A dramatic shift
Four years ago, no one would have guessed Gov. Ralph Northam would lead the most progressive Virginia administration in modern memory. A native of Onancock on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, as well as a pediatric neurologist and Army veteran, Virginia’s 73rd governor was eyed by some Democrats with suspicion after acknowledging he’d voted twice for President […]
The great divide
Virginia’s business community faces a strangely familiar and yet uncertain state government headed into the 2022 General Assembly session, which begins Jan. 12. Republicans rolled to victories across the board in the November 2021 election as Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin led a GOP sweep of all three statewide offices, and Republicans also won a narrow 52-48 […]
Your 2022 guide to Virginia politics
General Assembly preview: The great divide Will split legislature lead to gridlock or compromise? Interview: The outsider Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin talks 2022 priorities Politics: A dramatic shift Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s tenure was progressive, eventful Interview: Looking Back Q&A with exiting Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam [...]
The outsider
A former CEO who has never held political office, Glenn Youngkin will take the reins as Virginia’s next governor, having harnessed political tailwinds to a Republican sweep of statewide offices and GOP control of the House of Delegates. The electoral success ended eight years of Democratic victories, but Virginia’s 74th governor will have to contend […]
Northam proposes $150M for site readiness
When Mazda Toyota was looking to build a plant that would have brought 4,000 jobs and 1.6 billion in investment, Virginia was ruled out. Why? Because Virginia didn’t have a competitive project-ready site available. Huntsville, Alabama, landed the deal instead. Since 2016, Virginia has lost out on 42,000 direct jobs and over $75 billion in capital […]
GOP delegates throw in hats for House speaker
Updated 8:30 p.m. Nov. 3 A few key delegates’ races have not yet been called, but with Republicans poised to regain majority control of the state House of Delegates, Southwest Virginia lawmaker Terry Kilgore has announced he will run for speaker if his party holds its seven-seat lead. Del. Todd Gilbert, the current House minority […]
The color of money
A dusty floor, lumber piles and strewn tools mark the signs of active construction in the future showroom of Pure Shenandoah LLC. CEO Tanner Johnson stands in the front room of the historic, renovated Casey Jones building in Elkton and describes the experience of a future customer. “You’ll come in right here to a cool […]
VCU poll shows McAuliffe with 9-point lead in governor’s race
A new statewide poll from Virginia Commonwealth University shows Democratic former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe with a nine-point lead over Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin, a far different take than the much tighter race indicated by a Washington Post-George Mason University poll released Saturday. VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs released [&[...]
Government | Politics
HALA AYALA DELEGATE, VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES; DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR,PRINCE WILLIAM County Part of the new guard of Democratic state lawmakers, Ayala won her seat in the House of Delegates in 2017 by defeating a five-term GOP incumbent. This spring, she beat a full field of opponents to win the Democratic nomination for […]
Northam proposes $111M for undergrad financial aid
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday that he wants to designate $111 million in federal aid to financial aid for undergraduate students: $100 million for public higher education institutions through the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia and $11 million for private institutions eligible for SCHEV’s Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant program. The General Assembly [&hellip[...]
Northam appoints members to newly created cannabis boards
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has appointed members to three newly created oversight boards for the legalization of recreational marijuana, his office announced today. On July 1, Virginia’s adult-use cannabis legislation changes began going into effect. This year, the General Assembly legalized possession of up to one ounce in public and home cultivation of up to […]
Va. General Assembly to convene special session on Aug. 2
The Virginia General Assembly will convene in Richmond on Aug. 2 for a special session to allocate more than $4.3 billion in federal relief funding, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday in a proclamation. In May, Northam and Democratic leaders from the Virginia State Senate and the House of Delegates outlined their priorities for the special […]