Today's Sponsor:
Kris Amundson
To celebrate EduTutorVA, which provides tutoring to students in 5 Virginia school divisions.
Democrats to target Wittman, Kiggans in 2026 congressional races
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Tuesday announced its list of “House Democrats’ Districts in Play,” naming the 35 Republicans it considers vulnerable in the 2026 midterm elections — including a surprising new target: Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. ... Wittman won his reelection bid last year by 13 percentage points against Democrat Leslie Mehta, but Democrats hope that backlash to President Donald Trump’s policies will give them momentum in 2026.
Virginia’s 2025 elections packed with contenders
The 2025 election season in Virginia is officially underway — and the landscape is coming into sharp focus after last week’s filing deadline for the June 17 primaries. With the top of the tickets now set and the full list of candidates for the House of Delegates finalized, both parties are preparing for what could be one of the most consequential election years in the commonwealth’s recent history.
Appalachian Power proposes shared solar minimum bill
Appalachian Power has proposed a minimum amount to charge customers in its future shared solar program, in which participants will be able to buy solar power generated by another company and receive credit for it on their electric bills. In the weeks to come, state regulators will consider Appalachian’s proposal along with input from solar developers and other stakeholders in a regulatory case that likely will play a critical role in determining the solar program’s viability. Appalachian has not yet launched its shared solar program, but the minimum bill in Dominion Energy’s program has been a point of contention since it began in 2020.
U.S. transportation agency seeks to slash regulations and costs; Virginia lawmakers cautious
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) wants to hear citizens’ ideas on how it may update its rules to cut costs and boost efficiency while keeping the country’s transportation system safe. But some Virginia lawmakers caution that those recommendations should come from safety experts, not the public, and say “arbitrarily” loosening roadway regulations could be harmful to supply chains and the economy. DOT’s request for information is one way the agency is complying with two executive orders signed by President Donald Trump aimed at maximizing effectiveness and reducing regulations.
Former Culpeper sheriff convicted of taking $75K in bribes hopes Trump will intervene
A former Virginia sheriff who was convicted of taking more than $75,000 in bribes said he plans to appeal and hopes President Donald Trump will intervene. Scott Jenkins, the former sheriff of Culpeper County, told the court last week he plans to appeal his conviction. He was sentenced last month to a decade in prison and has not yet reported to start serving. On a webinar hosted by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, Jenkins said he has no money for an appeal and now hopes Trump will help.
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EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Youngkin looks ahead to last nine months in office
With nine months left in office, Governor Youngkin says he's proud of what he's done for Virginia and doesn't plan on slowing down. In an interview with ABC 13, Youngkin touted improvements to Virginia's economy and workforce and the lowering of crime rates in the Commonwealth. Youngkin said he's not thinking about his legacy so much at the moment, just what he can accomplish.
Virginia tribal sovereignty bill heads back to Youngkin without changes
Legislation that would codify the relationship between Virginia and federally-recognized tribes is once again before Gov. Glenn Youngkin, but without a significant change he recommended. HB 2134 and SB 949 would create a new Code of Virginia with definitions relevant to tribal-state relations and standardize other terminology. Among the most consequential pieces of the legislation is a sovereignty statement. In part, it reads: “The Commonwealth endeavors to maintain positive government-to-government relationships with the federally recognized tribes within the present-day external boundaries of the Commonwealth.” Youngkin’s amendment would have removed the term “government-to-government.”
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State legislators wrestled with AI this session
Artificial intelligence is about to arrive in a courtroom near you, but don't expect judges to let AI make determinations. That's the aim of a bill introduced by Delegate Cliff Hayes, a Democrat from Chesapeake. Members of the General Assembly are agreeing with some proposed changes to his bill from the governor, who seems poised to sign it. "The bill aims to ensure fairness and accountability in the criminal justice system by preventing over-reliance on artificial intelligence tools. A lot of times, these tools have biases and lack of transparency," Hayes argues.
STATE ELECTIONS
Pat Herrity to face radio host John Reid in GOP lieutenant governor primary
Republican voters will choose between Fairfax Supervisor Pat Herrity and Richmond radio host John Reid in the June 17 primary for lieutenant governor, setting up a contest between a longtime Northern Virginia elected official and a conservative media personality with roots in statewide and national GOP politics. The Republican Party of Virginia announced Monday that Reid qualified for the ballot after submitting about 12,500 ballot access petition signatures last week. Herrity turned in his ballot signatures on the first day candidates were able to do so, March 17, and the party confirmed he had qualified weeks ago.
Attorney general candidate Jay Jones announces fundraising numbers
The campaign for Jay Jones says that he raised over $925K as he seeks the Democratic nomination for attorney general this year. This brings his total raised for the campaign to more than $1.8 million. His campaign says he will report having $1.5 million cash on hand. “As Donald Trump and Elon Musk attack our wallets and our rights, Jason Miyares is carrying out their agenda in Virginia,” Jones said in the announcement. “But Virginians are stepping up to join our fight to stop them.”
Second Democrat announces primary bid to unseat Patrick Hope in House District 1
Another Democrat is entering the race for one of Arlington’s House of Delegates seats. Sean Epstein formally kicked off his bid to unseat Del. Patrick Hope (D-1) on Wednesday. He will join Hope and Arjoon Srikanth on the ballot for the June 17 primary. In remarks at the monthly Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting, Epstein did not mention the incumbent by name, but said that “toxic” and “shortsighted” political discourse demanded candidates with “a fresh set of ideas.” “I believe that we can do better,” said Epstein, who first became active in political circles in Florida before moving to Northern Virginia.
FEDERAL ELECTIONS
Democrats reveal their top targets to flip in 2026, including Wittman, Kiggans
Full of optimism after strong showings in Florida and Wisconsin elections, Democrats are unveiling an ambitious list of nearly three dozen GOP-held House seats they will try to flip in 2026. Target districts released Tuesday range from perennial battlegrounds to deep-red turf, reflecting the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s increasing confidence amid growing anger about President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy and the chaos unleashed as Elon Musk has slashed the federal workforce.
CONGRESS
Senator: ‘We are trying to get an answer’ as $100M still in limbo for Pittsylvania project
A $100 million federal grant for a Tennessee-based company planning on bringing 2,000 jobs to Pittsylvania County remains in limbo, causing frustration for Sen. Mark Warner. ... Warner said the Trump administration has put a hold on money destined for other areas as well, like nearly $200 million for the Volvo Trucks plant in Pulaski County and about $60 million for a cement company near Roanoke. Even though Warner is concerned about being in the dark about the money, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin appears confident the overall Microporous project will continue.
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
Virginia women earn nearly $15K less than men
Virginia has one of the highest gender pay gaps in the South, according to 2023 census data. Gender pay differences reflect in part "a lack of workplace policies that support family caregiving, which is still most often performed by women," according to the National Partnership for Women and Families. Women, meanwhile, continue to be overrepresented in lower-paying professions. The median pay for Virginia women who worked full-time in 2023 was $57,991, according to census data. For men in the state, it was $71,646 — or almost 24% more.
HIGHER EDUCATION
USDA issues warning to Norfolk-based medical school over animal testing
The United States Department of Agriculture has sent a warning to the Eastern Virginia Medical School at Old Dominion University alleging research done in years prior using animals violated the Animal Welfare Act. Specifically, the warning notes issues in past research using chinchillas and monkeys. The USDA’s warning alleges that researchers at the school, formerly known as Eastern Virginia Medical School, modified their research without proper approval.
VIRGINIA OTHER
White House denies a military parade is scheduled for Trump’s birthday, but local officials have been contacted
The White House is denying reports that it plans to hold a military parade in Washington on President Donald Trump’s birthday in June — though local officials have been in contact with the administration about a celebration. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and Takis Karantonis, the chair of Virginia’s Arlington County Board, on Monday confirmed discussions with administration officials about plans for a military parade this summer. ... Both Bowser and Karantonis said the parade plans appeared to be in the preliminary stages.
USDA uproots local fresh foods pipeline for Virginia schools, food banks
An effort to connect Virginia public schools with local farms to improve food security in low-income communities won’t be getting any federal support beyond this summer’s harvest. With President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk picking apart deeply rooted agencies and initiatives that sprouted during the previous White House administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has eliminated two nascent programs designed to help small farms supply local schools and food banks with fresh fruit, produce and meat.
Hundreds protest Musk-led cuts in downtown after GOP holds pro-Trump rally
Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Lynchburg on a warm Saturday afternoon to protest the Trump administration’s cutting of social programs, mass firings of federal workers and implementation of harsh immigration policies. ... The Lynchburg rally, which attracted about 400 people, was organized by local members of Indivisible, a national progressive group started after Trump won election in 2016 and then was revived earlier this year in reaction to the policies implemented by Trump at the start of his second term. Prior to the “Hands Off” rally on Saturday, local Republicans and other residents held their own rally in front of City Hall, attended by about 30 people.
LOCAL
Revamped proposal pitched for Iron Horse data center project’s Hanover side
After getting approval from Ashland but denied by Hanover for a data center campus that would straddle the town-and-county line, the project’s developer is back with a tweaked proposal. Reston-based WestDulles Properties last month filed a new zoning application for the Hanover side of its proposed Iron Horse project, which would be built on a 180-acre site that’s split by the boundary between the county and town.
Gun discharged in Spotsylvania classroom as 26 students evacuated
A gun in the backpack of a third-grade student at Lee Hill Elementary School in Spotsylvania County was “unintentionally discharged” during class Monday at approximately 10:50 a.m., school and law enforcement officials said. No students or staff were injured, and the teacher evacuated 26 students from the classroom. The teacher also notified the school resource officer onsite. Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office Maj. Liz Scott said in a release that detectives are conducting interviews with the student and their parents. Scott said it does not appear the child brought the gun to school with intent to harm anyone. She said no criminal charges will be filed against the parents Monday but she hopes to provide an update on Tuesday.
Today's Sponsor:
Kris Amundson
To celebrate EduTutorVA, which provides tutoring to students in 5 Virginia school divisions.
EDITORIALS
Persistent teacher vacancies hamper Virginia schools’ recovery
Virginia must intensify efforts to attract and keep more competent teachers in our public schools. Our children’s futures depend on quality education that meets each child’s needs. So does the future of the workforce, the economy and the strength of our communities. Unfortunately, the shortage of teachers that followed the disruptions of the pandemic drags on. Before COVID-19 hit five years ago, Virginia had dealt for years with a teacher vacancy rate of 1% or lower.
COLUMNISTS
Yancey: Avian flu has ravaged American poultry, just not in Virginia. Here’s why.
My favorite scene in the mostly accurate HBO miniseries “Chernobyl” comes when the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev dispatches an unenthusiastic lower-level Kremlin bureaucrat to investigate the accident. That dull-witted apparatchik, Boris Shcherbina, is forced to take along a scientist, Valery Legasov, who desperately tries to explain to him how nuclear energy works and how he should be on the lookout for graphite, because that would indicate an alarming breach of the reactor’s nuclear core. Shcherbina makes it clear he has little interest in such annoying details and resents the scientist’s very presence.
Lewis: Her time has come: Virginia will, after four centuries, have a woman governor
It’s only taken Virginia 400-plus years to get around to it, but a fairly routine political event last weekend made it nearly an absolute certainty that next January, the commonwealth will inaugurate its first woman governor. The Republican Party of Virginia announced on Saturday that former state Sen. Amanda Chase, a right-wing lightning rod who described herself as “Trump in heels,” had failed to gather enough signatures on qualifying petitions by that day’s deadline to appear on the Republican gubernatorial primary ballot. That made Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears the party’s nominee, obviating the necessity for a Republican Primary in June. That created a direct, head-to-head general election match-up in November with former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
OP-ED
Hopkins: Virginia’s children pay a steep price for incompetent politics
As the president and CEO of a large child care and preschool center serving Alexandria and beyond, I’ve experienced firsthand the panic the Trump administration and its allies in Congress have caused our families and the services they rely on. We’re staring down the barrel at deep cuts to essential services, a consolidation of wealth and power among the most privileged, and the destruction of the safety net that keeps vulnerable parents with young children afloat. Now is the time to raise our voices.
Kizart: The business case for diversity, equity and inclusion locally
Diversity, equity and inclusion are more than just words. They are a call to action to work towards building a better world for us all. Yet, confusion and misunderstanding around these concepts have led to backlash. As our population shifts and the workforce evolves, however, the work of honoring diversity and cultural awareness, as well as cultivating equitable opportunities and inclusivity, is essential to economic growth and regional prosperity. That’s why this should matter first and foremost to business.