Jennifer … Continued

Kaine and Stewart clash over Trump, Kavanagh, immigration, and much more
Corey Stewart (left) and Sen. Tim Kaine face off in a debate. [WAMU] When Corey Stewart, the Republican challenging Sen. Tim Kaine in the Nov. 6 election, blasted Kaine for “voting against everything Trump proposed” at a Sept. 26 debate, that line got some applause. “If the president proposes things that are bad, sure I’ll … Continued

Sen. Saslaw to face challenger in Democratic primary
Taeb Minority Leader Dick Saslaw, who has represented the 35th district in the Virginia Senate since 1980, will have a challenger in the Democratic primary next June. Yasmine Taeb, a human rights attorney who advocates for refugees and asylum seekers as the senior policy counsel at the Center for Victims of Torture, announced plans to … Continued

Public invited to learn about redistricting
The Springfield-Annandale branch of the American Association University Women invites the public to learn about efforts to end gerrymandering and promote fair redistricting in Virginia. This is the topic of the group’s next meeting, Dec. 14, 7 p.m., in the Braddock District supervisor’s office, 9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke. Brian Cannon, executive director of OneVirginia2021, … Continued
Voter turnout and ‘Trump effect’ were major factors in Northam victory
High voter turnout and the “Trump effect” were major factors in Ralph Northam’s unexpectedly big win over Ed Gillespie in the election for Virginia governor, the managers of both campaigns agree. Bradley Komar, the manager of the Northam campaign, and Chris Leavitt, Gillespie’s campaign manager, shared insights from the Nov. 7 election at a forum … Continued

Fairfax County voters help Northam win election for governor
Ralph Northam speaks to supporters after being elected governor of Virginia. Ralph Northam’s overwhelmingly strong showing in Fairfax County and the rest of Northern Virginia helped him win the election for Virginia governor Nov. 7. Northam, the Democratic lieutenant governor, got 53.9 percent of the vote statewide, compared to 44.9 percent for Republican challenger Ed … Continued

Candidates for statewide office divided on healthcare
Northam The candidates for statewide office in Virginia present a stark contrast in how they would deal with healthcare and the economy. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor outlined their positions at a forum Oct. 2 in Tysons hosted by the Asian American Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Northern Virginia … Continued

Commentary: Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam is the best choice for governor of Virginia
Northam By Sen. Dave Marsden Some people love to play fantasy football. Almost all of us love to play fantasy politics. Fantasy politics occurs when we become enamored of a candidate because somehow their background fits our ideal and we imbue them with characteristics that we have determined would make for a great chief executive. … Continued

Ex-skinhead helps others break away from white supremacist groups
Christian Picciolini signs his book. Christian Picciolini spent years as a white supremacist and neo-Nazi, beating up minorities, performing in a skinhead rock band, and spreading a message of hate. Eventually, he started to disengage from his violent past and formed an organization to help other hateful extremists break away from “alt-right” and jihadist movements. … Continued