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Virginia Senate Dems refuse to confirm Cuccinelli, other Youngkin board nominees
In a Monday evening vote, Democrats on a Virginia State Senate committee declined to confirm eight of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's appointees for three university boards, including former Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli.
Judge hits pause on Trump/Musk federal workforce buyout deadline
Less than 12 hours before the Trump administration’s midnight Thursday deadline for 2 million federal workers to decide whether to accept a controversial buyout plan, a federal judge temporarily paused the clock, setting a hearing on the matter for Monday. Three unions representing about 800,000 federal workers filed the lawsuit to stop the deadline. In […]
Spanberger leads Earle-Sears in early state polling
It’s still early days, but in Virginia’s 2025 gubernatorial race, Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger leads Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in a pair of new statewide polls. In the Virginia Commonwealth University Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs poll released Friday, former U.S. Rep. Spanberger has the support of 44% of people polled, and […]
What to expect from the 2025 Va. General Assembly
The General Assembly enters the fourth year in the gubernatorial cycle with even more gridlock than usual. Democrats hold narrow majorities in both the House of Delegates and Senate, but are vulnerable to vetoes by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who begins the final year of his constitutionally mandated single term. Hopes for bipartisan compromise were […]
Earle-Sears, Spanberger talk biz credentials in Va. Chamber forum appearances
They didn’t meet face-to-face, but the presumptive Republican and Democratic nominees for Virginia’s 2025 governor race addressed the same audience Friday at the 2024 Virginia Economic Summit and Forum on International Trade in Richmond. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, spoke just after 9 a.m. at the event co-sponsored by the […]
The bottom of the ballot
Congressional races don’t get the big spotlight in presidential election years, but the bottom of the ballot is still important, as presidents need some legislative cooperation to get things done. In Virginia, two-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine is seeking reelection against Republican challenger Hung Cao, a retired U.S. Navy captain. All 11 of Virginia’s […]
What a difference a debate makes
Less than three months ago, President Joe Biden — you remember him, right? — stepped down from his bid for a second term and threw his support behind Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, radically redefining this fall’s presidential race. Just before that happened, we were beginning to write this month’s cover story about the […]
High stakes
The 2024 presidential race between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump carries hefty consequences for Virginia’s economy that will be even more pronounced than in previous elections. Presidents are limited by the constraints of Congress — particularly if either chamber is held by the opposing party — and the clunkiness […]
Not with a bang, but a whimper
This story has been updated since publication. Despite lofty promises from Democrats and Republicans, divided government in Richmond meant few wins or losses for either party during the 2024 General Assembly session — and few sweeping changes for Virginia in the year ahead. “The only thing that the legislature really did is the one thing […]
Youngkin removes tax cuts, RGGI mandate in budget
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Monday released a slate of 233 amendments to the state budget passed by the General Assembly — calling it an opportunity for “common ground.” However, his budget removes language that would mandate Virginia’s future participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which has been a high priority for Democrats. It […]
Back in the saddle again
The political version of musical chairs — aka the 2024 General Assembly session — begins again in Richmond this month, as legislative control shifts once again to Democrats, who won majorities in the House of Delegates and the state Senate in the November 2023 elections. Nevertheless, a 6-foot-5-inch Republican roadblock stands in the way of […]
Stoney declares candidacy for Va. governor
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney declared his candidacy for governor Monday, setting up an early contest with U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who announced her own run for the Democratic nomination last month. The general election will take place in November 2025. If elected, he would be Virginia’s second Black governor, more than 30 years after the […]
