Democrat
- Democrats challenge Beyer in Va.’s 8th Congressional District, marred by federal layoffs
Everyone in Northern Virginia knows someone who was “DOGEd,” either laid off or otherwise impacted by sweeping cuts initiated through President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Virginia is home to nearly 200,000 federal workers; over 20,000 of them lost their jobs last year. The pain of those losses runs […]
- Virginia Congressman Suhas Subramanyam Addresses Questions on Donations and Advocacy Ties
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, Democrat from Virginia, engaged in a discussion covering his sponsorship of House Resolution 69 condemning Hinduphobia and his participation in an event hosted by the Coalition of Hindus of North America. The Coalition has been referenced in external reports as connected to networks advancing Hindu nationalism in the United States. During the […]
- High-potency marijuana fuels state debates over psychosis and addiction risks
When her son was a teenager, Connecticut mom Amy Wadsworth said, he was the type of kid parents rarely worry about. He played sports, cared about his health and stayed away from drugs. In 2018, when he left West Hartford to start his freshman year at American University in Washington, D.C., she expected his biggest […]
- Here are 10 notable new Virginia laws that will take effect July 1
Hundreds of new Virginia laws will begin taking effect Wednesday, after Gov. Abigail Spanberger acted on more than 1,100 bills approved by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly earlier this year. Not every measure passed this year will be triggered into action all at once. Some policies will phase in over the coming months or years, while […]
- ‘It’s outrageous’: Spanberger navigates budget fight, Democratic unrest six months into governorship
Back in January, Gov. Abigail Spanberger arrived in office promising pragmatism, affordability and a less combative style of politics. Fast forward a few months, and Virginia’s first woman governor finds herself navigating one of the rockiest starts to a Democratic administration in years, with budget negotiations intensifying weeks before a shutdown deadline, frustration simmering inside […]
- Debate Emerges Over Off-the-Record Meetings in Virginia
Virginia Democrats are considering allowing secret meetings out of the public eye. This consideration has led to a debate on whether transparency in state government might be affected. The discussion focuses on the implications for open proceedings. The topic involves the nature of off-the-record political meetings. One aspect highlighted is that gatherings involving more than […]
- Virginia revenue forecast jumps by $1.5 billion as budget talks continue
Virginia’s revenue outlook has improved by $1.5 billion over the next three fiscal years, giving lawmakers more breathing room as negotiations over a stalled state budget are set to continue in Richmond later this month. Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Monday afternoon released the updated revenue forecast she ordered last month, telling top legislative budget writers […]
- Gov. Abigail Spanberger signs wetlands, PFAS and flooding bills
Gov. Abigail Spanberger signs an environmental bill into law in Stafford, VA on May 6, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury) On the banks of Aquia Creek in Stafford, Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Wednesday signed a slew of bills designed to protect Virginia’s clean water from harmful forever chemicals and aid communities as sea levels […]
- Loudoun County Board Advances Data Center Approval on Consent Agenda
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors moved a data center approval to its consent agenda during a recent session. Phyllis Randall participated in the decision along with other Democratic members of the board. This action resulted in the item receiving approval without extended discussion or individual votes. The procedural choice has led to comments from […]
- Virginia lawmakers are set to return to Richmond as budget deadline nears
Virginia lawmakers are set to return to Richmond this month for another attempt to reach a budget deal, with just days until the start of the new fiscal year and no agreement yet on the state’s next two-year spending plan. The House of Delegates is scheduled to reconvene its special session June 18 at 10 […]
- Thousands of Virginians will regain the right to vote next month
Virginia resident Tati King, a former felon who helped lead a major lawsuit to win back his and others’ voting rights, stands outside of Virginia’s Capitol. (Photo courtesy of Phuong Tran/ACLU of Virginia) Tati Abu King, who was formerly incarcerated for a felony, has been waiting years to be able to vote again. A court […]
- Spanberger’s ICE actions deepen divide with Virginia Democrats
Gov. Abigail Spanberger within just 24 hours vetoed two legislative packages aimed at limiting federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Virginia while simultaneously signing other measures targeting masked federal agents and issuing a sweeping executive order governing how ICE officers may operate on state property. The mixed actions frustrated and baffled some Democratic lawmakers
- Virginia revenues surge despite job losses amid budget standoff
Virginia’s economy is showing increasing signs of strain from slower job growth, rising inflation and weakening consumer confidence, even as state revenues continue exceeding expectations and giving lawmakers more room to negotiate a stalled state budget, Virginia Secretary of Finance Mark Sickles said Tuesday. Presenting the administration’s latest economic and revenue update to the Senate […]
- Virginia governor signs Dominion-backed bills. All eyes on regulators now.
RICHMOND, Va.—Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Thursday signed legislation that directs regulators to assign electricity costs to data centers and allows Dominion Energy to spend $900,000 a mile burying local distribution lines. The bills from Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling, D-Henrico, could have also required data centers to cover […]
- US Supreme Court decision ends Virginia’s redistricting fight, reshapes 2026 races
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision late Friday to reject Virginia Democrats’ emergency appeal over congressional redistricting effectively ended any remaining effort to revive the state’s redistricting referendum, triggering a wave of Democratic campaign suspensions over the weekend and forcing both parties to quickly regroup ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Several Democrats who launched campa
- NAACP asks US Supreme Court to overturn Virginia redistricting decision
A Fairfax County voter receives a sticker after casting a ballot. (Photo by Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury) The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Advance Project on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse Virginia’s high court ruling striking down the state’s redistricting referendum, arguing the decision nullified the votes of […]
- The sheer waste of Virginia’s redistricting referendum staggers the conscience
Signs encourage voters to reject or approve a proposal to give lawmakers temporary power to redraw the state’s congressional maps outside the Hanover County Government Complex, April 18, 2026. The proposal passed April 21 by a slim margin, but the state Supreme Court overturned the amendment May 8. (Photo by Samantha Willis/Virginia Mercury) Friday’s unprecedented […]
- Virginia House Debates SB727: Bill Banning Assault Firearm Carry in Public Passes Amid Controversy
Tom Garrett described initial shock upon reading the text, which bars carrying such weapons ‘about his person’ in public areas. He employed a Venn diagram to demonstrate overlaps: Northern Virginia pickup truck owners, rural firearm owners, and recreational shooters/hunters. A limited exemption for hunting or target practice, he argued, fails to exempt most scenarios, like […]
- Virginia Democrats seek emergency injunction from US Supreme Court in redistricting fight
The U.S. Supreme Court building. (Photo by Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom) Virginia Democrats on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive the voter-approved redistricting amendment struck down last week by the Supreme Court of Virginia, escalating the fight over the state’s congressional map to the nation’s highest court with the 2026 midterms inching closer. In […]
- Virginia Democrats File Typo-Riddled Motion Seeking U.S. Supreme Court Review After State Court Strikes Down Redistricting Amendment
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Democrats have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a high-stakes redistricting dispute after the Virginia Supreme Court nullified a voter-approved constitutional amendment on procedural grounds, a development that preserves the state’s current congressional maps for the 2026 midterm elections. The Virginia Supreme Court ruled 4-3 on May 8, 2026, […]
- Supreme Court of Virginia strikes down redistricting amendment, keeps current maps in place
The Supreme Court of Virginia in Richmond on April 27, 2026. (Photo by Samantha Willis/Virginia Mercury) The Supreme Court of Virginia on Friday struck down the voter-approved redistricting amendment, upholding a lower court ruling that had declared the measure unconstitutional less than 24 hours after last week’s special election and briefly halted its implementation. The […]
- Virginia Supreme Court Strikes Down Voter-Approved Redistricting Amendment, Sparking Debate Over Procedural Rules Versus Voter Intent
RICHMOND, Va. — On May 8, 2026, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that a Democrat-backed constitutional amendment authorizing temporary partisan redistricting of congressional districts violated the state constitution’s procedural requirements. The decision nullifies the results of the April 21 special election referendum, in which voters narrowly approved the measure by approximately 51.7% to 48.3
- Democrats fail to pass budget
This post was originally published on this site. In politics, there are some days when whole months can happen. The General Assembly reconvened on Wednesday, April 22, and it was one such day. It never stops. What is the common factor? I think it’s Democrats who make bad decisions. You would think that a $50-million […]
- FBI raids Sen. Louise Lucas’ Portsmouth office, marijuana business
State Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, on the Senate floor at the Virginia Capitol in Richmond. Federal agents on Wednesday raided Lucas’ Portsmouth office and adjacent cannabis business as part of a court-authorized FBI search operation. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury) Federal agents on Wednesday morning raided the Portsmouth office of state Sen. Louise Lucas, one […]
- DOJ Civil Rights Division Launches Investigation into Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano for Alleged Discrimination in Favor of Illegal Immigrant Defendants
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has initiated a formal federal investigation into the Office of the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney, led by Steve Descano, examining whether its plea bargaining, charging decisions, and sentencing policies discriminate against U.S. citizens by providing preferential treatment to illegal immigrant defendants. The notification was sent to
- Early poll is sobering for Spanberger, but it’s a wake-up call, not an epitaph
Gov. Abigail Spanberger speaks with reporters outside the Executive Mansion in Richmond earlier this month. (Photo by Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury) The first report card on Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s still brand-new term is in, and she can’t be happy with it. I’m hearing she’s decidedly unhappy. A new survey by the Washington Post and George Mason […]
- March for Life abortion opponents hit the streets in Virginia March for Life
Attendees of Virginia March For Life in downtown Richmond on April 22, 2026. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) As the governor, advocates and lawmakers celebrated the new maternal health laws inside the Patrick Henry Building Wednesday morning, about 1,000 people gathered outside for the Virginia March for Life Hosted with support from the Family […]
- Tazewell Circuit Court Blocks Certification of Virginia’s Redistricting Referendum, Ruling Process Unconstitutional
TAZEWELL, Va. — In a dramatic late-day ruling issued Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the Tazewell Circuit Court blocked certification of results from Tuesday’s special election on a controversial constitutional amendment aimed at allowing the Virginia General Assembly to redraw congressional districts before the next federal census. Chief Judge Jack Hurley reaffirmed earlier findings that both…
- Virginia voters back redistricting amendment after months of legal and political battles
A voter casts a ballot in the April 21 redistricting referendum at the Stonebridge Recreational Center in Chesterfield County. (Photo by Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury) Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment allowing mid-decade congressional redistricting, a move expected to dramatically reshape the state’s political map and potentially shift its congressional delegation f
- 10 questions and answers about Virginia’s redistricting referendum
(Photo illustration by States Newsroom) Virginians will head to the polls Tuesday to approve or reject a closely watched constitutional amendment that could reshape the state’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 elections. The standalone spring referendum will cap months of legal battles, political messaging and unusually high early voting interest. The vote follows a […]
- Loudoun Supervisor Koran Saines Denies Data Center Financial Ties During April 7 Board Meeting, But VPAP Records Show $15,000 in Donations from Construction Firms Tied to Data Center Projects
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — In a pointed defense of his integrity amid ongoing public scrutiny of data center development in Loudoun County, Sterling District Supervisor Koran T. Saines (D) told fellow Board of Supervisors members and residents on April 7, 2026, that he has not accepted any campaign contributions from data center companies. Yet Virginia […]
- Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax kills wife, then himself, police say
Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax presides over the state Senate during the 2020 General Assembly session in Richmond; police say he fatally shot his wife early Thursday morning before taking his own life. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax fatally shot his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before taking his own […]
- Virginia set to rejoin RGGI as utilities prepare to pass the cost back to ratepayers
A natural gas-fired power plant. (Photo by Getty Images) Virginia is poised to reenter the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative this summer, a move that could again add a monthly charge to electricity customers’ bills as utilities resume buying carbon credits. State officials expect the commonwealth to participate in the program’s September auction once regulations to […]
- Virginia voter guide: Ballot questions voters about Democratic efforts to redraw the congressional map
This post was originally published on this site.Legal challenges to redistricting efforts are playing out in court. A referendum which would allow Democratic legislators to temporarily redraw Virginia’s congressional map continues to move forward. The redistricting plan has been put up for early voting and a special election is scheduled for April 21. Virginia Democrats […]
- Mark Warner files for reelection, launching bid for fourth U.S. Senate term caught lying 29 years ago
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner speaks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol building in October. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) U.S. Sen. Mark Warner formally launched his campaign for a fourth term this week, filing the paperwork and voter petitions required to appear on Virginia’s 2026 U.S. Senate ballot after a five-day swing across the state […]
- Virginia Referendum Pits Redistricting Proposals Against Voter-Approved Commission
The proposal stems from legislation passed by the Democrat-majority House of Delegates and Senate. It would suspend the decennial redistricting cycle mandated by Amendment 52, ratified by 67 percent of voters in 2020. That amendment established the Virginia Redistricting Commission, comprising legislators and citizens from both parties, to draw maps post-census. Ballot text reads: ‘Should […]
- Virginia League of Women Voters Endorses SB 58 to Increase Mail Ballot Deadlines
SB 58 aims to adapt election procedures to contemporary challenges in mail delivery. Currently, mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by noon on the third day following the election. The bill would modify these parameters, potentially extending receipt hours and accounting for processing delays. Supporters, including Democratic lawmakers, contend that postal […]
- Marty Martinez will soon require hunting with dogs to be permitted
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources will issue a permit for $19 to hunters who use their dogs under a House Bill that is heading to the Senate. Del. Marty Martinez (D-Loudoun County) introduced HB 1396 which would require individuals and organizations to obtain permits to hunt with dogs game animals, fur-bearing or nuisance animals. […]
- Virginia Democrats’ 10-1 map proposal heads to Gov. Spanberger’s desk
Virginia’s General Assembly approved a proposal to redraw the congressional map, which favors Democratic candidates for 10 of 11 commonwealth districts. Next stop for the prototype redistricting is the Democratic Governor. Abigail Spanberger’s desk. The governor can sign the entire bill, veto a specific item, amend the legislation, or choose not to act at all. […]
- Affordability or tax hikes? Spanberger agenda caught in political crossfire
Gov. Abigail Spanberger made affordability the centerpiece of her 2026 agenda, promising relief for Virginians strained by high housing costs, rising energy bills and everyday expenses. But less than a month into the General Assembly session, several dozen tax-increase bills filed by Democratic lawmakers have given Republicans a ready-made political weapon — and an opening […]
- For Light and Transient Causes: A Warning to Virginia
“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly, all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1776. Jefferson’s Standard for Legitimate Revolution […]
- Tom Dannan Controversy Brews in Fairfax’s Braddock School Board Race Amid ICE Ties and Democratic Endorsements
At the center of the storm is Democratic-endorsed candidate Tom Dannen, whose professional ties to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have raised eyebrows among voters
- Youngkin Touts Virginia Progress in Final State of the Commonwealth Address
On foster care and behavioral health, Youngkin pointed to the Right Help Right Now initiative as key to system improvements, aiming to better serve children and families. Critics, including Democratic leaders, have questioned the depth of reforms amid ongoing challenges. Virginia was named the top state for veterans by Smile Hub, attributed to policies like […]
- House committee advances bill to study VMI’s public funding status
Virginia lawmakers on Tuesday advanced a bill creating a task force that would examine whether the Virginia Military Institute should remain a publicly funded, state-sponsored institution, marking the most consequential legislative step yet in a debate over the school’s governance and culture.
- Virginia Senate District 15 Special Election Looms as Battleground Against Democratic Power Grab
As Virginians prepare to celebrate the holidays, a critical special election in Senate District 15 threatens to reshape the state’s political landscape—and potentially hand Democrats the keys to a dangerous redistricting scheme that could entrench their power for years to come. With early voting kicking off tomorrow, December 27th, and Election Day set for January 6th, voters in this Richmond-area
- Virginia regulators weigh expanded use of data centers’ polluting generators
This past summer, a fire at an electrical substation forced data centers in Loudoun County to rely on backup diesel generators as their power source.
- Virginia’s Speed Camera Cash Grab: $60 Million in Fines from School Zones, Zero Enforcement in Dangerous Intersections
In a revealing discussion at the Virginia State Crime Commission meeting on December 2, 2025, state officials highlighted the stark reality of the commonwealth’s speed camera program: a lucrative revenue stream that’s prioritizing easy targets over actual public safety.
- Virginia Democrats Propose Sweeping Changes to Marijuana Regulations in Latest Budget Push
Virginia Democrats have introduced proposed changes to the state’s cannabis framework as part of ongoing budget considerations, aiming to enhance the retail marijuana market through a focus on equity and statewide uniformity. The proposals include allocating funds for licensing support, eliminating local veto options on dispensaries, and mandating labor agreements for industry participants.
- Tensions Flare at Loudoun County Board Meeting: Supervisors Saines and TeKrony Clash Over Procedural Briefing
A routine Loudoun County Board of Supervisors meeting devolved into a heated verbal exchange on Tuesday, as Democratic Supervisors Koran T. Saines and Laura A. TeKrony sparred over procedural matters, including questions about staff briefings and speaking order.
- The Trump administration wants everyone to reapply for food stamps. What does that mean?
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ call for a close reexamination of the 42 million people who receive federal food aid has befuddled advocates and lawmakers, coming mere days after recipients began to see benefits that had been stalled during the government shutdown.