Matchups are set for a pair of high-profile House races in our home state. State Sen. Jen Kiggans (R) will face Rep. Elaine Luria (D, VA-2) in a Hampton Roads-based seat, while Prince William County Supervisor Yesli Vega (R) won a competitive primary for the right to challenge Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D, VA-7). The Crystal Ball rates the former a Toss-up and the latter Leans Democratic.
Democrats were hoping that a far-right Republican, Jarome Bell, would beat Kiggans, and some even tried to help make that happen. But Kiggans, a prized national Republican recruit, won easily, 56%-27%. Joe Biden won VA-2 by only a couple of points — down a few points from the previous iteration of the district — and we’ve previously noted that it is now the median House district by presidential performance. The district, under differing lines, has a swingy history: It has changed hands 4 times since the 2000 election, and very well could a fifth time this year.
Meanwhile, Vega emerged from a crowded field in the reconfigured VA-7, which used to include some of the Richmond area but instead is now more oriented in Northern Virginia. Biden won it by about 7 points, and Spanberger is among the most impressive of the newish crop of Democratic House members (she was first elected in 2018). But her power of incumbency, to the extent it matters (debatable these days), is mitigated by the district being so new to her, and Republicans will heavily target her.
It may be that, given the way the cycle is developing, that VA-2 will soon move into Leans Republican territory and VA-7 will be a Toss-up. We’re not quite yet there ourselves but we can understand the sentiment.
Virginia’s political lines underwent a change in late 2021 with redistricting, shifting voters into new congressional and state legislative districts.
Like the rest of the country, Virginia had to redraw its political boundaries using new census data. The Virginia Supreme Court finalized the state’s redistricting process last December, reconfiguring the Commonwealth’s 11 congressional districts for the 2022 midterms.
2022 Primaries: Republicans take aim at Virginia swing districts With Virginia’s new political map not approved until after Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s win in 2021, the congressional primaries, GOP conventions and midterms this year are the first time voters will be casting ballots under the redrawn political districts.
Virginia voters picked a state senator and a law enforcement official Tuesday as the Republican nominees for what could be two of the country’s most competitive U.S. House races.
Jen Kiggans defeated three challengers to win the nomination in Virginia’s coastal 2nd District and will take on U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria. And Yesli Vega, an auxiliary deputy and county-level elected official, prevailed in a crowded field in the central Virginia 7th District. Vega will face Rep. Abigail Spanberger in the general election, where Republicans are bullish about their chances of flipping the seats currently held by the two centrist Democrats.
Sen. Louise Lucas, president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, has described her chamber as a “brick wall” against some of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s biggest educational priorities, from charter schools to a proposed ban on what he’s described as “divisive concepts.”
But Thursday several Democrats on the Senate’s influential Education and Health committee, which Lucas chairs, voted with Republicans to advance one of Youngkin’s top issues — a bill aimed at undoing recent admissions changes at Virginia’s prestigious governor’s schools.
The original legislation by Del. Glenn Davis, R-Virginia Beach, specifically targeted policies at Fairfax County’s Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology — consistently ranked as the best public school in the country by U.S. News and World Report.
The school has made national headlines for significantly shifting its admissions process in 2020 amid a nationwide reckoning on race following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority says the $77,000 worth of Russian-sourced vodka it pulled from shelves won’t be thrown out but will be stored at its facilities “until further notice.”
The government-run liquor monopoly announced Sunday it was removing seven vodka brands from its stores in response to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s call for the state to show solidarity against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Combined, those brands accounted for just over $1 million in sales in fiscal year 2021, according to ABC spokesperson Dawn Eischen, a small fraction of the $57 million in sales for the American vodka brand Tito’s, Virginia’s top-selling liquor. An estimated $68,000 in Russian-sourced vodka was pulled from store shelves, Eischen said, with another $9,500 idled at ABC’s distribution center that won’t be shipped out to stores.
Deadline to apply for a ballot to be mailed to you: October 28, 2022. Your request must be received by your local voter registration office by 5:00 p.m.
Voter registration offices open for early voting: Saturday, October 29, 2022.
The Virginia Supreme Court unanimously approved maps for new congressional and state legislative districts that will remain in place for the next decade.
The court was put in charge of the state’s political redistricting, a once-a-decade process of redrawing electoral districts with new census data, after a bipartisan commission failed to get through partisan squabbling to come to an agreement on new political maps.
A first round of maps were submitted by two experts, one nominated by Democrats and the other nominated by Republicans, appointed by the court to help with the process. The justices held two public hearings and allowed written comments and draft maps to be submitted by Dec. 20.
Congress is working quickly to determine how much military and humanitarian aid it should send to Ukraine as the war in that country continues to claim lives and send hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing as refugees.
Lawmakers are working with the Biden administration to provide billions in funding at the same time negotiators continue to work towards bipartisan agreement on more than $1.5 trillion in government funding ahead of a March 11 deadline.
Democrats and Republicans reached a framework earlier this month on that government funding package and have since been drafting the bills behind closed doors. But the five-day-old war in Ukraine and concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s potential ambitions beyond that country have led to calls for a significant uptick in U.S. military and humanitarian aid.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Gov. Glenn Youngkin is asking the state government and Virginia universities to sever any financial ties to Russia. He also urged Norfolk and Roanoke to end sister city partnerships with Russian cities.
Election Day 2021: Live results and analysis November 2, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn6ZJe0iSQQ
Join Post reporters for live results and analysis as Virginia votes for governor, lieutenant governor and its House of Delegates. There are also two special House races in Ohio, contentious ballot measures and mayoral races across the country. Virginia is one of just two states that holds its statewide elections the year following a presidential contest, and the race is often viewed as a kind of referendum on the party in the White House — and how it might fare in the midterms the following year. Former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe (D) is looking to become only the second person since the Civil War to serve twice in the state’s top elected office. The 64-year-old most recently led the Democratic Party’s efforts on redistricting across the country. During his time as governor, he became known for his efforts on economic development, although he faced gridlock due to a Republican majority in the General Assembly that kept him from achieving his signature campaign promises on health care. McAuliffe faces Glenn Youngkin (R), who has alternately flirted with former president Donald Trump’s ideology and kept him at an arm’s length. He has touted his support for guns and “election integrity,” while focusing on schools and the economy in a bid for suburban voters. The Post’s Libby Casey will anchor live coverage and be joined by reporters Rhonda Colvin, Joyce Koh, Amber Phillips, Lee Powell, Dave Weigel and columnist James Hohmann. Read more: https://wapo.st/3CJKCis. Subscribe to The Washington Post on YouTube: https://wapo.st/2QOdcqK
In a push to end “divisive concepts” in Virginia education, Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration is ending virtually all equity initiatives launched by the state’s Department of Education prior to the governor’s inauguration last month.
The policy changes, announced in an interim report from the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, hew closely to directives already issued by Youngkin in his first executive order.
According to Balow, every resource listed on the department’s EdEquityVA website falls under the category of a “divisive concept,” including a 52-page “roadmap to equity” developed by the department under former Gov. Ralph Northam and Secretary of Education Atif Qarni.
Last week, Republicans in the House of Delegates passed a bill to exempt any business with 10 or fewer employees from the state’s minimum wage law.
On Monday, Democrats in the Senate voted it down alongside a half dozen other bills aimed at rolling back employee and union-friendly legislation the party passed last year before it lost its House majority.
“So they would be exempt from the current minimum wage? … Just out of curiosity, where in the state can you live on $14,000 a year?” asked Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax.
Virginia’s minimum wage currently sits at $11 an hour and will rise to $12 an hour next year under legislation Democrats passed in 2020.
The $14,000 figure cited by Saslaw represents about what someone would earn working full-time for the federally mandated minimum wage of $7.25-an-hour, which is what small businesses could start paying their employees again if the bill were to pass.
Matchups are set for a pair of high-profile House races in our home state. State Sen. Jen Kiggans (R) will face Rep. Elaine Luria (D, VA-2) in a Hampton Roads-based seat, while Prince William County Supervisor Yesli Vega (R) won a competitive primary for the right to challenge Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D, VA-7). The Crystal Ball rates the former a Toss-up and the latter Leans Democratic.
Democrats were hoping that a far-right Republican, Jarome Bell, would beat Kiggans, and some even tried to help make that happen. But Kiggans, a prized national Republican recruit, won easily, 56%-27%. Joe Biden won VA-2 by only a couple of points — down a few points from the previous iteration of the district — and we’ve previously noted that it is now the median House district by presidential performance. The district, under differing lines, has a swingy history: It has changed hands 4 times since the 2000 election, and very well could a fifth time this year.
Meanwhile, Vega emerged from a crowded field in the reconfigured VA-7, which used to include some of the Richmond area but instead is now more oriented in Northern Virginia. Biden won it by about 7 points, and Spanberger is among the most impressive of the newish crop of Democratic House members (she was first elected in 2018). But her power of incumbency, to the extent it matters (debatable these days), is mitigated by the district being so new to her, and Republicans will heavily target her.
It may be that, given the way the cycle is developing, that VA-2 will soon move into Leans Republican territory and VA-7 will be a Toss-up. We’re not quite yet there ourselves but we can understand the sentiment.
Virginia’s political lines underwent a change in late 2021 with redistricting, shifting voters into new congressional and state legislative districts.
Like the rest of the country, Virginia had to redraw its political boundaries using new census data. The Virginia Supreme Court finalized the state’s redistricting process last December, reconfiguring the Commonwealth’s 11 congressional districts for the 2022 midterms.
2022 Primaries: Republicans take aim at Virginia swing districts With Virginia’s new political map not approved until after Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s win in 2021, the congressional primaries, GOP conventions and midterms this year are the first time voters will be casting ballots under the redrawn political districts.
Virginia voters picked a state senator and a law enforcement official Tuesday as the Republican nominees for what could be two of the country’s most competitive U.S. House races.
Jen Kiggans defeated three challengers to win the nomination in Virginia’s coastal 2nd District and will take on U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria. And Yesli Vega, an auxiliary deputy and county-level elected official, prevailed in a crowded field in the central Virginia 7th District. Vega will face Rep. Abigail Spanberger in the general election, where Republicans are bullish about their chances of flipping the seats currently held by the two centrist Democrats.
Sen. Louise Lucas, president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, has described her chamber as a “brick wall” against some of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s biggest educational priorities, from charter schools to a proposed ban on what he’s described as “divisive concepts.”
But Thursday several Democrats on the Senate’s influential Education and Health committee, which Lucas chairs, voted with Republicans to advance one of Youngkin’s top issues — a bill aimed at undoing recent admissions changes at Virginia’s prestigious governor’s schools.
The original legislation by Del. Glenn Davis, R-Virginia Beach, specifically targeted policies at Fairfax County’s Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology — consistently ranked as the best public school in the country by U.S. News and World Report.
The school has made national headlines for significantly shifting its admissions process in 2020 amid a nationwide reckoning on race following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority says the $77,000 worth of Russian-sourced vodka it pulled from shelves won’t be thrown out but will be stored at its facilities “until further notice.”
The government-run liquor monopoly announced Sunday it was removing seven vodka brands from its stores in response to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s call for the state to show solidarity against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Combined, those brands accounted for just over $1 million in sales in fiscal year 2021, according to ABC spokesperson Dawn Eischen, a small fraction of the $57 million in sales for the American vodka brand Tito’s, Virginia’s top-selling liquor. An estimated $68,000 in Russian-sourced vodka was pulled from store shelves, Eischen said, with another $9,500 idled at ABC’s distribution center that won’t be shipped out to stores.
Deadline to apply for a ballot to be mailed to you: October 28, 2022. Your request must be received by your local voter registration office by 5:00 p.m.
Voter registration offices open for early voting: Saturday, October 29, 2022.
The Virginia Supreme Court unanimously approved maps for new congressional and state legislative districts that will remain in place for the next decade.
The court was put in charge of the state’s political redistricting, a once-a-decade process of redrawing electoral districts with new census data, after a bipartisan commission failed to get through partisan squabbling to come to an agreement on new political maps.
A first round of maps were submitted by two experts, one nominated by Democrats and the other nominated by Republicans, appointed by the court to help with the process. The justices held two public hearings and allowed written comments and draft maps to be submitted by Dec. 20.
Congress is working quickly to determine how much military and humanitarian aid it should send to Ukraine as the war in that country continues to claim lives and send hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing as refugees.
Lawmakers are working with the Biden administration to provide billions in funding at the same time negotiators continue to work towards bipartisan agreement on more than $1.5 trillion in government funding ahead of a March 11 deadline.
Democrats and Republicans reached a framework earlier this month on that government funding package and have since been drafting the bills behind closed doors. But the five-day-old war in Ukraine and concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s potential ambitions beyond that country have led to calls for a significant uptick in U.S. military and humanitarian aid.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Gov. Glenn Youngkin is asking the state government and Virginia universities to sever any financial ties to Russia. He also urged Norfolk and Roanoke to end sister city partnerships with Russian cities.
Election Day 2021: Live results and analysis November 2, 2021
Join Post reporters for live results and analysis as Virginia votes for governor, lieutenant governor and its House of Delegates. There are also two special House races in Ohio, contentious ballot measures and mayoral races across the country. Virginia is one of just two states that holds its statewide elections the year following a presidential contest, and the race is often viewed as a kind of referendum on the party in the White House — and how it might fare in the midterms the following year. Former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe (D) is looking to become only the second person since the Civil War to serve twice in the state’s top elected office. The 64-year-old most recently led the Democratic Party’s efforts on redistricting across the country. During his time as governor, he became known for his efforts on economic development, although he faced gridlock due to a Republican majority in the General Assembly that kept him from achieving his signature campaign promises on health care. McAuliffe faces Glenn Youngkin (R), who has alternately flirted with former president Donald Trump’s ideology and kept him at an arm’s length. He has touted his support for guns and “election integrity,” while focusing on schools and the economy in a bid for suburban voters. The Post’s Libby Casey will anchor live coverage and be joined by reporters Rhonda Colvin, Joyce Koh, Amber Phillips, Lee Powell, Dave Weigel and columnist James Hohmann. Read more: https://wapo.st/3CJKCis. Subscribe to The Washington Post on YouTube: https://wapo.st/2QOdcqK
In a push to end “divisive concepts” in Virginia education, Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration is ending virtually all equity initiatives launched by the state’s Department of Education prior to the governor’s inauguration last month.
The policy changes, announced in an interim report from the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, hew closely to directives already issued by Youngkin in his first executive order.
According to Balow, every resource listed on the department’s EdEquityVA website falls under the category of a “divisive concept,” including a 52-page “roadmap to equity” developed by the department under former Gov. Ralph Northam and Secretary of Education Atif Qarni.
Last week, Republicans in the House of Delegates passed a bill to exempt any business with 10 or fewer employees from the state’s minimum wage law.
On Monday, Democrats in the Senate voted it down alongside a half dozen other bills aimed at rolling back employee and union-friendly legislation the party passed last year before it lost its House majority.
“So they would be exempt from the current minimum wage? … Just out of curiosity, where in the state can you live on $14,000 a year?” asked Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax.
Virginia’s minimum wage currently sits at $11 an hour and will rise to $12 an hour next year under legislation Democrats passed in 2020.
The $14,000 figure cited by Saslaw represents about what someone would earn working full-time for the federally mandated minimum wage of $7.25-an-hour, which is what small businesses could start paying their employees again if the bill were to pass.
This Virginia onAir hub supports Virginians to become more informed on and engaged in federal and state governance and elections while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow Virginians.
Virginia onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to reinvigorate our imperiled democracy.
Virginia onAir is US onAir’s model of how a state’s onAir Council and curators can enhance a state Hub with fresh Top News and state legislature content, moderated discussions, and production of zoom aircasts with committees, interviews and debates with candidates, and presentations.
For more information about the many opportunities to learn about and engage with this Virginia onAir hub, go to this US onAir post on the US onAir central hub.
Our two minute vision video about the US onAir network is below.
This Virginia onAir hub supports Virginians to become more informed on and engaged in federal and state governance and elections while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow Virginians.
Virginia onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to reinvigorate our imperiled democracy.
Virginia onAir is US onAir’s model of how a state’s onAir Council and curators can enhance a state Hub with fresh Top News and state legislature content, moderated discussions, and production of zoom aircasts with committees, interviews and debates with candidates, and presentations.
For more information about the many opportunities to learn about and engage with this Virginia onAir hub, go to this US onAir post on the US onAir central hub.
Our two minute vision video about the US onAir network is below.
Current Position: Governor since 2022 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 Governor
Glenn Youngkin is a homegrown Virginian who grew up in Richmond and Virginia Beach. As his father changed jobs, Glenn learned that moving around didn’t equal moving up – nothing was handed to him. From his first job washing dishes and frying eggs at a diner in Virginia Beach, Glenn embraced hard work and responsibility to help his family when his father lost his job. His determination to succeed earned him multiple high school basketball honors in Virginia and an athletic scholarship to college.
After earning an engineering degree at Rice University, and his MBA at Harvard Business School, Glenn and his wife Suzanne moved to Northern Virginia. Glenn landed a job at The Carlyle Group, where he spent the next 25 years. Working his way to the top of the company, Glenn played a key role in building Carlyle into one of the leading investment firms in the world. His efforts have helped fund the retirements of teachers, police officers, firefighters and other frontline public servants and supported hundreds of thousands of American jobs.
Current Position: Lt. Governor since 2022 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 Lt. Governor
Winsome was elected to a majority Black legislative district! No other Republican has done that in Virginia since 1865: She consequently also became the first (and still only) Black Republican woman elected to the House, the first female veteran, and the first legal immigrant woman.
Winsome is a mother, wife and is proud to have served in the United States Marines. She was also a hard-charging Vice President of the Virginia State Board of Education and received presidential appointments to the US Census Bureau (where she co-chaired the African American Committee) and the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
In addition to her Masters degree, Winsome also built a successful business as a trained electrician and understands the importance of helping small businesses thrive. However, Winsome is most proud of her community work leading a men’s prison ministry and as director of a women’s homeless shelter for The Salvation Army.
Current Position: Attorney General for District 82 since 2022 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 Attorney General Former Position(s): State Delegate for 82nd from 2016 – 2021
In November of 2015, Jason Miyares won the open seat to the 82nd District for the House of Delegates by the widest margin in the district’s history while becoming the first Cuban-American ever elected to the Virginia General Assembly. Jason Miyares has brought commonsense conservative leadership and accountability to Richmond while fighting for fiscal discipline and government transparency.
In November of 2015, he won the open seat to the 82nd District for the House of Delegates by the widest margin in the district’s history while becoming the first Cuban-American ever electd to the Virginia General Assembly. Jason Miyares has brought commonsense conservative leadership and accountability to Richmond while fighting for fiscal discipline and government transparency.
US Senators
Senator Mark Warner
Current Position: US Senator since 2009 Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): Governor from 2002 – 2006; Venture Capital from 1989 – 2001
Other Positions: Chair, Senate Intelligence Committee
Quotes: Senator Warner is committed to strengthening our national security both at home and abroad, and he believes a strong and engaged United States is fundamental to securing our national interests around the world.
From 2002 to 2006, he served as Governor of Virginia. When he left office in 2006, Virginia was ranked as the best state for business, the best managed state, and the best state in which to receive a public education.
Current Position: US Senator since 2013 Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): Governor from 2006 – 2010; Lt. Governor from 2002 – 2006; Mayor from 1998 – 2001
Other Positions: Chair, Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support – Committee on Armed Services Budget Committee, Foreign Relations Committee, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Quotes: “Tim has made boosting job opportunities for everyone a top priority. Tim is focused on crafting smart defense strategy and reducing the risk of unnecessary war. Tim believes that health care is a right … and has consistently pushed for reforms to expand access to quality care.”
Current Position: US Representative since 2008 Affiliation: Republican Former Position(s): State Delegate from 2006 – 2008; Montross Town Council from 1996 – 2005
Quote: Rob is committed to getting things done. From rebuilding our Navy to increasing access to broadband, to making sure our children have a 21st-century education, he is constantly working for the First District.
Elaine Luria
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 2 since 2019 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative
Other Positions: Vice Chair, Committee on Armed Services Chair, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs – Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Featured Quote: “Today, too many Americans are working hard and getting less. That’s because politicians in Washington aren’t looking out for them. That’s why I am running for Congress.
The core values of Security, Equality, and Prosperity will serve as my compass in representing the 2nd District.”
Current Position: US Representative for District 3 since 1993 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 3
Other Position: Chair, Education and Labor Committee
During his tenure in the Virginia General Assembly, Congressman Bobby Scott successfully sponsored laws critical to Virginians in education, employment, health care, social services, economic development, crime prevention and consumer protection.
His legislative successes included laws that increased Virginia’s minimum wage, created the Governor’s Employment and Training Council and improved health care benefits for women, infants and children. He also sponsored the Neighborhood Assistance Act, which provides tax credits to businesses for donations made to approved social service and crime prevention programs.
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 4 since 2017 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 4 Former Position(s): State Delegate from 1995 – 2007
Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) was first elected to represent the 4th Congressional District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.
Congressman McEachin has been selected by his colleagues to serve as a Regional Whip, co-chair of the House Democratic Environmental Message Team, Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus, co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force, and vice-chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC). During his first term in Congress, Rep. McEachin co-founded the United for Climate and Environmental Justice Congressional Task Force and continues to lead the task force as a co-chair.
Current Position: Campbell County Board of Supervisors since 2016 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 5
Bob Good is running for Congress to bring the conservative principles of financial stewardship and respect for hard working taxpayers back to Washington. President Trump’s policies have delivered a growing, vibrant economy and we must ensure that our representatives back his agenda.
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 6 since 2019 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 6 Former Position(s): State Delegate from 2002 – 2017
Ben Cline represents Virginia’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee. He previously served as a Member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 24th District from 2002-2018. In the Virginia House, Cline chaired the Committee on Militia, Police, and Public Safety.
Prior to his election to the House of Representatives in 2018, Ben was an attorney in private practice. From 2007 until 2013, he served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for Rockingham County and the City of Harrisonburg.
Ben also worked for Congressman Bob Goodlatte, beginning as a member of his legislative staff in 1994 and ultimately serving as the Congressman’s Chief of Staff.
Current Position: US Representative since 2019 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 7
Other Positions: Vice Chair, Subcommittees Europe, Eurasia, Energy, & the Environment Subcommittee,
Abigail Spanberger began her career of public service as a federal law enforcement officer working narcotics and money laundering cases with the US Postal Inspection Service. Following her love of country, public service, and languages, Abigail joined the CIA as an Operations Officer.
Abigail took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…When she saw partisan politics threatening the country she has worked so hard to protect, she knew it was her time to stand up for the people in the 7th District.
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 8 since 2015 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 8 Former Position(s): Lt. Governor from 1990 – 1998
Congressman Don Beyer is serving his third term as the U.S. Representative from Virginia’s 8th District, representing Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, and parts of Fairfax County. He serves on the House Committees on Ways and Means and Science Space and Technology, and is a Co-Chair of the New Democrat Coalition’s Climate Change Task Force. He was the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1998, and was Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein under President Obama.
Rep. Beyer’s signature work as lieutenant governor included advocacy for Virginians with disabilities and ensuring protections for Virginia’s most vulnerable populations as the Commonwealth reformed its welfare system in the mid-1990s. Rep. Beyer was Virginia’s Democratic nominee for governor in 1997
Current Position: US Representative since 2011 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2021 US Senator Former Position(s): State Delegate from 1993 – 2010
Howard Morgan Griffith (born March 15, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician who has been the U.S. representative for Virginia’s 9th congressional district since 2011. The district covers a large swath of southwestern Virginia, including the New River Valley and the Virginia side of the Tri-Cities. He is a member of the Republican Party and the Freedom Caucus.
Griffith was the majority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates and represented the 8th district from 1994 to 2011. The district was based in his hometown of Salem and included parts of surrounding Roanoke County.
Current Position: US Representative since 2019 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 10 Former Position(s): State Senator from 2013 – 2018
Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton has been serving the people of Northern Virginia and Shenandoah Valley for nearly two decades as a prosecutor, advocate for abused children, state Senator, and now a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s 10th District.
Jennifer comes to Congress with experience in legislating and a deep understanding of Virginia’s 10th district and the issues that matter most to our region’s families. Rep. Wexton looks forward to working across the aisle in Congress to deliver positive results for the people of Northern Virginia and the United States.
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 11 since 2009 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 11 Former Position(s): Board of Supervisors – Fairfax County from 1995 – 2007
Congressman Connolly is a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and serves as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations. In this role, he is responsible for shaping government-wide policy for a broad range of issues, including federal workforce and federal agency oversight, federal procurement and information policy, national drug policy, regulatory reform, the United States Postal Service, the United States Census Bureau, and the District of Columbia. He also serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Using his extensive background in foreign policy, including as a senior staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has become a leading voice on foreign assistance reform, war powers, embassy security, and democracy promotion abroad.
2021 ballot: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and 100 delegates.
Ballot measures: None as yet
The State Board of Elections administers elections and campaign finance laws, including the preparation of ballots and implementation of state and federal election laws (such as the Help America Vote Act).
> All city and county elections will also occur on Nov. 2, 2021.
The Virginia Supreme Court has picked Sean P. Trende and Bernard N. Grofman to serve as “special masters” who will redraw voting districts throughout the state.
The decision comes after weeks of controversy concerning the failure of the new Virginia Redistricting Commission to select the two people to redraw the maps. Consequently, the decision was turned over to the Virginia Supreme Court, which rejected all three Republican nominees and one from the Democratic side.
After the parties came up with new candidates this week, the court made its choice on Friday.
Trende, nominated by Republicans, is a senior elections analyst for RealClearPolitics and is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
He is a lawyer and journalist with degrees from Yale and Duke Universities. The Washington Times has called him a “premier numbers cruncher.” A frequent guest on Fox News, CNN Radio and PBS’s “All Things Considered,” he is the author of the book “Lost Majority.” He practiced law for eight years at the Kirkland & Ellis law firm in Chicago and the former Hunton & Williams firm in Richmond.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republicans in Virginia have two extra days to nominate new redistricting special masters to help the state’s Supreme Court redraw legislative and Congressional districts.
The court extended the deadline Monday for submitting new candidates’ names until 5 p.m. Wednesday, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. However, Republicans’ request for a conference call with the court was denied.
Under a constitutional amendment approved by voters last year, redrawing districts fell to the court when the Virginia Redistricting Commission ended in partisan deadlock.
On Friday, the court rejected all three Republican special master nominees and one unidentified Democratic candidate. The parties were given until 5 p.m. Monday to submit new names.
Later Friday, Republican leaders requested the extension and the rejection of all three Democratic nominees. Monday’s order from the court didn’t reference that request to reject the Democratic nominees.
The Virginia State Supreme Court has rejected three “special master” candidates nominated by Republicans to help redraw Virginia’s legislative lines.
The nominees, the justices said in an order this morning, will serve as officers of the court in a “quasi-judicial capacity” and therefore “must be neutral and must not act as advocates or representatives of any political party.”
The court ordered the Republicans to come up with three new candidates by Monday. It also dropped a Democratic candidate, who was not named, because of his stated concerns about working with another map-drawer as the process requires, and told party members they also had until Monday to come up with another nominee.
The decision came after outcry from Democrats that the Republican nominees had obvious conflicts of interest. “It troubles me that the Republicans would even try this,” says Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax, who had served on the redistricting commission but resigned this week.
The court’s decision is the latest turn as the state struggles with a new regime to draw new legislative boundaries for state and federal races next year. A bipartisan 16-member commission was created by a Constitutional amendment to move the process away from the secretive traditional method employed by the majority party in the General Assembly.
The Virginia Department of Elections has launched a new website, “Vote With Confidence” that offers residents information on when and where they can vote; key dates and deadlines for voting; how Virginia’s election process is conducted; and facts about the checks and balances used to combat any voting irregularities and ensure the accuracy of election outcomes.
The website is at www.elections.virginia.gov/voter-ed/
The site also includes a section called “Mythbusters,” offering facts versus fiction to address concerns voters may have on cybersecurity, voter fraud and other issues.
For example: “A record number of deceased voters cast ballots in 2020.”
That’s a myth, according to the website. The Virginia Department of Elections uses one of the “premier list maintenance programs in the country, including routine removal of deceased individuals” from voter rolls, according to the website. The site then offers a link to a report the public can access on voter roll maintenance efforts.
“While the voting process is something most Virginians pay attention to a few days every year, the system that ensures a trusted election outcome never stops,” said Christopher Piper, commission of the Virginia Department of Elections. “That is the job of more than 133 certified registrars and their staff who follow 470
pages of election law. They work year-round to ensure free, fair and transparent elections with the help of some 15,000 volunteers. They know how rigorous and meticulous our election process is.
“Now this website exists so the public can share that same confidence in casting their vote and in our election outcomes,” he stated.
Voters can use the new website or call the department at (800) 552-9745 with any questions about the Nov. 2 election or the process.
Bipartisan agreement created the Virginia Redistricting Commission, but political disagreement along party lines is causing its failure, leaving some wondering how to successfully chart unbiased electoral maps. The commission is a first-time endeavor for the state, and proceedings have been about as bumpy as a maiden voyage can get. The commission is tasked with determining on a map how to evenly divide voters into Virginia’s political regions, for both state and national government. The idea is to avoid a map that is gerrymandered, or drawn in such a way that districts are manipulated for political gain, but this is not an ideal redistricting setup, according to experts and commission members alike.
There’s been talk among the commission about switching Roanoke from the 6th Congressional District — which includes Lynchburg and extends north to the Shenandoah Valley — to the 9th District, comprising all of Southwest Virginia. But those discussions have taken a back seat as the conversation turns instead toward procedural disagreement.
The 16-member commission has been stalled by split 8-8 votes. Following another set of split votes at a meeting Wednesday morning, members of the commission, including Democrat Co-Chair Greta Harris, criticized how the group is organized, and its inability to find agreement.
“I would say we tried and it was a first for the commonwealth of Virginia, but this isn’t working,” Harris said, adding that the bureaucracy and a partisan structure won out.
Virginia’s bipartisan Redistricting Commission put work on House of Delegates and state Senate districts behind it Thursday and moved on to redrawing congressional district boundaries.
In taking up the state’s 11 U.S. House boundaries, the bipartisan commission punted on its duty to remap state legislative districts to the Virginia Supreme Court.
Without comment on partisan rifts that scuttled their work on the 40 state Senate districts and 100 House of Delegates seats, commissioners got their first glimpse of tentative competing congressional drafts from Democratic and Republican consultants advising the panel. And within minutes, partisan differences emerged anew alongside related concerns about geography, demography and topography.
Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax, one of eight state legislators (four from each party) on the evenly split 16-member panel, questioned a proposal from GOP consultants that grafts a small sliver of an affluent Henrico County suburb bounding the James River west of Richmond onto the massive 5th Congressional District, which elected U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-Campbell, last year.
“The thing that sort of stands out … is you take out a little bit of Henrico County (and) put it all the way in with Southside,” Simon said. “That is what starts to feel like a gerrymander to the extent that it’s cracking suburbs that were trending blue.
“I can’t imagine someone in Henrico feels like they have any congressional representation under that map; that they have anything in common with District 5” he said. “For all the folks on public comment who say we need to put our differences behind us, this is the kind of a move that makes me feel a little suspicious of where these lines really go.”
Another Democratic legislative member of the panel, Sen. George Barker of Fairfax, voiced a similar concern, noting that the 5th district pushes significantly into another increasingly Democratic Richmond suburb, Chesterfield County. Large parts of neighboring Henrico and Chesterfield are currently part of the 7th District, which is represented by Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger.
Richard Harrell III, a 5th District resident and Republican citizen member of the commission from South Boston, disputed the Democrats’ suggestion that partisan gamesmanship was driving the earliest drafts of the congressional maps. He said he believed the map was responsibly redrawn to center the 5th geographically in his region, an improvement over its elongated present configuration that stretches from the North Carolina border to “near the Maryland line” in Fauquier County, a drive of more than four hours.
“I think the characterization that there’s something underhanded about him taking the less northerly route – it’s better for us to leave the characterization alone,” Harrell said.
Later, Simon found it untenable that, by his count, both new maps create six Republican-majority districts and only five Democratic-voting ones in a state where the GOP has not won a statewide election since 2009.
“I want to be the bad guy and everyone online can yell at me,” he said, noting the partisan imbalance favoring the GOP, which now controls four of Virginia’s U.S. House seats. “It’s not competitive. You’ve got five very safe Democratic districts and six very safe Republican ones. …I don’t think either of these maps is a good place to start.”
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday appointed a three-judge panel to hear arguments on whether candidates who win election this year to Virginia’s House of Delegates should be forced to run again next year.
All 100 seats in the House are up for election in November; delegates typically run for a two-year term.
In a normal year, November’s elections would be the first conducted under constitutionally required redistricting under the 2020 census. But the census result s were badly delayed this year, and the state has been forced to run elections under the existing legislative boundaries because new ones still have not been drawn.
A lawsuit filed in Richmond by former Democratic Party Chairman Paul Goldman acknowledges that little can be done this year but conduct November’s balloting under the existing lines. His lawsuit, though, argues that new elections must be held in 2022 under newly drawn lines that properly align legislative districts with population shifts that have occurred in the state.
The Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University released a new survey Friday that showed Democratic candidates for Virginia governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general still hold leads for the 2021 election.
The survey revealed that former current Democratic candidate and former Governor Terry McAuliffe leads Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin 49%-45% for the race for governor. McAuliffe led by five points in the last survey released by the Wason Center on August 26.
“The abortion issue has been tricky for Youngkin,” said Wason Center Research Director Dr. Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo. “Trying to navigate between moderate voters who oppose further restrictions while simultaneously appealing to the Republican base who would like a strong pro-life stance, Youngkin has said he would not have voted for the Texas law, but he’s been unclear about how far he would go to restrict abortions in Virginia.”
For lieutenant governor, Democratic Del. Hala Ayala leads former Republican Del. Winsome Sears, 48%-44%, with 8% undecided. The August 26 survey showed Ayala leading by 10 points, 52%-42%. Among Sears has gained 10 points (from 40% to 50%) among independent voters, while Ayala’s support has dropped from 49% to 41%.
Current Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring leads Republican candidate Del. Jason Miyares, 49%-43%, with 7% undecided. Herring led 53%-41% in the August 26 survey. Miyares increased his support 11 points over the last month among independents from 38% to 49%, while Herring has lost support among independents, from 49% to 41%.
RICHMOND, Va. — Early, in-person voting for the November election in Virginia begins on Friday. Registered voters can begin casting ballots at their local registrar’s office, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
The race for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and House of Delegates districts will be in the hands of voters.
Topping the ticket for Virginia Democrats are former Governor Terry McAuliffe, Delegate Hala Ayala and current Attorney General Mark Herring. McAuliffe is seeking a second term four years after leaving office because Virginia law does not allow the governor to hold office for consecutive terms.
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a revamped voting rights bill that would expand voter registration as well as create nonpartisan redistricting committees, but the measure is still likely to face an uphill battle in an evenly divided Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will bring the legislation to the floor of the Senate “as soon as next week,” but supporters will need the backing of 10 Republicans to advance beyond a GOP filibuster.
The 592-page bill, spearheaded by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota Democrat who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, is the product of months-long negotiations with moderate Sen. Joe Manchin III, (D-W.Va.).
Manchin wavered on an earlier package of sweeping elections reforms and voting rights initiatives, the For the People Act, that passed the House in March but stalled in the Senate. This new version has been dubbed the Freedom to Vote Act.
“I applaud Sen. Manchin for his work here,” Schumer said. “He has always said that he wants to try and bring Republicans on, and now, with the support of Democrats and this compromise bill—which Sen. Manchin had great input into — he can go forward in that regard.”
Endorsements don’t necessarily mean a whole lot when it comes to determining who’s going to win an election. But they can illustrate alliances, partnerships and factions that develop over time. To that end, the chart below traces 70 endorsements by sitting state and federal elected officials in Virginia in next month’s Democratic primary for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Manipulate the visualization by clicking and dragging candidates (big circles) or their supporters (small circles); select or deselect races by clicking the legend. For best results, view on a desktop or tablet.
For years, local officials have been complaining that Virginia’s all-encompassing election software — which powers everything from voter registration to absentee ballots to list maintenance to transmission of results — is slow and hard to use.
A 2018 report from state auditors verified those frustrations, concluding the Virginia Election and Registration Information System, or VERIS, was “not sufficiently functional or reliable.”
Election administrators are planning to fix that by by replacing the IT system, a project estimated to cost between $20 million and $29 million.
Though voters may not notice a major change, officials said, the workers assisting them will hopefully have a much smoother time calling up information in the new system and making changes to a voter’s status.
As lawmakers prepare to study the prospects for campaign finance reform in Virginia, the sheer size of some checks flowing to Democratic candidates for statewide office has renewed debate about the boosts offered by a wealthy Charlottesville couple topping charts as the biggest donors in state politics.
Though they backed opposing candidates in the 2017 Democratic primary for governor, donations connected to Michael Bills, a hedge fund manager and primary backer of the advocacy group Clean Virginia, and Sonjia Smith, a philanthropist and former lawyer married to Bills, are working in tandem this year in a big way.
Smith and Clean Virginia have given a combined $1.1 million, $600,000 from Clean Virginia and $500,000 from Smith, to former delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy, whom they believe has the best shot at challenging former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in a five-person Democratic primary field. That’s almost a third of the roughly $3.6 million in cash contributions Carroll Foy reported raising as of March 31.
Despite the early efforts to paint the Republicans’ 2021 ticket as an overwhelming lurch to the right, the slate isn’t nearly as extreme as it might’ve been. Instead of Chase, a self-described “Trump in heels,” becoming the party’s standard-bearer in a state former President Donald Trump lost twice, she logged off and went to the beach.
After failing to win a statewide election since 2009, some Republicans say they feel surprisingly good about where the party stands coming out of a chaotic unassembled convention marked by procedural confusion, mysterious attack ads and infighting.
“I think some of the ebullience you see in Republicans right now is that this could’ve been very bad. And it turned into the exact opposite,” said Shaun Kenney, a former Republican Party of Virginia executive director who has criticized fringe elements in the party. “But it’s more than just a sigh of relief. It’s like we finally know where we’re headed.”
Virginia voters in a recent poll ranked themselves as moderate, with a slightly conservative lean, but indicated support of more progressive legislation.
The poll, released last week by Christopher Newport’s Wason Center for Civic Leadership, could be a thermometer for the upcoming November election.
Virginia voters ranked themselves an average of 5.83 on a zero to 10 scale (liberal to conservative). Republicans ranked themselves 8.11 on average, while Democrats rated themselves 3.57 on average. Independents ranked themselves 5.72.
“In this upcoming election, it is especially possible that it could be competitive,” said Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo, research director at the Wason Center.
Those surveyed support Democrat proposals on health care, immigration, environmental policy and the economy. The policy proposal with the strongest support was Medicare for all with 76 percent support among voters. A majority of Virginians support providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants (73 percent). Almost all Virginians support a pathway to citizenship for children brought to this country illegally by their parents (94 percent).
More than half of Virginians agree with implementing an environmentally friendly redesign of the state’s economy and infrastructure (65 percent); that the economic system favors the wealthy (61 percent); and that the federal minimum wage should be $15 per hour (53 percent).
To hear some candidates tell it, a decision last week by the State Board of Elections is heavy-handed and reeks of political chicanery. The board’s move prevents a few Democratic Party challengers from getting on the primary ballot in contests for the House of Delegates this year.
The three-member board, these candidates claim, won’t provide the usual extension it has allowed previously to people who file late or incomplete reports. Three Black candidates, all facing Democratic incumbents in the primary, are the people most affected. They say the board won’t give them a “do-over” customarily granted to politicos in the past.
Two of the Democratic incumbents benefiting from this ruling are White, and one is Black.
(Five other candidates with paperwork problems — Democrats and Republicans alike — are the only people seeking their party’s nominations in their district, allowing them to be nominated for the November ballot.)
Apparently fed up with paperwork coming in late, Virginia’s State Board of Elections has refused to extend a key campaign filing deadline this year, potentially affecting eight candidates running for the House of Delegates.
Three are Democrats looking to challenge incumbent lawmakers, meaning, if the decision stands, Dels. Luke Torian, D-Prince William, Betsy Carr, D-Richmond, and Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, may not face primary challengers after all. Because they represent strongly Democratic districts, their primary opponents being disqualified on technical grounds all but guarantees the incumbents will win re-election.
The decision to insist on meaningful deadlines comes after years of officials wrestling with how to handle paperwork errors, reflecting a growing feeling on the board that candidates must take responsibility for their own campaigns and follow through to ensure their documents get to the right place.
statewide audit of Virginia’s 2020 election results verified President Joe Biden’s victory in the state, finding only a 0.00000065117 percent chance the state’s voting system could have produced an inaccurate outcome.
“Election officials are over 99 percent confident in the reported outcome,” Karen Hoyt-Stewart, voting technology manager at the Virginia Department of Elections, told the State Board of Elections as she presented the audit report Wednesday.
The only way to reach 100 percent certainty would be for officials to manually review every ballot cast in the state. In other words, the audit found there’s almost zero chance a full recount would show a different outcome.
The risk-limiting audit, more of a mathematical exercise than an expansive investigation into how ballots were cast and counted, involved checking a random sample of paper ballots against the results reported by scanner machines.
It’s already too late for Virginia to redraw political districts in time for the 2021 House of Delegates races, but the U.S. Census Bureau’s decision to speed up its delivery of new population data means Virginia lawmakers could be voting on future maps right before the November elections.
Census officials had told states to expect to get the data by late September, but Virginia officials say they now expect to receive it by the second week of August.
Under the newly created Virginia Redistricting Commission’s constitutional timeline, receipt of the data starts a 45-day clock for the commission to submit new legislative maps to the General Assembly for an up-or-down vote. Once the legislature received the proposed maps, it has 15 days to vote on them.
When the federal Voting Rights Act passed in 1965, Virginia was one of nine states that drew special attention due to its history of racist election laws. That burden was lifted in 2013, when the U.S. Supreme Court decided enough time had passed that Virginia and other states could stop following an old rule requiring federal permission for changes that might affect minority voters.
With the future of federal voting protections now in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority, Democrats in the General Assembly have passed their own version of a voting rights act, making Virginia the first state in the South to do so.
The proposed law, now awaiting Gov. Ralph Northam’s signature, creates broad new protections against voter discrimination based on race, color or language. With Republicans in dozens of states looking to restrict voting access after former President Donald Trump’s loss, supporters of the Virginia legislation see it as a decisive move in the other direction.
Summary
2021 ballot: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and 100 delegates.
Ballot measures: None as yet
The State Board of Elections administers elections and campaign finance laws, including the preparation of ballots and implementation of state and federal election laws (such as the Help America Vote Act).
> All city and county elections will also occur on Nov. 2, 2021.
The Virginia Supreme Court has picked Sean P. Trende and Bernard N. Grofman to serve as “special masters” who will redraw voting districts throughout the state.
The decision comes after weeks of controversy concerning the failure of the new Virginia Redistricting Commission to select the two people to redraw the maps. Consequently, the decision was turned over to the Virginia Supreme Court, which rejected all three Republican nominees and one from the Democratic side.
After the parties came up with new candidates this week, the court made its choice on Friday.
Trende, nominated by Republicans, is a senior elections analyst for RealClearPolitics and is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
He is a lawyer and journalist with degrees from Yale and Duke Universities. The Washington Times has called him a “premier numbers cruncher.” A frequent guest on Fox News, CNN Radio and PBS’s “All Things Considered,” he is the author of the book “Lost Majority.” He practiced law for eight years at the Kirkland & Ellis law firm in Chicago and the former Hunton & Williams firm in Richmond.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republicans in Virginia have two extra days to nominate new redistricting special masters to help the state’s Supreme Court redraw legislative and Congressional districts.
The court extended the deadline Monday for submitting new candidates’ names until 5 p.m. Wednesday, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. However, Republicans’ request for a conference call with the court was denied.
Under a constitutional amendment approved by voters last year, redrawing districts fell to the court when the Virginia Redistricting Commission ended in partisan deadlock.
On Friday, the court rejected all three Republican special master nominees and one unidentified Democratic candidate. The parties were given until 5 p.m. Monday to submit new names.
Later Friday, Republican leaders requested the extension and the rejection of all three Democratic nominees. Monday’s order from the court didn’t reference that request to reject the Democratic nominees.
The Virginia State Supreme Court has rejected three “special master” candidates nominated by Republicans to help redraw Virginia’s legislative lines.
The nominees, the justices said in an order this morning, will serve as officers of the court in a “quasi-judicial capacity” and therefore “must be neutral and must not act as advocates or representatives of any political party.”
The court ordered the Republicans to come up with three new candidates by Monday. It also dropped a Democratic candidate, who was not named, because of his stated concerns about working with another map-drawer as the process requires, and told party members they also had until Monday to come up with another nominee.
The decision came after outcry from Democrats that the Republican nominees had obvious conflicts of interest. “It troubles me that the Republicans would even try this,” says Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax, who had served on the redistricting commission but resigned this week.
The court’s decision is the latest turn as the state struggles with a new regime to draw new legislative boundaries for state and federal races next year. A bipartisan 16-member commission was created by a Constitutional amendment to move the process away from the secretive traditional method employed by the majority party in the General Assembly.
The Virginia Department of Elections has launched a new website, “Vote With Confidence” that offers residents information on when and where they can vote; key dates and deadlines for voting; how Virginia’s election process is conducted; and facts about the checks and balances used to combat any voting irregularities and ensure the accuracy of election outcomes.
The website is at www.elections.virginia.gov/voter-ed/
The site also includes a section called “Mythbusters,” offering facts versus fiction to address concerns voters may have on cybersecurity, voter fraud and other issues.
For example: “A record number of deceased voters cast ballots in 2020.”
That’s a myth, according to the website. The Virginia Department of Elections uses one of the “premier list maintenance programs in the country, including routine removal of deceased individuals” from voter rolls, according to the website. The site then offers a link to a report the public can access on voter roll maintenance efforts.
“While the voting process is something most Virginians pay attention to a few days every year, the system that ensures a trusted election outcome never stops,” said Christopher Piper, commission of the Virginia Department of Elections. “That is the job of more than 133 certified registrars and their staff who follow 470
pages of election law. They work year-round to ensure free, fair and transparent elections with the help of some 15,000 volunteers. They know how rigorous and meticulous our election process is.
“Now this website exists so the public can share that same confidence in casting their vote and in our election outcomes,” he stated.
Voters can use the new website or call the department at (800) 552-9745 with any questions about the Nov. 2 election or the process.
Bipartisan agreement created the Virginia Redistricting Commission, but political disagreement along party lines is causing its failure, leaving some wondering how to successfully chart unbiased electoral maps. The commission is a first-time endeavor for the state, and proceedings have been about as bumpy as a maiden voyage can get. The commission is tasked with determining on a map how to evenly divide voters into Virginia’s political regions, for both state and national government. The idea is to avoid a map that is gerrymandered, or drawn in such a way that districts are manipulated for political gain, but this is not an ideal redistricting setup, according to experts and commission members alike.
There’s been talk among the commission about switching Roanoke from the 6th Congressional District — which includes Lynchburg and extends north to the Shenandoah Valley — to the 9th District, comprising all of Southwest Virginia. But those discussions have taken a back seat as the conversation turns instead toward procedural disagreement.
The 16-member commission has been stalled by split 8-8 votes. Following another set of split votes at a meeting Wednesday morning, members of the commission, including Democrat Co-Chair Greta Harris, criticized how the group is organized, and its inability to find agreement.
“I would say we tried and it was a first for the commonwealth of Virginia, but this isn’t working,” Harris said, adding that the bureaucracy and a partisan structure won out.
Virginia’s bipartisan Redistricting Commission put work on House of Delegates and state Senate districts behind it Thursday and moved on to redrawing congressional district boundaries.
In taking up the state’s 11 U.S. House boundaries, the bipartisan commission punted on its duty to remap state legislative districts to the Virginia Supreme Court.
Without comment on partisan rifts that scuttled their work on the 40 state Senate districts and 100 House of Delegates seats, commissioners got their first glimpse of tentative competing congressional drafts from Democratic and Republican consultants advising the panel. And within minutes, partisan differences emerged anew alongside related concerns about geography, demography and topography.
Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax, one of eight state legislators (four from each party) on the evenly split 16-member panel, questioned a proposal from GOP consultants that grafts a small sliver of an affluent Henrico County suburb bounding the James River west of Richmond onto the massive 5th Congressional District, which elected U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-Campbell, last year.
“The thing that sort of stands out … is you take out a little bit of Henrico County (and) put it all the way in with Southside,” Simon said. “That is what starts to feel like a gerrymander to the extent that it’s cracking suburbs that were trending blue.
“I can’t imagine someone in Henrico feels like they have any congressional representation under that map; that they have anything in common with District 5” he said. “For all the folks on public comment who say we need to put our differences behind us, this is the kind of a move that makes me feel a little suspicious of where these lines really go.”
Another Democratic legislative member of the panel, Sen. George Barker of Fairfax, voiced a similar concern, noting that the 5th district pushes significantly into another increasingly Democratic Richmond suburb, Chesterfield County. Large parts of neighboring Henrico and Chesterfield are currently part of the 7th District, which is represented by Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger.
Richard Harrell III, a 5th District resident and Republican citizen member of the commission from South Boston, disputed the Democrats’ suggestion that partisan gamesmanship was driving the earliest drafts of the congressional maps. He said he believed the map was responsibly redrawn to center the 5th geographically in his region, an improvement over its elongated present configuration that stretches from the North Carolina border to “near the Maryland line” in Fauquier County, a drive of more than four hours.
“I think the characterization that there’s something underhanded about him taking the less northerly route – it’s better for us to leave the characterization alone,” Harrell said.
Later, Simon found it untenable that, by his count, both new maps create six Republican-majority districts and only five Democratic-voting ones in a state where the GOP has not won a statewide election since 2009.
“I want to be the bad guy and everyone online can yell at me,” he said, noting the partisan imbalance favoring the GOP, which now controls four of Virginia’s U.S. House seats. “It’s not competitive. You’ve got five very safe Democratic districts and six very safe Republican ones. …I don’t think either of these maps is a good place to start.”
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday appointed a three-judge panel to hear arguments on whether candidates who win election this year to Virginia’s House of Delegates should be forced to run again next year.
All 100 seats in the House are up for election in November; delegates typically run for a two-year term.
In a normal year, November’s elections would be the first conducted under constitutionally required redistricting under the 2020 census. But the census result s were badly delayed this year, and the state has been forced to run elections under the existing legislative boundaries because new ones still have not been drawn.
A lawsuit filed in Richmond by former Democratic Party Chairman Paul Goldman acknowledges that little can be done this year but conduct November’s balloting under the existing lines. His lawsuit, though, argues that new elections must be held in 2022 under newly drawn lines that properly align legislative districts with population shifts that have occurred in the state.
The Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University released a new survey Friday that showed Democratic candidates for Virginia governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general still hold leads for the 2021 election.
The survey revealed that former current Democratic candidate and former Governor Terry McAuliffe leads Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin 49%-45% for the race for governor. McAuliffe led by five points in the last survey released by the Wason Center on August 26.
“The abortion issue has been tricky for Youngkin,” said Wason Center Research Director Dr. Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo. “Trying to navigate between moderate voters who oppose further restrictions while simultaneously appealing to the Republican base who would like a strong pro-life stance, Youngkin has said he would not have voted for the Texas law, but he’s been unclear about how far he would go to restrict abortions in Virginia.”
For lieutenant governor, Democratic Del. Hala Ayala leads former Republican Del. Winsome Sears, 48%-44%, with 8% undecided. The August 26 survey showed Ayala leading by 10 points, 52%-42%. Among Sears has gained 10 points (from 40% to 50%) among independent voters, while Ayala’s support has dropped from 49% to 41%.
Current Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring leads Republican candidate Del. Jason Miyares, 49%-43%, with 7% undecided. Herring led 53%-41% in the August 26 survey. Miyares increased his support 11 points over the last month among independents from 38% to 49%, while Herring has lost support among independents, from 49% to 41%.
RICHMOND, Va. — Early, in-person voting for the November election in Virginia begins on Friday. Registered voters can begin casting ballots at their local registrar’s office, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
The race for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and House of Delegates districts will be in the hands of voters.
Topping the ticket for Virginia Democrats are former Governor Terry McAuliffe, Delegate Hala Ayala and current Attorney General Mark Herring. McAuliffe is seeking a second term four years after leaving office because Virginia law does not allow the governor to hold office for consecutive terms.
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a revamped voting rights bill that would expand voter registration as well as create nonpartisan redistricting committees, but the measure is still likely to face an uphill battle in an evenly divided Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will bring the legislation to the floor of the Senate “as soon as next week,” but supporters will need the backing of 10 Republicans to advance beyond a GOP filibuster.
The 592-page bill, spearheaded by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota Democrat who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, is the product of months-long negotiations with moderate Sen. Joe Manchin III, (D-W.Va.).
Manchin wavered on an earlier package of sweeping elections reforms and voting rights initiatives, the For the People Act, that passed the House in March but stalled in the Senate. This new version has been dubbed the Freedom to Vote Act.
“I applaud Sen. Manchin for his work here,” Schumer said. “He has always said that he wants to try and bring Republicans on, and now, with the support of Democrats and this compromise bill—which Sen. Manchin had great input into — he can go forward in that regard.”
Endorsements don’t necessarily mean a whole lot when it comes to determining who’s going to win an election. But they can illustrate alliances, partnerships and factions that develop over time. To that end, the chart below traces 70 endorsements by sitting state and federal elected officials in Virginia in next month’s Democratic primary for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Manipulate the visualization by clicking and dragging candidates (big circles) or their supporters (small circles); select or deselect races by clicking the legend. For best results, view on a desktop or tablet.
For years, local officials have been complaining that Virginia’s all-encompassing election software — which powers everything from voter registration to absentee ballots to list maintenance to transmission of results — is slow and hard to use.
A 2018 report from state auditors verified those frustrations, concluding the Virginia Election and Registration Information System, or VERIS, was “not sufficiently functional or reliable.”
Election administrators are planning to fix that by by replacing the IT system, a project estimated to cost between $20 million and $29 million.
Though voters may not notice a major change, officials said, the workers assisting them will hopefully have a much smoother time calling up information in the new system and making changes to a voter’s status.
As lawmakers prepare to study the prospects for campaign finance reform in Virginia, the sheer size of some checks flowing to Democratic candidates for statewide office has renewed debate about the boosts offered by a wealthy Charlottesville couple topping charts as the biggest donors in state politics.
Though they backed opposing candidates in the 2017 Democratic primary for governor, donations connected to Michael Bills, a hedge fund manager and primary backer of the advocacy group Clean Virginia, and Sonjia Smith, a philanthropist and former lawyer married to Bills, are working in tandem this year in a big way.
Smith and Clean Virginia have given a combined $1.1 million, $600,000 from Clean Virginia and $500,000 from Smith, to former delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy, whom they believe has the best shot at challenging former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in a five-person Democratic primary field. That’s almost a third of the roughly $3.6 million in cash contributions Carroll Foy reported raising as of March 31.
Despite the early efforts to paint the Republicans’ 2021 ticket as an overwhelming lurch to the right, the slate isn’t nearly as extreme as it might’ve been. Instead of Chase, a self-described “Trump in heels,” becoming the party’s standard-bearer in a state former President Donald Trump lost twice, she logged off and went to the beach.
After failing to win a statewide election since 2009, some Republicans say they feel surprisingly good about where the party stands coming out of a chaotic unassembled convention marked by procedural confusion, mysterious attack ads and infighting.
“I think some of the ebullience you see in Republicans right now is that this could’ve been very bad. And it turned into the exact opposite,” said Shaun Kenney, a former Republican Party of Virginia executive director who has criticized fringe elements in the party. “But it’s more than just a sigh of relief. It’s like we finally know where we’re headed.”
Virginia voters in a recent poll ranked themselves as moderate, with a slightly conservative lean, but indicated support of more progressive legislation.
The poll, released last week by Christopher Newport’s Wason Center for Civic Leadership, could be a thermometer for the upcoming November election.
Virginia voters ranked themselves an average of 5.83 on a zero to 10 scale (liberal to conservative). Republicans ranked themselves 8.11 on average, while Democrats rated themselves 3.57 on average. Independents ranked themselves 5.72.
“In this upcoming election, it is especially possible that it could be competitive,” said Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo, research director at the Wason Center.
Those surveyed support Democrat proposals on health care, immigration, environmental policy and the economy. The policy proposal with the strongest support was Medicare for all with 76 percent support among voters. A majority of Virginians support providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants (73 percent). Almost all Virginians support a pathway to citizenship for children brought to this country illegally by their parents (94 percent).
More than half of Virginians agree with implementing an environmentally friendly redesign of the state’s economy and infrastructure (65 percent); that the economic system favors the wealthy (61 percent); and that the federal minimum wage should be $15 per hour (53 percent).
To hear some candidates tell it, a decision last week by the State Board of Elections is heavy-handed and reeks of political chicanery. The board’s move prevents a few Democratic Party challengers from getting on the primary ballot in contests for the House of Delegates this year.
The three-member board, these candidates claim, won’t provide the usual extension it has allowed previously to people who file late or incomplete reports. Three Black candidates, all facing Democratic incumbents in the primary, are the people most affected. They say the board won’t give them a “do-over” customarily granted to politicos in the past.
Two of the Democratic incumbents benefiting from this ruling are White, and one is Black.
(Five other candidates with paperwork problems — Democrats and Republicans alike — are the only people seeking their party’s nominations in their district, allowing them to be nominated for the November ballot.)
Apparently fed up with paperwork coming in late, Virginia’s State Board of Elections has refused to extend a key campaign filing deadline this year, potentially affecting eight candidates running for the House of Delegates.
Three are Democrats looking to challenge incumbent lawmakers, meaning, if the decision stands, Dels. Luke Torian, D-Prince William, Betsy Carr, D-Richmond, and Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, may not face primary challengers after all. Because they represent strongly Democratic districts, their primary opponents being disqualified on technical grounds all but guarantees the incumbents will win re-election.
The decision to insist on meaningful deadlines comes after years of officials wrestling with how to handle paperwork errors, reflecting a growing feeling on the board that candidates must take responsibility for their own campaigns and follow through to ensure their documents get to the right place.
statewide audit of Virginia’s 2020 election results verified President Joe Biden’s victory in the state, finding only a 0.00000065117 percent chance the state’s voting system could have produced an inaccurate outcome.
“Election officials are over 99 percent confident in the reported outcome,” Karen Hoyt-Stewart, voting technology manager at the Virginia Department of Elections, told the State Board of Elections as she presented the audit report Wednesday.
The only way to reach 100 percent certainty would be for officials to manually review every ballot cast in the state. In other words, the audit found there’s almost zero chance a full recount would show a different outcome.
The risk-limiting audit, more of a mathematical exercise than an expansive investigation into how ballots were cast and counted, involved checking a random sample of paper ballots against the results reported by scanner machines.
It’s already too late for Virginia to redraw political districts in time for the 2021 House of Delegates races, but the U.S. Census Bureau’s decision to speed up its delivery of new population data means Virginia lawmakers could be voting on future maps right before the November elections.
Census officials had told states to expect to get the data by late September, but Virginia officials say they now expect to receive it by the second week of August.
Under the newly created Virginia Redistricting Commission’s constitutional timeline, receipt of the data starts a 45-day clock for the commission to submit new legislative maps to the General Assembly for an up-or-down vote. Once the legislature received the proposed maps, it has 15 days to vote on them.
When the federal Voting Rights Act passed in 1965, Virginia was one of nine states that drew special attention due to its history of racist election laws. That burden was lifted in 2013, when the U.S. Supreme Court decided enough time had passed that Virginia and other states could stop following an old rule requiring federal permission for changes that might affect minority voters.
With the future of federal voting protections now in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority, Democrats in the General Assembly have passed their own version of a voting rights act, making Virginia the first state in the South to do so.
The proposed law, now awaiting Gov. Ralph Northam’s signature, creates broad new protections against voter discrimination based on race, color or language. With Republicans in dozens of states looking to restrict voting access after former President Donald Trump’s loss, supporters of the Virginia legislation see it as a decisive move in the other direction.
General Rules: Absentee voting is available and no excuse is required. The last day to request an absentee ballot is 11 days before an election. You can return your absentee ballot request form through mail, in person at your local elections office, or online. Voted ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by 12pm 3 days after the election in order to be counted. You can sign up to track your absentee ballot on your Department of Elections website. Absentee ballots may be processed but not tabulated before Election Day.
Those who requested an absentee ballot but end up voting in person: Voters must surrender their absentee ballots before receiving a regular ballot in person. If the voter does not bring their Vote by Mail ballot to the polls, they can still vote a regular ballot during the Early Voting by signing a Gold Form, but they will vote a Provisional Ballot on Election Day. However, if the pollbook indicates that the voter was not only issued a Vote by Mail ballot but also that the ballot was returned, the voter can only vote a Provisional Ballot that will be reviewed by the local Electoral Board to ensure that the individual only votes once. Do not mail a ballot and vote in person. For specifics, you can find your local county registrar contact info here.
You may now request an absentee ballot online! Just fill out and submit this form before the deadline (5pm 11 days before the election).
All voters are eligible for absentee voting either in-person or by mail for 45 days before the election. You can request your absentee ballot at any time during the year.
Voted mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and be received by your local registrar by noon on the third day after the election in order to be counted.
As a reminder, first time voters who registered through the mail may vote absentee, but you must mail a copy of one of the below forms of ID with your absentee ballot:
Valid photo ID
Current utility bill
Other government document that confirms name and address
Emergency Absentee Voting
You can apply for an emergency absentee ballot if you:
Are hospitalized or have an illness
You are dealing with a hospitalization, illness or death of a spouse, child or parent
Have another emergency found to justify an emergency absentee ballot
If you meet these requirements, you can have a designated representative request an absentee ballot through the day before the election. You must complete the application and deliver it to the local registrar’s office by 2pm the day before the election. Voted ballots must be returned before the polls close on Election Day.
be a resident of Virginia and of the precinct in which you want to vote;
be 18 years old by the next general election;
not have been convicted of a felony, or have had your civil rights restored; and
not currently be declared incapacitated by a court.
How to register
Use our Register to Vote form below to fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
Sign and date your form. This is very important!
Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address we provide.
Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline.
Election Day registration N/A
Voting Rights restoration
If you have been convicted of a felony and have questions about whether you can register to vote, visit Restore Your Vote to determine your eligibility.
You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.
If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.
Voting with Disabilities
Any person, regardless disability status, has the right to register to vote at any office or agency that provides such a service. These offices include but are not limited to: Department of Health (VDH), Department of Social Services (DSS), Department of Mental Health (DMHRSAR), Department for Rehabilitation Services (DRS), Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH), and the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI).
Your local registrar’s office also has registration forms and should be able to accommodate any special needs. In addition, you can download a voter registration form from the state board of elections website.
Curbside voting is still available for people ages 65 and older, or any person with a disability. With the implementation of HAVA (Help America Vote Act), curbside voters may now be able to vote on an electronic voting device in lieu of a paper ballot. However, some cities continue to use paper ballots. To vote curbside you must ask your driver or other individual to inform the election officers that there is a person that wishes to vote curbside. The necessary equipment will then be brought to you in your vehicle. You shall be afforded every opportunity to vote in a private and independent fashion, but voting equipment must remain in the view of the election officers.
You have the right to have an election officer or other person help you vote if you are physically disabled, unable to read or unable to write. Blind voters may also have any person assist them.
You may have anyone who is not your employer or union representative assist you. The officer of election or other person so designated who helps you prepare your ballot shall do so in accordance with your instructions, without soliciting your vote or in any manner attempting to influence your vote, and shall not in any manner divulge or indicate, by signs or otherwise, how you voted on any office or question. For individuals with vision impairments the state board of elections works to provide large print copies of all voting related material. Your local registrar’s office should have large print versions of all materials in circulation at this time.
In accordance with the Help America Vote Act, Virginia is in the process of making all of its polling places fully accessible to elderly voters and voters with disabilities. If you find that your polling place is not accessible for any reason please fill out the voter accessibility feedback form. The state board of elections is dedicated to providing the best voting experience possible, and will value your input and will keep any remarks confidential.
In accordance with the Help America Vote Act, every polling location in Virginia must be equipped with at least one accessible voting system that will allow all voters with a disability to vote in the same private and independent manner as a voter without a disability. If you require voting assistance due to a physical disability or inability to read or write, you can receive it upon request. Any of the election officers can advise you of your rights in this area. If you have cognitive disabilities, due to any reason, you can be eligible to vote if you are not currently ruled to be mentally incompetent by a court of law.
To qualify for absentee in-person voting you must be:
Any person who, in the regular and orderly course of his business, profession, or occupation or while on personal business or vacation, will be absent from the county or city in which he is entitled to vote;
Any person who is (i) a member of a uniformed service of the United States, as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 1973ff-6(7), on active duty, or (ii) a member of the merchant marine of the United States, or (iii) who temporarily resides outside of the United States, or (iv) the spouse or dependent residing with any person listed in (i), (ii), or (iii), and who will be absent on the day of the election from the county or city in which he is entitled to vote. See Absentee Voting Procedures for Overseas Personnel (Military & Non-Military)
Any student attending a school or institution of learning, or his spouse, who will be absent on the day of election from the county or city in which he is entitled to vote;
Any person who is unable to go in person to the polls on the day of election because of a disability, illness or pregnancy ;
Any person who is confined while awaiting trial or for having been convicted of a misdemeanor, provided that the trial or release date is scheduled on or after the third day preceding the election. Any person who is awaiting trial and is a resident of the county or city where he is confined shall, on his request, be taken to the polls to vote on election day if his trial date is postponed and he did not have an opportunity to vote absentee;
Any person who is a member of an electoral board, registrar, officer of election, or custodian of voting equipment;
Any person serving as a designated representative of a political party, independent candidate or candidate in a political party;
Any duly registered person who is unable to go in person to the polls on the day of the election because he is primarily and personally responsible for the care of an ill or disabled family member who is confined at home.
Any duly registered person who is unable to go in person to the polls on the day of the election because of an obligation occasioned by his religion.
Any person who, in the regular and orderly course of his business, profession, or occupation, will be at his place of work and commuting to and from his home to his place of work for eleven or more hours of the thirteen that the polls are open (6:00 AM to 7:00 PM).
Certain first responders who meet code definitions for law-enforcement officers, firefighters, search and rescue personnel and emergency medical services personnel.
Any registered and qualified voter may request a mail ballot for presidential and vice-presidential electors only by writing across the top of their absentee application “request ballot for presidential electors only.” A voter who votes a “presidential only” ballot may not later decide to vote the rest of the ballot. The same procedures and deadlines apply as for other absentee applications and ballots. Please note: When completing your absentee ballot application, reason 7A should only be used by voters who have moved to another state (away from Virginia) less than 30 days before the presidential election. This reason code should not be selected by voters that do not intend to move to another state less than 30 days prior to the election.
The electoral board will usually make ballots available for absentee voting 45 days prior to Election Day and ending 3 days before Election Day.
Vote by Mail (Absentee)
Absentee ballot process
Absentee voting is available and no excuse is required. The last day to request an absentee ballot is 11 days before the election (October 23rd, 2020). You can return your absentee ballot request form through mail, in person at your local elections office, or online. Voted ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by 12pm 3 days after the election in order to be counted.
ALERT: Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), voters mailing absentee ballots for the November General Election do NOT need a witness. Please contact the Board of Elections for more information.
You may now request an absentee ballot online! Just fill out and submit this form before the deadline (5pm 11 days before the election).
All voters are eligible for absentee voting either in-person or by mail for 45 days before the election. You can request your absentee ballot at any time during the year.
Voted mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and be received by your local registrar by noon on the third day after the election in order to be counted.
As a reminder, first time voters who registered through the mail may vote absentee, but you must mail a copy of one of the below forms of ID with your absentee ballot:
Valid photo ID
Current utility bill
Other government document that confirms name and address
Emergency Absentee Voting
You can apply for an emergency absentee ballot if you:
Are hospitalized or have an illness
You are dealing with a hospitalization, illness or death of a spouse, child or parent
Have another emergency found to justify an emergency absentee ballot
If you meet these requirements, you can have a designated representative request an absentee ballot through the day before the election. You must complete the application and deliver it to the local registrar’s office by 2pm the day before the election. Voted ballots must be returned before the polls close on Election Day.
How to get Absentee ballot
Use our Absentee Ballot Form below to prepare your application.
Sign and date the form. This is very important!
Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. We’ll provide the mailing address for you.
All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. If it’s close to the deadline, call and see if your Local Election Office will let you fax or email the application.
Make sure your application is received by the deadline. Your application must actually arrive by this time — simply being postmarked by the deadline is insufficient.
Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
What to do next
Once you receive the ballot, carefully read and follow the instructions.
Sign and date where indicated.
Mail your voted ballot back to the address indicated on the return envelope.
Your voted ballot must arrive by the deadline or it will not be counted.
Absentee ballot application deadline
In Person: 3 days before Election Day.
By Mail: 7 days before Election Day.
Online: 7 days before Election Day.
Absentee ballot submission deadline
Election Day
Absentee Ballot (form)
Elections Alert (Form)
Pollling Information
Polling Place Locator
You can find your polling place by utilizing your state resource.
If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your local election office.
Polling Place Hours
Polls are open from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm.
Poll Worker Information
Visit www.workelections.com to find localized information for becoming a poll worker in your area.
In order to be a poll worker in Virginia:
You must be registered to vote in Virginia
You will be entitled to compensation
You must be at least 18 years of age
Political affiliation generally required
You must complete required training.
Must be a US citizen
You cannot hold an elected office or be the employee of an elected official
The State Board of Elections is authorized to supervise, coordinate, and adopt regulations governing the work of local electoral boards, registrars, and officers of election; to provide electronic application for voter registration and delivery of absentee ballots to eligible military and overseas voters; to establish and maintain a statewide automated voter registration system to include procedures for ascertaining current addresses of registrants; to prescribe standard forms for registration, transfer and identification of voters; and to require cancellation of records for registrants no longer qualified. Code of Virginia, Title 24.2, Chapters 1, 4 and 4.1. The Department of Elections conducts the board’s administrative and programmatic operations and discharges the board’s duties consistent with delegated authority.
The Virginia State Board of Elections has been a party in a number of lawsuits.
Sarvis v. Judd
In July 2014, The Rutherford Institute supported the Libertarian Party of Virginia and alleged Virginia ballot laws favored “the election chances of Democrat and Republican candidates at the expense of Libertarian Party and independent candidates.”
In Robert C. Sarvis, et al. v. Charles E. Judd, et al, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Libertarian Party of Virginia, several Libertarian Party candidates and an independent (non-party) candidate for public office in the November 2014 general election. The lawsuit challenged the Virginia State Board of Elections and the laws which require minor-party candidates to gather signatures on petitions to achieve ballot access as well as the laws which require minor-party and independent candidates’ names to be placed below those of major-party candidates on the ballot.
Libertarian Party of Virginia v. Judd
In 2013, the ACLU supported the Libertarian Party of Virginia, and contended that the Libertarians would suffer “irreparable harm” given Virginia’s ballot access laws.
In Libertarian Party of Virginia v. Judd, the Libertarian Party won the case regarding state residency requirements for petition circulators per the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on May 29, 2013. It was the first time a minor party had won a constitutional election law case in the Fourth Circuit since 1989 and 1988. In response to the Fourth Circuit’s ruling, the State of Virginia via former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli as well as several other states, like Oklahoma, submitted petitions to the Supreme Court of the United States asking to reverse the Fourth Circuit’s decision. On December 2, 2013, the petitions against the Fourth Circuit’s ruling were denied by the Supreme Court, and so the Libertarian Party of Virginia won the case regarding state residency requirements for petition circulators.
Perry v. Judd
In January 2012, Texas Governor Rick Perry, former senator Rick Santorum, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. failed to qualify for the ballot and sued the State Board of Elections. U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. denied the request to add their names to Virginia’s Republican primary ballot.
Project Vote v. Long
In February 2010, after receiving reports from local community partners regarding large numbers of rejected voter registration applications, Project Vote and its voting partner, Advancement Project, sought to review Norfolk’s rejected registration applications to ascertain if qualified persons were unlawfully kept off the voting rolls. Elisa Long, the general registrar of Norfolk, and Nancy Rodrigues, secretary of the State Board of Elections denied Project Vote and Advancement Project the right to review the records, and both groups filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia.
In July 2011, the Court granted Project Vote’s Motion for Summary Judgment and ordered the Norfolk County Registrar “to permit access to any requesting party for copy and/or inspection of voter registration applications and related records,” in compliance with public disclosure requirements under the National Voter Registration Act.
Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections
In Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections (1966) the U.S. Supreme Court found that Virginia’s poll tax was unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The 24th Amendment (1964) prohibited poll taxes in federal elections. However, five states continued to impose a poll tax for voters in state elections. By this ruling, the Supreme Court banned the use of a poll tax in state elections.
Virginia has one of the most restrictive set of ballot access laws in the United States. According to the Code of Virginia subsection 24.2-101, without “major party” status for automatic ballot access in Virginia, minor party and independent candidates have to gather petition signatures to get on the ballot. For example, the requirement for statewide elections is 10,000 signatures, including at least 400 from each of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts. In order for a minor party to gain automatic ballot access as a major party, one of its nominated candidates must receive 10% of the vote in a statewide race. To obtain the signatures necessary to receive statewide ballot access in Virginia, it has been quoted to cost between $45,000 to $90,000 or up to $100,000.
These qualifications and requirements may vary slightly depending on whether the office sought is a local office, a general assembly seat, a statewide office, or a federal office. Generally, all candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:
Be a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia for one year immediately preceding the election.
The board has developed and published candidate informational bulletins specific to each office type. In addition to the qualifications, forms and filing requirements, candidate information bulletins provide candidates with information he/she will need to run for office.
The Virginia House and Senate churned through scores of bills Tuesday as they approached a key deadline for the year’s legislative session.
Lawmakers debated topics ranging from marijuana to campaign finance ahead of what’s known as “crossover,” the point by which all legislation but the budget bills must clear its originating chamber.
The GOP-controlled House and Democrat-controlled Senate will now begin making their way in earnest through the other chamber’s measures and sending more legislation to Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The General Assembly is scheduled to meet through March 12.
The Virginia House and Senate churned through scores of bills Tuesday as they approached a key deadline for the year’s legislative session.
Lawmakers debated topics ranging from marijuana to campaign finance ahead of what’s known as “crossover,” the point by which all legislation but the budget bills must clear its originating chamber.
The GOP-controlled House and Democrat-controlled Senate will now begin making their way in earnest through the other chamber’s measures and sending more legislation to Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The General Assembly is scheduled to meet through March 12.
The 1st district is based in the western Chesapeake Bay. Including portions of suburban Richmond. Within the district are western Henrico and Chesterfield counties. Other localities in the district include Colonial Beach, Mechanicsville, and Williamsburg. The incumbent is Republican Rob Wittman, who was re-elected with 58.2% of the vote in 2020.
Summary
The 1st district is based in the western Chesapeake Bay. Including portions of suburban Richmond. Within the district are western Henrico and Chesterfield counties. Other localities in the district include Colonial Beach, Mechanicsville, and Williamsburg. The incumbent is Republican Rob Wittman, who was re-elected with 58.2% of the vote in 2020.
Current Position: US Representative since 2008 Affiliation: Republican Former Position(s): State Delegate from 2006 – 2008; Montross Town Council from 1996 – 2005
Quote: Rob is committed to getting things done. From rebuilding our Navy to increasing access to broadband, to making sure our children have a 21st-century education, he is constantly working for the First District.
Current Position: CEO, Pyramid Technologies, LLC, since 2014 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 1 Former Position(s): New Kent County Treasur from 1999 – 2010
Herb retired after 30 years in the U.S. Army and served as the New Kent County Treasurer for 12 years. Now Herb’s community is asking him to serve again, this time in the halls of Congress. On January 6, 2020 the Republican incumbent voted against certifying the election. That vote tried to overthrow the will of 2.4 million Virginia voters. The founding principles of our Nation are under attack and now, more than ever, we need courageous leaders to fight back.
The 2nd district is based in Hampton Roads, containing the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach. Virginia’s Eastern Shore is also located within the district. The incumbent is Democrat Elaine Luria, who was re-elected with 51.6% of the vote in 2020.
Despite her home in Norfolk no longer being in the district, Luria is running for re-election in this seat.
Summary
The 2nd district is based in Hampton Roads, containing the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach. Virginia’s Eastern Shore is also located within the district. The incumbent is Democrat Elaine Luria, who was re-elected with 51.6% of the vote in 2020.
Despite her home in Norfolk no longer being in the district, Luria is running for re-election in this seat.
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 2 since 2019 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative
Other Positions: Vice Chair, Committee on Armed Services Chair, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs – Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Featured Quote: “Today, too many Americans are working hard and getting less. That’s because politicians in Washington aren’t looking out for them. That’s why I am running for Congress.
The core values of Security, Equality, and Prosperity will serve as my compass in representing the 2nd District.”
Current Position: State Senator for District 7 since 2020 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 2
After earning a degree from Boston University in International Relations, Jen Kiggans stepped up to serve her country in the United States Navy. Jen served for ten years as a helicopter pilot flying H-46 and H-3 helicopters, completing two deployments to the Persian Gulf. Her husband is a retired F-18 pilot who retired after 20 years as a Naval aviator.
Jen is currently a board-certified Adult-Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and graduate of Old Dominion University’s Nursing School and Vanderbilt University’s Nurse Practitioner program. When she is not at EVMS, she serves as a primary care provider for a small private practice. Jen is a passionate advocate for accessibility and affordability of mental health care and mental health screening.
Current Position: US Representative for District 3 since 1993 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 3
Other Position: Chair, Education and Labor Committee
During his tenure in the Virginia General Assembly, Congressman Bobby Scott successfully sponsored laws critical to Virginians in education, employment, health care, social services, economic development, crime prevention and consumer protection.
His legislative successes included laws that increased Virginia’s minimum wage, created the Governor’s Employment and Training Council and improved health care benefits for women, infants and children. He also sponsored the Neighborhood Assistance Act, which provides tax credits to businesses for donations made to approved social service and crime prevention programs.
Current Position: US Representative for District 3 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Representative for Sistrict 3 Former Position(s): Air Force, logistical support
Terry Namkung was born in Osan-Ri, Korea while his father was stationed there with the United States Army. Throughout Terry’s childhood, he grew up on military installations and in military communities.
After graduating High School in Killeen, TX. ranked among the top 10% of his class, Terry could have pursued any path he desired. But, inspired by the service of those around him, Terry enlisted in the United States Air Force.
The 4th district takes in the city of Richmond and portions of Southside Virginia following Interstate 95. Within the district are the cities of Colonial Heights, Emporia, Hopewell, and Petersburg.
The incumbent is Democrat Donald McEachin, who was re-elected with 61.6% of the vote in 2020.
Summary
The 4th district takes in the city of Richmond and portions of Southside Virginia following Interstate 95. Within the district are the cities of Colonial Heights, Emporia, Hopewell, and Petersburg.
The incumbent is Democrat Donald McEachin, who was re-elected with 61.6% of the vote in 2020.
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 4 since 2017 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 4 Former Position(s): State Delegate from 1995 – 2007
Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) was first elected to represent the 4th Congressional District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.
Congressman McEachin has been selected by his colleagues to serve as a Regional Whip, co-chair of the House Democratic Environmental Message Team, Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus, co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force, and vice-chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC). During his first term in Congress, Rep. McEachin co-founded the United for Climate and Environmental Justice Congressional Task Force and continues to lead the task force as a co-chair.
Current Position: Pastor Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 4
Leon Benjamin is the Senior Pastor and Bishop of New Life Harvest Church in Richmond, VA. Bishop Benjamin, a former Democrat and Gulf War veteran, is an emerging evangelical leader on the national front as a media spokesperson and conservative political activist. He operated as a surrogate for Trump on the presidential campaign trail and worked on the Faith-Based Initiative support team during the President-Elect’s transition to the White House.
The 5th district includes the majority of Southside Virginia. Within the district are the cities of Charlottesville, Danville, and Lynchburg.
The incumbent Representative is Bob Good, who was elected with 52.4% of the vote in 2020, after ousting then Representative Denver Riggleman in the Republican convention.
Summary
The 5th district includes the majority of Southside Virginia. Within the district are the cities of Charlottesville, Danville, and Lynchburg.
The incumbent Representative is Bob Good, who was elected with 52.4% of the vote in 2020, after ousting then Representative Denver Riggleman in the Republican convention.
Current Position: Campbell County Board of Supervisors since 2016 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 5
Bob Good is running for Congress to bring the conservative principles of financial stewardship and respect for hard working taxpayers back to Washington. President Trump’s policies have delivered a growing, vibrant economy and we must ensure that our representatives back his agenda.
Current Position: US Senator Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 5
I am an ordained minister, small-business owner, and candidate for U.S. Congress to represent Virginia’s 5th District. I have been married to my wife, Minhee, for almost 20 years. We have two daughters, Lucy and Agnes.
The 6th district is located in western Virginia taking in the Shenandoah Valley along Interstate 81. The district is anchored at the southern end by the cities of Roanoke and Salem.
The incumbent is Republican Ben Cline, who was re-elected with 64.6% of the vote in 2020.
Summary
The 6th district is located in western Virginia taking in the Shenandoah Valley along Interstate 81. The district is anchored at the southern end by the cities of Roanoke and Salem.
The incumbent is Republican Ben Cline, who was re-elected with 64.6% of the vote in 2020.
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 6 since 2019 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 6 Former Position(s): State Delegate from 2002 – 2017
Ben Cline represents Virginia’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee. He previously served as a Member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 24th District from 2002-2018. In the Virginia House, Cline chaired the Committee on Militia, Police, and Public Safety.
Prior to his election to the House of Representatives in 2018, Ben was an attorney in private practice. From 2007 until 2013, he served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for Rockingham County and the City of Harrisonburg.
Ben also worked for Congressman Bob Goodlatte, beginning as a member of his legislative staff in 1994 and ultimately serving as the Congressman’s Chief of Staff.
Current Position: Mental health worker Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 6
Jennifer Lewis is a mental health worker, community advocate, and was a leader in the fight against the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. She’s been a civically active member of her community in Augusta County and Waynesboro, volunteering for various local groups, serving on boards and commissions, and fighting on the front lines for the values of the valley.
The 7th district is based in Northern Virginia and encompasses suburban, exurban, and rural areas of Washington. The district contains Bowling Green, Culpeper, the city of Fredericksburg, Stanardsville, Woodbridge, and a small sliver of Albemarle County. The incumbent is Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who was re-elected with 50.8% of the vote in 2020.
The district was radically redrawn, and no longer includes her home in Henrico County. Despite this, Spanberger is running for re-election in this seat.
Summary
The 7th district is based in Northern Virginia and encompasses suburban, exurban, and rural areas of Washington. The district contains Bowling Green, Culpeper, the city of Fredericksburg, Stanardsville, Woodbridge, and a small sliver of Albemarle County. The incumbent is Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who was re-elected with 50.8% of the vote in 2020.
The district was radically redrawn, and no longer includes her home in Henrico County. Despite this, Spanberger is running for re-election in this seat.
Current Position: US Representative since 2019 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 7
Other Positions: Vice Chair, Subcommittees Europe, Eurasia, Energy, & the Environment Subcommittee,
Abigail Spanberger began her career of public service as a federal law enforcement officer working narcotics and money laundering cases with the US Postal Inspection Service. Following her love of country, public service, and languages, Abigail joined the CIA as an Operations Officer.
Abigail took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…When she saw partisan politics threatening the country she has worked so hard to protect, she knew it was her time to stand up for the people in the 7th District.
Current Position: Prince William County Board of Supervisors since 2018 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 7 Former Position(s): Police Officer
Yesli Vega, a military wife, mother, and law enforcement officer, is the embodiment of the American Dream. Born in Houston, Texas to Salvadoran immigrants fleeing civil war, her family has taken full advantage of the freedom and opportunities made available only in America.
Yesli and her family are firm believers in the passage from Luke which says “to whom much is given, much is required.” That is why she’s dedicated her life to service in three different Virginia law enforcement agencies and why she’s running to be your voice to power in Washington.
The 8th district is based in northern Virginia and encompasses the inner Washington, D.C. suburbs, including Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church. The incumbent is Democrat Don Beyer, who was re-elected with 75.8% of the vote in 2020.
Summary
The 8th district is based in northern Virginia and encompasses the inner Washington, D.C. suburbs, including Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church. The incumbent is Democrat Don Beyer, who was re-elected with 75.8% of the vote in 2020.
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 8 since 2015 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative Former Position(s): Lt. Governor from 1990 – 1998
Congressman Don Beyer is serving his third term as the U.S. Representative from Virginia’s 8th District, representing Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, and parts of Fairfax County. He serves on the House Committees on Ways and Means and Science Space and Technology, and is a Co-Chair of the New Democrat Coalition’s Climate Change Task Force. He was the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1998, and was Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein under President Obama.
Rep. Beyer’s signature work as lieutenant governor included advocacy for Virginians with disabilities and ensuring protections for Virginia’s most vulnerable populations as the Commonwealth reformed its welfare system in the mid-1990s. Rep. Beyer was Virginia’s Democratic nominee for governor in 1997.
Current Position: US Representative Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Senator for District 8
Karina Lipsman is a refugee immigrant from Odessa, Ukraine who has lived the American Dream and wants to ensure that dream is available to ALL Northern Virginians!
Her campaign is focused on delivering common sense solutions to Washington to achieve common goals for all. Those goals: more money in your wallets, preserve your retirement and savings accounts, lowering energy costs, combating inflation, and protecting our children.
Our current elected officials do not understand our struggles, feel the impacts of inflation, or represent the diversity of our district.
The 10th district is based in northern Virginia and the D.C. metro area, encompassing Fauquier, Loudoun, and Rappahannock counties. As well as, parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties. Including the cities of Mansassas and Manassas Park. The incumbent is Democrat Jennifer Wexton, who was re-elected with 56.5% of the vote in 2020.
Summary
The 10th district is based in northern Virginia and the D.C. metro area, encompassing Fauquier, Loudoun, and Rappahannock counties. As well as, parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties. Including the cities of Mansassas and Manassas Park. The incumbent is Democrat Jennifer Wexton, who was re-elected with 56.5% of the vote in 2020.
Current Position: US Representative since 2019 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 10 Former Position(s): State Senator from 2013 – 2018
Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton has been serving the people of Northern Virginia and Shenandoah Valley for nearly two decades as a prosecutor, advocate for abused children, state Senator, and now a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s 10th District.
Jennifer comes to Congress with experience in legislating and a deep understanding of Virginia’s 10th district and the issues that matter most to our region’s families. Rep. Wexton looks forward to working across the aisle in Congress to deliver positive results for the people of Northern Virginia and the United States.
Current Position: US Senator Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 10 Former Position(s): Navy Captain, Special Operations from 1996 – 2021
Hung Cao is a retired Navy Captain who served in Special Operations for twenty-five years. He and his wife April are the parents of five beautiful children whom they homeschool. After their thirteenth move across the United States and around the world in the service of our nation, Hung and April made their home in Purcellville, Virginia where they have been active in their community and their church, Cornerstone Chapel for the last five years.
The 11th district encompasses portions of suburban Washington, D.C., including the city of Fairfax and portions of Fairfax County. The incumbent is Democrat Gerry Connolly, who was re-elected with 77.6% of the vote in 2020.
Summary
The 11th district encompasses portions of suburban Washington, D.C., including the city of Fairfax and portions of Fairfax County. The incumbent is Democrat Gerry Connolly, who was re-elected with 77.6% of the vote in 2020.
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 11 since 2009 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 11 Former Position(s): Board of Supervisors – Fairfax County from 1995 – 2007
Congressman Connolly is a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and serves as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations. In this role, he is responsible for shaping government-wide policy for a broad range of issues, including federal workforce and federal agency oversight, federal procurement and information policy, national drug policy, regulatory reform, the United States Postal Service, the United States Census Bureau, and the District of Columbia. He also serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Using his extensive background in foreign policy, including as a senior staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has become a leading voice on foreign assistance reform, war powers, embassy security, and democracy promotion abroad.
Current Position: US Senator Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 11 Former Position(s): Federal United States Administrative Law Judge
Iam conservative and believe in free markets, small government, faith, family, assuming personal responsibility with a shared duty for the care of those in need.
I am pro-life, a member of the NRA, and a supporter of the second amendment. I also believe that the government cannot favor any religion or non-religion, all have a first amendment right that the government must respect
Current Position: Governor since 2022 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 Governor
Glenn Youngkin is a homegrown Virginian who grew up in Richmond and Virginia Beach. As his father changed jobs, Glenn learned that moving around didn’t equal moving up – nothing was handed to him. From his first job washing dishes and frying eggs at a diner in Virginia Beach, Glenn embraced hard work and responsibility to help his family when his father lost his job. His determination to succeed earned him multiple high school basketball honors in Virginia and an athletic scholarship to college.
After earning an engineering degree at Rice University, and his MBA at Harvard Business School, Glenn and his wife Suzanne moved to Northern Virginia. Glenn landed a job at The Carlyle Group, where he spent the next 25 years. Working his way to the top of the company, Glenn played a key role in building Carlyle into one of the leading investment firms in the world. His efforts have helped fund the retirements of teachers, police officers, firefighters and other frontline public servants and supported hundreds of thousands of American jobs.
Dominion Energy’s CEO sent an email to company employees Monday morning saying the company’s political action committee had failed to properly vet an anti-Glenn Youngkin PAC it gave large donations to, and is asking for its money back. The email came following weekend news reports by the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Axios that Dominion had donated $200,000 to a PAC that appears to be aligned with Democrats but is attacking Youngkin, the GOP nominee for governor, from the right on gun issues, creating the appearance that conservatives aren’t happy with Youngkin. The ads are running in rural areas of the state that support Youngkin, in an attempt to lower voter turnout for him.
Bob Blue told employees the company has a long history of transparent and bipartisan political giving.
“This weekend we were reminded that going above and beyond in transparency is necessary but not sufficient. Based on our own disclosures, two news stories highlighted activities of the Accountability Virginia PAC that we would not approve or knowingly support,” the CEO wrote.
“Although familiar with the Accountability Virginia PAC sponsors, we failed to vet sufficiently the scope of their intended activities. In as much, we have asked that our contributions be returned. “As with any failure in terms of living up to our core values, we will learn from this and implement lessons learned going forward. We will not be giving to organizations of this nature in the future.”
It remains unclear how Dominion got connected with the PAC; Blue declined to be interviewed.
Around 150 people, including representatives from various national and global media outlets, packed into The Pier restaurant in downtown Culpeper Wednesday for a “Parents Matter” campaign rally with Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin. “We gotta all win together,” said the 54-year-old native Virginian and former CEO of The Carlyle Group private equity firm, in addressing initial comments to a half-dozen local Republican candidates in attendance. “There is something absolutely amazing going on across Virginia and this is no longer Republicans versus Democrats. This is Virginians coming together and standing up. We are no longer going to support this liberal agenda that’s trying to turn Virginia into California east…not here, no more.”
The Culpeper County Republican Committee hosted the rally in the female-owned seafood eatery at end of East Davis Street, and paid for a spread of food set out on a table for attendees. There were loud cheers throughout the 30-minute rally.
The crowd chanted Youngkin’s name as he arrived in downtown Culpeper following a tour of the new Culpeper Technical Education Center public high school. “This facility I just saw is unbelievable. We need CTECs all over Virginia,” he said.
Glenn Youngkin is trying to walk a tightrope on so-called election integrity.
The Virginia GOP gubernatorial nominee, who has acknowledged that President Joe Biden’s election was legitimate, is digging into his call for an audit of the voting machines used in the 2020 election — a reflection of how former President Donald Trump’s lies about the election results have become a litmus test for Republican candidates seeking office, even in states like Virginia, which backed Biden by 10 points last fall.
“I think we need to make sure that people trust these voting machines. And I just think like, I grew up in a world where you have an audit every year. In businesses, you have an audit,” Youngkin said Monday during a conversation with a Richmond organization that’s interviewing candidates, reiterating a proposal he had made eight months ago when he launched an “election integrity task force” during the Republican nominating fight.
“So let’s just audit the voting machines, publish it so everybody can see it,” he said, ignoring that the State Board of Elections had already run an audit of the election and published the results.
Yet last month, during the second and final debate against Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe ahead of the November election, Youngkin said the results of the 2020 campaign were “certifiably fair” and there wasn’t “material fraud.” The Virginia State Board of Elections’ audit report, published in March, confirmed the results of both the 2020 presidential election in Virginia and the Senate campaign that saw Democrat Mark Warner reelected.
Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin broke with former President Trump on Thursday on whether he believes Democrats will cheat in the upcoming election.
“No, I think we’re going to have a clean, fair election and I fully expect to win,” Youngkin told moderator Susan Page at the first Virginia general election debate of the cycle.
Additionally, Youngkin said he did not believe there had been significant fraud in Virginia’s elections.
The Republican candidate for governor in Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, issued a challenge of sorts this week to his Democratic opponent, Terry McAuliffe, inviting him to film a joint public service announcement promoting vaccination against COVID-19.
It was a ploy that could be clever, but maybe too clever by half.
Certainly Youngkin’s gambit had the benefit of being an appeal for bipartisan cooperation that could spur an increase in vaccination. He has also run a TV ad in which he says, “I chose to get the COVID vaccine. It’s your right to make your own choice, and I respect that. I do hope you’ll choose to join me in getting the vaccine.”
Less than 12 hours after Glenn Youngkin locked up the GOP nomination for Virginia governor on Monday night, former President Donald Trump barreled into 2021’s most competitive statewide election.
“Glenn is pro-Business, pro-Second Amendment, pro-Veterans, pro-America, he knows how to make Virginia’s economy rip-roaring, and he has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump wrote in a statement Tuesday morning that was circulated by his political action committee.
Trump’s endorsement came after Youngkin emerged from a contentious nominating battle seeking to lock down the Republican base. But unlike states like Arkansas or South Carolina — red states where Trump has already made endorsements in a 2022 gubernatorial race — the former president’s support in Virginia carries more risks than benefits.
Trump’s presidency ushered in an era of defeats for Virginia Republicans: a Democratic sweep of statewide elections in 2017, the loss of three swing congressional seats in 2018 and, finally, Democrats flipping both state legislative chambers in 2019, giving Democrats complete control of Richmond for the first time since 1994.
Summary
Current Position: Governor since 2022 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 Governor
Glenn Youngkin is a homegrown Virginian who grew up in Richmond and Virginia Beach. As his father changed jobs, Glenn learned that moving around didn’t equal moving up – nothing was handed to him. From his first job washing dishes and frying eggs at a diner in Virginia Beach, Glenn embraced hard work and responsibility to help his family when his father lost his job. His determination to succeed earned him multiple high school basketball honors in Virginia and an athletic scholarship to college.
After earning an engineering degree at Rice University, and his MBA at Harvard Business School, Glenn and his wife Suzanne moved to Northern Virginia. Glenn landed a job at The Carlyle Group, where he spent the next 25 years. Working his way to the top of the company, Glenn played a key role in building Carlyle into one of the leading investment firms in the world. His efforts have helped fund the retirements of teachers, police officers, firefighters and other frontline public servants and supported hundreds of thousands of American jobs.
Dominion Energy’s CEO sent an email to company employees Monday morning saying the company’s political action committee had failed to properly vet an anti-Glenn Youngkin PAC it gave large donations to, and is asking for its money back. The email came following weekend news reports by the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Axios that Dominion had donated $200,000 to a PAC that appears to be aligned with Democrats but is attacking Youngkin, the GOP nominee for governor, from the right on gun issues, creating the appearance that conservatives aren’t happy with Youngkin. The ads are running in rural areas of the state that support Youngkin, in an attempt to lower voter turnout for him.
Bob Blue told employees the company has a long history of transparent and bipartisan political giving.
“This weekend we were reminded that going above and beyond in transparency is necessary but not sufficient. Based on our own disclosures, two news stories highlighted activities of the Accountability Virginia PAC that we would not approve or knowingly support,” the CEO wrote.
“Although familiar with the Accountability Virginia PAC sponsors, we failed to vet sufficiently the scope of their intended activities. In as much, we have asked that our contributions be returned. “As with any failure in terms of living up to our core values, we will learn from this and implement lessons learned going forward. We will not be giving to organizations of this nature in the future.”
It remains unclear how Dominion got connected with the PAC; Blue declined to be interviewed.
Around 150 people, including representatives from various national and global media outlets, packed into The Pier restaurant in downtown Culpeper Wednesday for a “Parents Matter” campaign rally with Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin. “We gotta all win together,” said the 54-year-old native Virginian and former CEO of The Carlyle Group private equity firm, in addressing initial comments to a half-dozen local Republican candidates in attendance. “There is something absolutely amazing going on across Virginia and this is no longer Republicans versus Democrats. This is Virginians coming together and standing up. We are no longer going to support this liberal agenda that’s trying to turn Virginia into California east…not here, no more.”
The Culpeper County Republican Committee hosted the rally in the female-owned seafood eatery at end of East Davis Street, and paid for a spread of food set out on a table for attendees. There were loud cheers throughout the 30-minute rally.
The crowd chanted Youngkin’s name as he arrived in downtown Culpeper following a tour of the new Culpeper Technical Education Center public high school. “This facility I just saw is unbelievable. We need CTECs all over Virginia,” he said.
Glenn Youngkin is trying to walk a tightrope on so-called election integrity.
The Virginia GOP gubernatorial nominee, who has acknowledged that President Joe Biden’s election was legitimate, is digging into his call for an audit of the voting machines used in the 2020 election — a reflection of how former President Donald Trump’s lies about the election results have become a litmus test for Republican candidates seeking office, even in states like Virginia, which backed Biden by 10 points last fall.
“I think we need to make sure that people trust these voting machines. And I just think like, I grew up in a world where you have an audit every year. In businesses, you have an audit,” Youngkin said Monday during a conversation with a Richmond organization that’s interviewing candidates, reiterating a proposal he had made eight months ago when he launched an “election integrity task force” during the Republican nominating fight.
“So let’s just audit the voting machines, publish it so everybody can see it,” he said, ignoring that the State Board of Elections had already run an audit of the election and published the results.
Yet last month, during the second and final debate against Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe ahead of the November election, Youngkin said the results of the 2020 campaign were “certifiably fair” and there wasn’t “material fraud.” The Virginia State Board of Elections’ audit report, published in March, confirmed the results of both the 2020 presidential election in Virginia and the Senate campaign that saw Democrat Mark Warner reelected.
Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin broke with former President Trump on Thursday on whether he believes Democrats will cheat in the upcoming election.
“No, I think we’re going to have a clean, fair election and I fully expect to win,” Youngkin told moderator Susan Page at the first Virginia general election debate of the cycle.
Additionally, Youngkin said he did not believe there had been significant fraud in Virginia’s elections.
The Republican candidate for governor in Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, issued a challenge of sorts this week to his Democratic opponent, Terry McAuliffe, inviting him to film a joint public service announcement promoting vaccination against COVID-19.
It was a ploy that could be clever, but maybe too clever by half.
Certainly Youngkin’s gambit had the benefit of being an appeal for bipartisan cooperation that could spur an increase in vaccination. He has also run a TV ad in which he says, “I chose to get the COVID vaccine. It’s your right to make your own choice, and I respect that. I do hope you’ll choose to join me in getting the vaccine.”
Less than 12 hours after Glenn Youngkin locked up the GOP nomination for Virginia governor on Monday night, former President Donald Trump barreled into 2021’s most competitive statewide election.
“Glenn is pro-Business, pro-Second Amendment, pro-Veterans, pro-America, he knows how to make Virginia’s economy rip-roaring, and he has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump wrote in a statement Tuesday morning that was circulated by his political action committee.
Trump’s endorsement came after Youngkin emerged from a contentious nominating battle seeking to lock down the Republican base. But unlike states like Arkansas or South Carolina — red states where Trump has already made endorsements in a 2022 gubernatorial race — the former president’s support in Virginia carries more risks than benefits.
Trump’s presidency ushered in an era of defeats for Virginia Republicans: a Democratic sweep of statewide elections in 2017, the loss of three swing congressional seats in 2018 and, finally, Democrats flipping both state legislative chambers in 2019, giving Democrats complete control of Richmond for the first time since 1994.
Glenn Youngkin has long heard a call to service and committed time to serving his community and the people around him. Glenn volunteered to coach multiple youth basketball teams, and he served on the boards of many non-profit organizations, including the Virginia Ready Initiative, Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus Advisory Board, the Museum of the Bible, and the Meadowkirk Retreat Center.
He also served as Church Warden at Holy Trinity Church in Northern Virginia and is a member of the Business Council and the American Enterprise Institute’s National Council.
One party Democrat control is failing Virginians: our recovery from the pandemic ranks in the bottom 10 among states, our students are behind in school, violent crime has risen to 20-year highs, and much of government, like the Virginia Employment Commission and Department of Motor Vehicles, is broken. People are voting with their feet and leaving the Commonwealth.
It’s time for bold leadership. Glenn will make sure Virginia has better-paying jobs, the best schools, the safest communities, and a government that works for you. His game plan will create 400,000 jobs and make sure every student graduates career or college ready.
Glenn will cut exploding costs for families and relieve the burdens of inflation and taxes. He will cut regulations to create jobs and make it easier for innovators and entrepreneurs to get small businesses moving again. He will restore our high standards for schools and our students, ban critical race theory, invest in our teachers and schools, and empower parents with real choices.
He will defend – not defund – our law enforcement heroes, end human trafficking, and rescue our failing mental health system. And Glenn will make state government honest, efficient, and modern.
While moving forward on these priorities, Glenn will protect our constitutional rights.
The result will be a Commonwealth where businesses can prosper, students can thrive, communities are safe, and people – not politicians – are in charge.
It’s going to take a new kind of leader, not a failed politician looking for a second chance, to make it happen. When Glenn is Governor, we will get it done together.
Virginia’s government is failing its fundamental mission – serving the people. Our system is broken as customer service at agencies such as the DMV and VEC disappears. Glenn will make government work by:
Fixing the DMV & the Virginia Employment Commission
Protecting our Constitutional Rights
Conducting a Statewide Transparency Audit to Root out Waste, Fraud & Abuse
Restoring Photo ID Laws & Making it Easy to Vote and Hard to Cheat
The cost of living is rising for Virginians, and people are leaving the Commonwealth to look for jobs and start lives elsewhere. Glenn will tackle the rising cost of living and cut costs for Virginians by:
Eliminating Virginia’s Grocery Tax & Suspending the Recent Gas Tax Hike for 12 Months
Providing a One Time Tax Rebate of $600 for Joint Filers and $300 for Individuals
Ending Runaway Property Taxes by Requiring Voter Approval for Increases
Cutting Income Taxes by Doubling the Standard Deduction & Cutting Taxes on Veteran Retirement Pay
Add 400,000 Jobs & 10,000 Startups Virginia’s jobs machine is broken. After zero job growth from 2013 through 2020, Virginia currently ranks 44th in job recovery during the pandemic and was recently ranked as the 49th best state to start a business. Glenn will jumpstart our economy by:
Keeping Virginia Open and Protecting Lives & Livelihoods
Protecting Virginians from Forced Unionization & Cutting Job Killing Regulations by 25%
Launching #JumpstartJobs to Develop Talent, Train Workers, Attract Investment, & Make Virginia the
Easiest State to Start a Business
Reinvigorating Small Business by Enacting a Small Business Tax Holiday & Ending the Tax on Rebuild VA and PPP Loans
Virginia’s students have fallen behind because of extended school closings, lower school standards, and political agendas. Glenn will empower parents and restore excellence and commonsense in education by:
Keeping Schools Open Safely Five Days a Week
Restoring High Expectations & Getting Every Student College or Career Ready
Ridding Political Agendas from the Classroom by Banning Critical Race Theory
Rebuilding Crumbling Schools, Raising Teacher Pay, & Investing in Special Education Programs
Creating at least 20 New Innovation Charter Schools across the K-12 Spectrum to Provide Choice
Failed leadership and dangerous policies have left Virginia less safe. With rising violent crime and the murder rate at a 20-year high, Glenn will keep our communities safe by:
Fully Funding Law Enforcement & Protecting Qualified Immunity for our Law Enforcement Heroes
Firing the Parole Board & Keeping Violent Criminals Off Our Streets
Glenn Allen Youngkin (born December 9, 1966) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 74th governor of Virginia since January 15, 2022. A member of the Republican Party, Youngkin defeated former Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election.[1][2] Prior to entering politics, he spent 25 years at the private-equity firm the Carlyle Group, where he became co–CEO in 2018.[3] Youngkin stepped down from the Carlyle Group in September 2020, and announced his candidacy for the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election in January 2021.[4]
Early life and education
Glenn Allen Youngkin[5] was born in Richmond, Virginia,[6] on December 9, 1966.[7] He is the son of Ellis (née Quinn) and Carroll Wayne Youngkin. His father played basketball for Duke University and worked in accounting and finance.[8] When Youngkin was a teenager, the family moved from Richmond to Virginia Beach.[9] He attended Norfolk Academy in Norfolk, Virginia, graduating in 1985.[10] He received numerous high school basketball honors.[11]
In August 1995,[19] Youngkin joined the private-equity firm The Carlyle Group, based in Washington, D.C.,[18] initially as a member of the US buyout team.[15] In 1999, he was named a partner and managing director of Carlyle.[20][21] He managed the firm’s United Kingdom buyout team (2000–2005)[15][22] and global industrial sector investment team (2005–2008), dividing his time between London and Washington.[20][23]
In April 2008, Carlyle’s founders asked Youngkin to step back from deal-making to focus on the firm’s broader strategy.[3][24] In 2009, the founders created a seven-person operating committee, chaired by Youngkin, which oversaw the non-deal, day-to-day operations of Carlyle.[24][25] In 2009 Youngkin also joined, along with Daniel Akerson, the firm’s executive committee, which had previously consisted solely of the three founders.[25][26]
When Carlyle’s chief financial officer Peter Nachtwey left suddenly in late 2010, Youngkin became interim CFO[27] until Adena Friedman was hired as CFO late March 2011.[28] In 2010, Youngkin joined the firm’s management committee.[29][24] Youngkin was chief operating officer of the Carlyle Group from March 2011 until June 2014.[30]
In June 2014, he became co-president and co-chief operating officer with Michael J. Cavanagh, who joined the Carlyle Group from JPMorgan Chase.[35][36] Together they helped develop and implement the firm’s growth initiatives and managed the firm’s operations on a day-to-day basis.[37] Cavanagh left the firm in May 2015 to become CFO of Comcast, leaving Youngkin as president and COO of Carlyle.[38]
Co-CEO
In October 2017, the Carlyle Group announced that its founders would remain executive chairmen on the board of directors but step down as the day-to-day leaders of the firm; they named Youngkin and Kewsong Lee to succeed them, as co-CEOs, effective January 1, 2018.[3] As co-CEOs, Youngkin oversaw Carlyle’s real estate, energy, infrastructure businesses, and investment solutions businesses; Lee oversaw the firm’s corporate private equity and global credit businesses.[39][40] Youngkin and Lee also joined the firm’s board of directors when they became co-CEOs.[34]
Bloomberg News described the co-CEO relationship as “awkward … and increasingly acrimonious”.[33] The publication later wrote that Lee “quickly established dominance, diminishing Youngkin’s clout.”[44] This was largely due to Lee being given control of the corporate private equity and global credit units at the onset, which were bigger and more profitable than the others.[45][46] In July 2020, Youngkin announced that he would retire from the Carlyle Group at the end of September 2020, after serving as co-CEO for 2 1⁄2 years, stating his intention to focus on community and public service efforts.[33][47][41] In 2020, Youngkin and his wife founded a nonprofit, Virginia Ready Initiative, focusing on connecting unemployed people in the state with job-training programs and potential employers.[48][49][50][51]
In January 2021, Youngkin announced that he would seek the Republican Party of Virginia‘s nomination for governor of Virginia.[52][9] A first-time candidate, Youngkin’s personal wealth gave him the ability to self-fund his candidacy,[53][54] and he spent at least $5.5 million of his own money on his primary campaign.[55] Youngkin was endorsed by Ted Cruz during the primary; Cruz has described Youngkin as a close family friend.[56][57][58] Youngkin had previously donated to Cruz’s 2018 re-election campaign.[58]
Youngkin won the nomination at the party’s state convention on May 10, 2021, after multiple rounds of ranked-choice voting at thirty-nine locations across the state. He defeated six other candidates.[55] All the Republican candidates, including Youngkin, stressed their support for Donald Trump and Trumpism, although other candidates for the nomination, such as state senator Amanda Chase, were the most vocally pro-Trump.[54][59] After winning the party’s nomination, Youngkin was endorsed by Trump.[59] He called the endorsement an “honor”[59] but sought to distance himself from some of Trump’s most ardent supporters.[60]The New York Times wrote in October that Youngkin had sought to localize the race.[61] Youngkin openly courted both Trump supporters and never-Trump voters.[62]
Youngkin in September 2021, less than two months before the general election
Youngkin’s Democratic opponent in the general election, Terry McAuliffe, had previously served as governor from 2014 through 2018. The Virginia constitution bars governors from serving consecutive terms, and McAuliffe sought to become the first Virginia governor to serve two terms since Mills Godwin.[63][64] On July 12, 2021, Youngkin declined to face McAuliffe in the Virginia Bar Association debate, citing his objection to the moderator, Judy Woodruff, for a donation she made to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund in 2010. The VBA had held a gubernatorial debate every election year since 1985.[65] McAuliffe and Youngkin went on to debate two times during the campaign.[66][67]
According to PolitiFact, before the Republican convention, Youngkin “toed a delicate line when asked if Biden was legitimately elected. He acknowledged that Biden was president but would not clearly say whether he thought the president was fairly elected. After the convention, Youngkin began acknowledging that Biden’s election was legitimate.”[68] Amanda Chase, who has advanced conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election, acted as a campaign surrogate for Youngkin after losing the Republican primary to him,[69] and the Associated Press noted that, while running for governor, Youngkin “failed to refute a conspiracy theory” about the 2020 election;[70] when asked at one of his rallies, several months after Biden had been inaugurated, if Trump could be restored as president, Youngkin replied, “I don’t know the particulars about how that can happen because what’s happening in the court system is moving slowly and it’s unclear.”[70][71][72]
Youngkin made a campaign appearance with Mike Pence in August,[73] and former Trump advisor Steve Bannon spoke in support of Youngkin at an October rally, which also featured a video appearance from Trump. Youngkin did not personally attend the October rally, although he thanked the host for holding it.[74][75] He later called it “weird and wrong” when that rally opened with attendees pledging allegiance to a flag that had flown, in the words of the event emcee, “at the peaceful rally with Donald J. Trump on Jan. 6.”[76]
When asked by Axios during the campaign whether he would have voted to certify Biden’s election had he been a member of Congress at the time, Youngkin initially refused to answer. A few days later, Youngkin’s campaign released a statement confirming that Youngkin would have voted to certify Biden’s election.[77] Throughout the campaign, he continued to emphasize “election integrity” as a major theme and voiced support for stricter voting laws, such as a photo ID requirement.[78][79]
During his second debate against McAuliffe, Youngkin stated that McAuliffe had vetoed legislation that would have required schools to inform parents about sexually explicit content in educational materials.[80][81] McAuliffe defended his veto, saying: “‘I’m not going to let parents come into schools and actually take books out and make their own decision… I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach’”.[82][83][81] This quote was described by Politico as “a widely perceived gaffe that Republicans quickly pounced on”,[84] and Youngkin used it to create an attack ad.[85][86] Following the election, Newsweek cited polling data showing that McAuliffe’s comment on the veto had been “a major factor in the race”.[87]
The legislation discussed by Youngkin and McAuliffe during their debate exchange had originated when a conservative activist attempted to have the book Beloved by Toni Morrison removed from high school curriculums in Virginia. This activist was featured in an ad for Youngkin’s campaign, although the ad did not specify which book the activist had opposed or that her child had been a high school senior when the book was assigned.[88][89][90] Youngkin’s focus on the legislation, known as the “Beloved Bill”, was criticized by Virginia Democrats, who accused him of targeting a black author. Both McAuliffe and Richmond mayor Levar Stoney called Youngkin’s use of this issue “a racist dog whistle”.[88][89][91] Youngkin countered that some Virginia Democrats had voted for the bill.[89][91] NBC News wrote that Beloved “erupted as a flashpoint in the closing days of Virginia’s race for governor”,[91] and The Washington Post wrote shortly before the election that the book had “suddenly become the hottest topic” in the campaign.[88]
On November 2, 2021, Youngkin defeated McAuliffe, 50.58%–48.64%.[92] Before the 2021 elections, Republicans had not prevailed in a statewide race in Virginia since 2009.[93] Youngkin’s victory was attributed to a coalition of voters consisting of both Trump supporters and some suburban residents who had supported Joe Biden in 2020.[94][95]
Youngkin was sworn in as governor on January 15, 2022. He took office alongside his Republican ticket mates, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, the first woman of color elected to statewide office in Virginia, and Attorney General Jason Miyares, the first Latino elected to statewide office in the state.[96]The Washington Post called this ticket “historically diverse”[97] and reported that it was a sign of “inroads” made by the Republican Party “in the African American and Latino communities.”[98] Former Democratic Governor of Virginia Douglas Wilder commented after the election that Republicans had “one-upped” Democrats with the historic achievement, which, he said, showed that Democrats “can’t take the [Black] community for granted.”[98]
Youngkin was inaugurated two years into the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[96] His first week in office coincided with the January 14–17, 2022 North American winter storm.[99][100]The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that the morning before his inauguration, Youngkin participated in a community service project at “the Reconciliation Statue along the Richmond Slave Trail in Shockoe Bottom, which was home to the second largest domestic slave market in the United States before the Civil War.”[101] Later that night, an inauguration eve party was held for Youngkin at the Omni Richmond Hotel.[101] Another inauguration eve event for Youngkin was later held at the Science Museum of Virginia.[101][102] On the night of his inauguration, Youngkin held a celebratory event at the Richmond Main Street Station.[96][103]
The Washington Post wrote that Youngkin’s inaugural address “delivered the blend of religious confidence and boardroom bravado that powered his victory”,[96] while The Associated Press characterized the address as one that carried “a tone of bipartisanship and optimism”.[102]The Washington Post noted that Youngkin used the address to criticize modern politics as “too toxic”, but also wrote that, immediately after the address, Youngkin “stirred partisan rancor” by signing a series of polarizing executive actions.[96] The publication noted that Youngkin’s praise for the COVID-19 vaccine “fell flat with the largely mask-free crowd”.[96] Along with NPR, it reported that Youngkin’s biggest applause was for a line about “removing politics from the classroom”.[96][104]
Day One executive actions
After his inauguration, Youngkin signed eleven executive actions. The first of these bans the teaching of what it calls “inherently divisive concepts” and identifies critical race theory as one such concept.[105][96][106] While critical race theory has been widely discussed by teachers at workshops sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education, it has never been endorsed by the department or included in the state’s public school curriculum.[107][96] In his executive order, Youngkin characterized critical race theory and related concepts as “political indoctrination” that “instruct students to only view life through the lens of race and presumes that some students are consciously or unconsciously racist, sexist, or oppressive, and that other students are victims.”[105][108]Frederick Hess, education policy director at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, approved of the order as “sensible and thoughtful and well-written”.[106]
The Washington Post has noted that while critical race theory specifically refers to “an academic framework that examines how policies and laws perpetuate systemic racism in the United States”, the term has been reappropriated by conservatives “as a catchall symbolizing schools’ equity and diversity work.”[106] Youngkin’s stance on critical race theory has been condemned by leaders of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus,[106][109][110] and according to The Richmond Times-Dispatch, has “alarmed many educators” in the state.[111] Youngkin’s critics, the publication wrote, view the banning of critical race theory as an attempt to “whitewash” history and “erase black history”.[111]
Two of the executive actions signed by Youngkin on his first day in office rescinded COVID-19 regulations that had been enacted by the previous administration; one of these actions rescinded Virginia’s statewide mask mandate for public schools and attempted to make compliance with local public school mask mandates optional; the other rescinded the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all state employees. Additionally, one of Youngkin’s Day One executive orders called for a reevaluation of the workplace safety standards that had been adopted by the Northam administration as a protection against COVID-19.[105]
The other executive actions taken by Youngkin on his first day in office were devoted to firing and replacing the entire Virginia Parole Board, calling for the state’s Attorney General to investigate the handling of sexual assaults that had recently occurred in the Loudoun County public school system, initiating reviews of the Virginia Parole Board, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Virginia Employment Commission, creating commissions to combat antisemitism and human trafficking, ordering state agencies under Youngkin’s authority to reduce nonmandatory regulations by 25%, and calling for the state to reevaluate its membership in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.[96][105][112]
The Washington Post noted that Youngkin’s first executive orders had gone “far beyond the practice of his predecessors in the Executive Mansion over the past 20 years”, writing that while each of those predecessors had focused their first executive actions on “less incendiary topics”, such as anti-discrimination protections and policy studies, Youngkin’s first executive actions, “by contrast…poked a stick directly into a host of polarizing issues”.[110] Former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Bill Bolling, a Republican, condemned Youngkin’s repeal of public school mask mandates, saying that it introduced “unnecessary controversy, confusion and litigation” and calling it “in direct conflict with an existing state law.”[110] The legality of Youngkin using an executive order to ban the teaching of critical race theory has also been called into question.[113][114]VPM News reported that Youngkin’s critics view the order as “unenforceable”.[114]The Washington Post noted that no governor had “banned critical race theory via executive order” before Youngkin and predicted that any such order would face court challenges, writing that it was “not clear” whether Youngkin would be exceeding his legal authority by issuing such an order.[113]
Lawsuits
Two lawsuits were brought in January against Youngkin’s executive order nullifying local public school mask mandates in Virginia. One of the lawsuits was brought by a group of parents from Chesapeake and the other was brought by seven of the state’s school boards.[115][116][117] The lawsuits argued that Youngkin’s executive order infringed upon local control given to Virginia school boards by the state constitution and violated a state law requiring that Virginia public schools comply with CDCP health guidelines “to the maximum extent practicable”.[117][118] The ACLU, representing a group of medically vulnerable students in Virginia, brought an additional lawsuit in February, arguing that Youngkin’s policy violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by discriminating against students who would be at high risk if infected by COVID-19.[119] Youngkin called on Virginia parents to cooperate with school principals while the lawsuits proceeded.[115][117]
A majority of public school districts in Virginia refused to comply with the executive order and continued to enforce local mask mandates into February.[119] On February 4, an Arlington County judge ruled to allow mask mandates to be temporarily retained in the seven school districts that had sued to stop Youngkin’s order while their case proceeded through the courts.[120][121] Three days later, the Virginia Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit brought by the group of parents from Chesapeake; the dismissal was for procedural reasons and did not rule on the legality of Youngkin’s executive order, nor did it overturn the ruling that had been issued that week in Arlington County. The same day that the Chesapeake lawsuit was dismissed, the Youngkin administration joined a lawsuit against the Loudoun County school system, brought by a group of parents in that county, who were challenging their school system’s decision to continue enforcing a mask mandate.[122]
School systems throughout Virginia began dropping their mask mandates in mid-February, after Youngkin signed a bill requiring that they do so by March 1.[123][124] The ACLU expanded the scope of its lawsuit against the Youngkin administration to include this new law, and on March 23, 2022, a federal judge decided the lawsuit by ruling that school districts in Virginia could choose to require masking in areas frequented by the plaintiffs. The ruling did not overturn Youngkin’s executive order or the state law and only applies to school systems attended by the plaintiffs.[124]
Youngkin began announcing nominations for his sixteen member cabinet on December 20, 2021 and did not finish the process until after his inauguration.[125][126][127][128] According to The Washington Post, Youngkin assembled his cabinet at a slower pace than prior Virginia governors.[129][130][131] Commenting on this process, the publication wrote in December 2021, “The slow pace has turned the quadrennial parlor game of predicting Cabinet picks into a far more protracted and opaque process [than usual], with lobbyists, interest groups and other Richmond insiders left guessing what the new administration might look like. Youngkin’s practice of sidestepping many policy specifics during the campaign has only heightened the anticipation.”[129]
Several news outlets noted that Youngkin’s focus on education as a campaign priority was reflected in his decision to begin announcing his cabinet nominees with his choice for Secretary of Education.[125][132][133] Although Youngkin suggested while campaigning for the Republican gubernatorial nomination that he would name his then-opponent Kirk Cox, a former Speaker of the House of Delegates, to the position,[134] he instead chose Aimee Rogstad Guidera, the founder of a data firm focused on fostering student achievement.[125][132][133]
Five of Youngkin’s cabinet nominees are women and three are African American.[128] Many of his nominees were brought in from other states,[110] and only a few of his nominees had any prior government experience.[126][131]The Washington Post wrote of these nominees, “Their newcomer status is on brand for Youngkin, who ran touting his lack of political experience as an asset. But it also presents the new administration with a steep learning curve.”[96]
To serve as his chief of staff, Youngkin chose Jeff Goettman, who served as a Treasury Department official in the Trump Administration before becoming the chief operating officer of Youngkin’s campaign.[130][135][136] Youngkin and Goettman share a professional background in private equity.[135]Kay Coles James, who was the first Black woman to serve as president of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, joined Youngkin’s administration as Secretary of the Commonwealth.[137] For the role of counselor, a cabinet-level position, Youngkin chose Richard Cullen, an attorney described by The Washington Post as “the ultimate Richmond insider”.[96][130] Cullen had been chairman of McGuireWoods, and in the 1990s, served out the remainder of Jim Gilmore‘s term as Attorney General of Virginia, after Gilmore resigned to run for governor.[130][136]The Washington Post reported that Cullen’s appointment was “widely seen as a nod to the establishment class”[96] and theorized that the choice “could suggest that Youngkin does not intend to thoroughly disrupt ‘politics as usual’ in a state where cozy ties between government and business interests have long been lauded – and derided – as ‘the Virginia way.’”[130] The publication further wrote, “At the very least, the choice indicates that Youngkin wants an experienced political hand on his team as he tries to get his arms around the state’s sprawling bureaucracy.”[130]
Chief Diversity Officer
Youngkin finished announcing his cabinet nominees on January 19, 2022, with his choice for Chief Diversity Officer.[128] This position was established by Youngkin’s immediate predecessor, Ralph Northam, in response to a scandal involving racist imagery appearing on Northam’s medical school yearbook page – a scandal that nearly caused Northam to resign from office. The idea for a Chief Diversity Officer was born out of a commitment made by Northam to focus the remainder of his term on advancing racial equity in Virginia.[126][138] Youngkin did not announce a nomination for Chief Diversity Officer until after his inauguration,[128] which led to media speculation that he would be eliminating the position.[126] Youngkin’s nominee for Chief Diversity Officer, Angela Sailor, was an executive at the Heritage Foundation and held multiple roles in George W. Bush’s presidential administration.[128]
Virginia’s Chief Diversity Officer oversees the state’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which was designed under Northam to “address systemic inequities” existing within the state government.[128][138] Upon announcing Sailor’s nomination to serve in his cabinet, Youngkin issued an executive order restructuring the agency. The order said that the agency would “be an ambassador for unborn children”, devote resources towards emphasizing parental involvement in public school education, take an increased role in “[assisting] Virginians living with disabilities and bringing Virginians of different faiths together”, elevate “viewpoint diversity in higher education”, and focus on creating “equal opportunity” for every Virginian.[128] Youngkin sought to rename the agency as the Office of Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion, but a legislative proposal to do so was voted down in the state senate.[139]
Andrew Wheeler nomination
Youngkin’s initial nominee for Secretary of Natural Resources, Andrew Wheeler, was voted down on a party-line vote in the Democratic-controlled State Senate.[140][141][142][143] Wheeler had served as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the Trump Administration, and before that, worked as a coal lobbyist. His tenure at the EPA was marked by reversals of environmental regulations that had been implemented by the Obama administration, and his nomination to serve in Youngkin’s cabinet was heavily criticized by environmental advocates.[131][144][145] A letter signed by 150 former EPA employees was sent to the Virginia legislature expressing opposition to Wheeler’s nomination.[140][146]
As noted by The Washington Post, cabinet nominees almost always receive bipartisan support in Virginia state politics; although prior Virginia governor Bob McDonnell withdrew one of his cabinet nominees in response to Democratic opposition, only one cabinet nominee before Wheeler had ever been formally voted down by the Virginia state legislature – Daniel G. LeBlanc, an AFL–CIO chief whose nomination by Tim Kaine to serve as Secretary of the Commonwealth was rejected by Republicans in 2006.[131][140][147] Wheeler served as acting Secretary of Natural Resources until mid-March 2022, when Youngkin appointed him as a senior advisor, a role that does not require confirmation by the legislature.[140][143][148]
Leading up to the vote on his nomination, Republicans in the Virginia House of Delegates retaliated against Democrats for opposing Wheeler, by both blocking the reappointment of a judge to the State Corporation Commission and leaving two Virginia Supreme Court vacancies open.[145][146][140] After Wheeler’s nomination was defeated in the State Senate, House Republicans, with Youngkin’s support, announced plans to reject about 1,000 appointees to state boards; the appointees had all been nominated by Northam, and it was a long-standing custom in Virginia politics for an outgoing governor’s nominees to be confirmed with bipartisan support. Many of the nominees had already been serving in their positions for several months. After Democrats responded by threatening to reject all future appointments made by Youngkin, Republicans scaled back their plan and rejected only eleven of Northam’s nominees. The rejected nominees had been appointed to the Virginia State Board of Education, the State Air Pollution Control Board, the State Water Control Board, the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.[141][142][149][150] According to Republican leadership in the Virginia House of Delegates, vacancies were created on these specific boards so that Youngkin would have greater influence over boards related to his main policy priorities.[142] Democrats retaliated in turn by rejecting four of Youngkin’s five nominees to the Virginia Parole Board and one of his nominees to the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board.[151][152]
According to The Washington Post, conflict continued to escalate throughout the 2022 legislative session between Youngkin and Democratic state legislators as a result of the dispute that had begun with Wheeler’s nomination.[153][154][155] Youngkin went on to issue more vetoes during that session than any of his immediate predecessors had done during their own first years in office.[153] All of the bills vetoed by Youngkin had been sponsored by Democrats and had passed the legislature with bipartisan support. In several cases, Youngkin vetoed bills sponsored by Democratic state senators while signing identical bills that had been sponsored by Republican delegates. It is common for identical bills to be passed in both chambers of the Virginia legislature, and it is considered standard for governors to sign both versions of such bills. In response to Youngkin’s vetoes, The Washington Post wrote, “Typically a governor signs both versions, allowing both sponsors bragging rights for getting a bill passed into law. Longtime state legislators said they could not think of a case in which a governor signed one bill and vetoed its companion.”[153][154] The publication further wrote that “the vetoes were widely seen as payback” for the portion of Youngkin’s nominees that had been rejected by Democrats.[153]
Unpaid advisors
The Youngkin administration has drawn notice from both The Washington Post and The Richmond Times-Dispatch for its use of Matthew Moran and Aubrey Layne as unpaid advisors.[156][157]
Moran has served pro bono in the administration as both Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs. He has done so while on paid leave from two political consulting firms; one of these firms “runs public affairs campaigns designed to influence legislators through such things as TV ads and polling”, according to The Washington Post.[156] That publication, along with The Richmond Times-Dispatch, has noted that Moran’s role in the Youngkin administration has drawn scrutiny for presenting a possible conflict of interest.[156][157] The former publication wrote that while there is precedent for Virginia governors to have unpaid advisors, “Moran’s situation is especially unusual, because he works full time for the administration with a state title, but without upfront disclosure that he’s a volunteer on someone else’s payroll.”[156]
Aubrey Layne, who served as Secretary of Finance in the Northam administration, has served as an unpaid advisor to his successor in the Youngkin administration, Stephen E. Cummings, and has done so while serving as an executive at Sentara Healthcare.[156][157]
Richard Cullen, Youngkin’s counselor, has said that he personally determined both Layne and Moran’s roles in the administration to be in compliance with state ethics rules.[156][157]
Tipline for “divisive practices”
During his first week as governor, Youngkin set up an email tipline to receive reports about what he characterized as “divisive practices” in Virginia schools. The tipline was announced in a January 21, 2022 news release focused on Youngkin’s executive order banning school mask mandates.[158][159] Three days later, Youngkin discussed the tipline on a conservative radio show, where he said that parents should use the tipline to report “any instances where they feel that their fundamental rights are being violated, where their children are not being respected, where there are inherently divisive practices in their schools.”[158] Speaking of the practices to be reported, he said on the radio show that his administration would “catalogue it all” and begin “rooting it out”.[160]
The tipline was described by The Washington Post as “part of a broader push by Youngkin to identify and root out what he says are elements of critical race theory in the state’s curriculum.”[158] The publication further reported that the tipline was viewed by “a teachers union, Democrats in the General Assembly, some parents and other observers…as divisive, authoritarian and unfairly targeting educators.”[158] Virginia Republicans have defended the tipline by comparing it to systems that previous governors of the state had set up for people to report violations of business regulations and health protocols.[158][161] On January 26, a spokesperson for Youngkin tweeted that critics of the tipline had mischaracterized it and described the tipline as “a customary constituent service.”[162][163]
A week after the tipline debuted, CNN reported that the initiative had drawn national attention.[164]Colin Jost derided the tipline on Saturday Night Live during Weekend Update,[165] and John Legend encouraged opponents of the initiative to co-opt the tipline, tweeting, “Black parents need to flood these tip lines with complaints about our history being silenced. We are parents too.”[158][162][166] Several media outlets reported that critics of Youngkin were spamming the tipline.[158][162][164][165][167] Describing it as a “snitch line”, political scientist Larry Sabato predicted that the tipline would “backfire” on Youngkin.[168] Near the end of January, WSET reported that the tipline had been criticized by “Virginia teachers and the Virginia Education Association…for targeting teachers who are already struggling amid staffing shortages and other challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic”, while The Lead with Jake Tapper reported that the tipline could cause retention problems among Virginia educators.[164]
On February 3, Youngkin explained that his administration was “responding” to complaints submitted to the tipline but did not say whether there would be ramifications for teachers mentioned in those complaints.[169] Multiple inquiries by The Virginian-Pilot about how complaints sent to the tipline will be used by the Youngkin administration have gone unanswered.[159] Youngkin has denied FOIA requests to see emails sent to the tipline, citing the “working papers and correspondence” exemption in Virginia’s FOIA law.[170][171][172] In April, a group of over a dozen media outlets sued the Youngkin administration for access to the emails. The lawsuit argues that the “working papers and correspondence” exemption does not apply in this instance, because access to the emails has not been restricted solely to Youngkin’s office (Youngkin has allowed a conservative think tank to access the emails).[173]
Loudoun County School Board proposal
During Virginia’s 2022 legislative session, a bill concerning elections for the Loudoun County School Board was amended by Youngkin in an effort that, if successful, would have caused elections to be held a year in advance for seven of the board’s nine members.[174][175][176] A spokesperson for Youngkin described the amendment as an attempt at “holding [the board] to account” for their handling of two sexual assaults that had occurred in that county’s school system a year earlier.[174] Opposing the Loudoun County School Board over a variety of issues had been a major focus of Youngkin’s gubernatorial campaign.[174][177] In response to Youngkin’s proposed amendment, Democrats, several political scientists, and the county school board itself charged that Youngkin was attempting to subvert the election results that had placed the board members in office.[153][154][155][178]The Washington Post reported that Youngkin’s effort had “stunned many state political observers as an intrusion into local election integrity without modern precedent in Virginia.”[174] The publication further wrote at the time that the amendment was one of the “more controversial actions” that Youngkin had taken[154] and led to “one of the harshest partisan eruptions” in the Virginia state legislature since the start of Youngkin’s term.[155] Legal scholar A.E. Dick Howard argued that the amendment was likely in violation of Virginia’s Constitution, which Howard had helped to write in the 1970s.[174] The proposed amendment passed in the Republican-controlled House of Delegates but was defeated in the Democratic-controlled State Senate.[155][174][176][178]
Political positions
Youngkin with Virginia’s Congressional delegation in December 2021
Youngkin with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan in January 2022
The Washington Post wrote that during his campaign for governor, Youngkin “offered a moderate conservative platform, but also played into hot-button culture wars.”[179] About a week after his inauguration, All Things Considered reported that although Youngkin “came to power as a sort of establishment Republican politician, a businessman who spoke to suburban families” and who “gave off…[a] dad-next-door image”, his administration quickly began “leaning into a lot of the same themes as [Trump]”.[180] Around the same time, The Washington Post reported that Youngkin “caught even some allies off guard” with the partisanship of his administration.[110] As governor, Youngkin subjected many executive branch positions to litmus tests on abortion, critical race theory, and transgender policies.[141]
While running in the Republican primary, Youngkin pledged to “stand up against all of the legislation that has been passed by the Democrats” and to be an opponent of abortion.[181] At that time, he spoke out against gun legislation that Democrats had passed, including expanded background checks, handgun purchase limitations and red flag laws.[181] After winning the nomination, he de-emphasized these social issues, seeking to appeal to suburban swing voters.[181] In July, the National Rifle Association (NRA) declined to endorse Youngkin after he declined to fill out their candidate survey.[182] In September, a Democratic-aligned group began running ads in conservative parts of Virginia, seeking to diminish Republican turnout by attacking his lack of an endorsement from the NRA.[183]
Abortion
Youngkin describes himself as “pro-life” but says he supports legal access to abortion in cases of saving the pregnant patient’s life, rape, and incest.[184] Youngkin criticized the Texas Heartbeat Act, which bans abortions around the sixth week of pregnancy except to save the mother’s life. He stated that he preferred a “pain threshold bill” which bans abortion at around twenty weeks.[185][186] In July 2021, while running for governor, he was caught on a hot mic telling an activist that he would “start going on offense” against abortion rights if elected governor but would largely avoid the topic until then, saying “as a campaign topic, sadly, that in fact won’t win my independent votes that I have to get.”[187][188]
As governor, Youngkin introduced a failed amendment to the state budget, that if adopted by the legislature, would have banned the state government from funding abortion services in cases of severe fetal abnormalities. This would have made Virginia’s policy on the public funding of abortion services consistent with the federal Hyde Amendment, which allows it only in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother.[189][190][191][192]
In May 2022, following the leaked draft opinion of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Youngkin joined with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan in calling on the federal government to intervene against peaceful protests targeting the homes of conservative Supreme Court Justices living in Virginia and Maryland. Commenting on these abortion rights protests, Youngkin said, “We have moments where common sense needs to prevail. And common sense here fully dictates that the ability to, in fact, demonstrate and express your views is protected under the First Amendment. It’s just not appropriate nor is it legal to do it at the residence of justices.”[193] Youngkin was criticized by some conservatives for seeking federal action rather than enforcing a state law that bars protesters from targeting private residences.[193][194] The state law was dismissed as “weak” by Youngkin.[193]The Washington Post described the state law’s constitutionality as unclear while noting that “enforcement would be up to local authorities in Fairfax County, not the governor.”[193] The publication noted that Youngkin and Hogan both believed the protests to be in violation of “a federal law that forbids demonstrations intended to sway judges on pending cases”.[193] Youngkin sought to block the protesters by having a perimeter established around Justice Samuel Alito’s neighborhood, but his request was denied by Fairfax County officials, on the grounds that they believed such a perimeter would have been unconstitutional.[193] In June 2022, Youngkin responded to the protests by introducing an amendment to the state budget, that if adopted, would have made it a felony in Virginia to participate in any protest seeking to intimidate or influence a judge.[195][192] That budget amendment was defeated after receiving bipartisan opposition in the state legislature.[192]
After the final opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson was issued, Youngkin expressed support for the ruling and announced that he would seek a 15-week abortion ban in Virginia. He also picked four state lawmakers to find common ground solutions to reduce abortion in Virginia.[196]
COVID-19
Youngkin supports the COVID-19 vaccination effort but opposes mask and vaccine mandates.[197] He and his family are vaccinated.[198] In his first address to the General Assembly, he emphasized his position on the state’s vaccination efforts by stating, “Speaking to you as your governor, I’ll never tell you what you must do. But speaking to you as your neighbor and a friend, I strongly encourage you to get the vaccine.”[109]
Shortly before taking office, Youngkin announced that he would challenge the Biden administration’s employer vaccine mandate.[199] After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the mandate for certain health care workers but against the mandate for other private employers, Youngkin co-signed a letter with West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, asking the Biden administration to exempt rural and state run hospitals from the mandate, citing staffing shortages at many of those hospitals.[200]
While running for governor, Youngkin said that he would model his public school mask policy after that of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis by banning local school boards from implementing their own mask mandates. Youngkin reversed this position later in the campaign, saying through his PR team that although he opposed Virginia’s statewide public school mask mandate, he would give local school boards the discretion to implement their own mask policies.[110][197] After winning the election, he re-emphasized his intention to repeal the statewide mandate while still allowing for local mandates.[110][201] On his first day in office, January 15, 2022, he reversed his position again, signing an executive order that both repealed the statewide mandate and attempted to nullify any local mandates.[105][106][110][160] This executive order was challenged by two lawsuits contending that it was in violation of state law at the time and exceeded Youngkin’s constitutional authority.[115][117] It was also challenged by the ACLU in a lawsuit arguing that the order was discriminatory against medically vulnerable students.[119] Youngkin called on Virginia parents to cooperate with school principals while the lawsuits proceeded.[115][117] On February 16, 2022, Youngkin signed a bill that made masking optional in all public schools throughout Virginia. The bill passed along mostly party lines and took effect on March 1.[123] The ACLU’s lawsuit against the Youngkin administration was decided on March 23, in a ruling that maintains Youngkin’s ban on school mask mandates except for in areas frequented by the plaintiffs.[124]
Two other executive actions signed by Youngkin on his first day in office related to his pandemic response policies. One rescinded the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all state employees; the other called for a reevaluation of the workplace safety standards that the Northam administration had adopted as a pandemic mitigation strategy.[105] On February 16, 2022, Youngkin convened the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Safety and Health Codes Board to vote on whether to revoke those safety standards. A few days before the vote, House Republicans rejected the nominations of two members that had been appointed to the board by Northam; both members were expected to vote against revoking the safety standards. Their nominations were rejected as part of a larger process of expelling Northam appointees from several state boards, which was undertaken by Republicans in response to Democrats defeating Youngkin’s nomination of Andrew Wheeler to serve as a cabinet secretary.[142]
The remaining members of the Safety and Health Codes Board voted 7 to 3 in favor of recommending that the safety standards be revoked.[142][202] Following a public comment period, the board reconvened on March 21 and voted to officially revoke the safety standards. Virginia had been the first state to adopt workplace safety standards in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the standards, which included a mask mandate for workers in high-risk indoor areas, officially ended on March 23, 2022.[202][203][204][205]
Upon taking office, Youngkin extended a limited state of emergency that had been implemented by the Northam administration ten days earlier to increase hospital capacity and allow medical professionals licensed in other states to practice in Virginia. The extension was originally set to last until February 21, 2022[198] but has been renewed to last at least through March 22.[206]
In January 2022, the Virginia Department of Health, under Youngkin’s authority, became one of the first states to cease efforts at contact tracing every positive case of COVID-19. Health officials with the department explained that the decision was made primarily due to the increased difficulty of contact tracing the omicron variant. These officials further explained that the policy would allow the department to better focus its resources on responding to “outbreaks and cases in high risk settings” and that individuals who test positive should continue to personally notify contacts.[207][208][209][210]
In May 2022, Youngkin announced that on July 5 of that year, he would be scaling back the telework policy for Virginia’s executive branch employees, which had been expanded two years earlier by Northam in response to the pandemic.[211][212][213] Under Youngkin’s policy, those employees can telework one day a week or on a temporary basis with approval from the head of their agency, two days a week with approval from a cabinet secretary, and three or more days a week with approval from Youngkin’s chief of staff.[211][214][212] Youngkin argued that his policy would lead to increased innovation and improved customer service across state agencies.[211][215] Democrats criticized Youngkin’s policy, arguing that it would endanger state workers amid the ongoing pandemic while causing retention problems for state agencies.[215] They called on Youngkin to maintain Northam’s policy until at least after Labor Day, so as to ease pressure on state employees struggling to find childcare over the summer.[215][216] Youngkin’s policy not only rescinds Northam’s policy but gives state agencies less discretion to approve telework arrangements than they had held before the pandemic began.[213]The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Youngkin’s policy diverged from private sector trends favoring telework options[212] and could lead to challenges for state employees in rural areas with particularly long commutes.[217] In early June, the Youngkin administration missed a self-imposed deadline for approving telework requests.[218]
Criminal justice
An amendment that Youngkin introduced to the 2022 state budget limited the number of inmates who could qualify for an expanded early release program that was scheduled to begin later that summer. The program allows inmates in Virginia to earn time off their sentences through good behavior credits. It had been expanded through legislation signed in 2020 by Youngkin’s predecessor, Ralph Northam, so that Virginia’s cap on how many good behavior credits could be earned was raised for most inmates. As this expansion of the program was originally designed, the newly available credits could not be used to reduce sentences for violent crimes but could be used by inmates convicted of violent crimes to reduce any concurrent or consecutive sentences that had been imposed for nonviolent reasons. Youngkin and other Republicans characterized this aspect of the program as an unintentional loophole that needed correcting. Democrats largely disagreed with that characterization. Youngkin’s amendment, which was adopted by the General Assembly along mostly party lines, made inmates convicted of violent crimes fully ineligible for the expanded program, meaning that these inmates could not use the newly available credits to reduce even sentences imposed for nonviolent crimes.[195][219][220][221][222]
Although the expanded early release program was approved by Northam in 2020, it did not take effect until July 1, 2022. Because the newly available credits were made applicable retroactively for anyone who would have earned them earlier in their sentences, about 550 inmates convicted of violent crimes were set to be released once the law took effect in July 2022.[220][223] Youngkin’s amendment was approved a few weeks before these inmates would have been released.[191][219][220][221]
Economy
During his campaign for governor, Youngkin frequently said that Virginia’s economy was “in the ditch”.[224][225][226] Some political scientists, such as Mark Rozell, considered this an unusual position, since throughout the campaign, Virginia had low unemployment, a budget surplus, and a AAA bond rating. The state had also been rated that year by CNBC as the Top State for Business. Youngkin argued against the merits of the CNBC rating, stating that it put too much emphasis on inclusivity and noting Virginia’s poor ratings in the “cost of living” and “cost of doing business” categories.[224]
The Washington Post noted that more than two months after winning the Republican nomination, Youngkin had “yet to disclose any formal economic plan.”[224] One of Youngkin’s main proposals at that stage of the race was an elimination of Virginia’s individual income tax.[179][224] According to NPR, this proposal received “criticism from both Democrats and Republicans that doing so would wipe out around 70% of Virginia’s General Fund.”[227] Before the end of his campaign, Youngkin retracted his proposal to eliminate the tax,[179][227] calling it “aspirational”[179] and saying, “In Virginia, we can’t get rid of income tax, but we sure can try to bring it down.”[227]
In late August 2021, Youngkin announced a series of more modest tax cut proposals. These included eliminating the grocery tax, suspending the gas tax increase, offering a one-time rebate on income tax, doubling the standard deduction on income tax, cutting the retirement tax on veterans’ income, implementing voter approval for any additional increase to local property taxes, and offering a tax holiday for small businesses.[179][228][229] Upon their announcement, the Associated Press called these proposals “the most wide-ranging and detailed look at the priorities of a potential Youngkin administration”.[228] If enacted, these proposals would amount to $1.8 billion in one-time tax cuts and $1.4 billion in recurring tax cuts. Youngkin has proposed paying for the tax cuts with the state’s $2.6 billion budget surplus. The Washington Post and NPR have both noted that much of the surplus is unavailable for tax cuts, since state law requires that over half of the surplus be devoted to the state’s “rainy day” reserve fund, water quality improvement fund, and transportation fund.[227][229]
As his campaign’s senior economic advisor, Youngkin hired Stephen Moore, who had helped oversee significant tax cuts in Kansas several years earlier when Sam Brownback was in office as that state’s governor.[179][224][227] NPR noted towards the end of the Virginia gubernatorial campaign that Youngkin “sourced much of his fiscal agenda from [Moore].”[227] In response to Moore’s hiring, The Washington Post described the Brownback tax cuts as “an experiment widely seen as a failure, leading the state to slash spending for priorities such as education and transportation when revenue dried up”. The publication noted that the tax cuts were ultimately repealed “on a bipartisan vote”.[224] Youngkin’s Democratic gubernatorial opponent, Terry McAuliffe, cited the economic downturn in Kansas as a way to critique Youngkin’s economic platform.[224] Moore acknowledged after joining the Youngkin campaign that the Brownback tax cuts had negatively impacted the Kansas economy but argued that they should be perceived as an anomaly, saying that several other states “did really well when they lowered taxes”.[224]
Youngkin has said that he intends to continue efforts begun under his predecessor, Ralph Northam, to modernize the Virginia Employment Commission, which, according to The Washington Post, “struggled with outdated computer systems and a lack of staffing during the heightened demands of the pandemic.”[229] On his first day in office, Youngkin signed an executive order calling for a review of the state agency.[105] In March 2022, his administration was awarded a grant from the Biden administration‘s Labor Department to combat inequities in the Virginia Employment Commission’s operations. The grant was made available through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Virginia was among the first states to receive such a grant, because, according to The Washington Post, its application to participate in the program had been one of the “most thorough”. Youngkin’s administration has not announced its plans for the grant money.[230]
Youngkin has also said that he intends to continue efforts begun under Northam to expand broadband access in Virginia.[109]
Youngkin opposes the gradual minimum wage increase that had been initiated in Virginia by the Northam administration, arguing that the eventual target of $15 dollars an hour will cause the state to “lose jobs”.[231] He supports Virginia’s right-to-work law[66][232] and has promised to veto any legislation repealing it.[233][234] He has also backed the idea of repealing both collective bargaining rights for public employees and the requirement that all public works use project labor agreements.[110]
Youngkin’s education platform was identified as the centerpiece of his campaign by much of the national media,[85][235][236][237][238][239] and he sought to mobilize voters on the issue by holding Parents Matter rallies.[236][237] According to Politico, Youngkin “hung his campaign on education”.[239]The New York Times wrote that Youngkin’s campaign turned Virginia public schools into “a cultural war zone”.[237]
Cultural issues and curriculum
Throughout the campaign, Youngkin spoke against what he characterized as the pervasive teaching of critical race theory in the state.[85][235][236][237][239]Politifact found this characterization of his to be false, saying it found no evidence that critical race theory was part of state curriculum standards and little evidence of it being taught in classrooms.[107] The publication wrote, “Critical race theory is being widely discussed by educators across Virginia. But there’s a difference between educators learning about the theory and actually teaching it to students.”[107] Critics of Youngkin noted that he sent his own children to private schools where resources promoting critical race theory have been recommended. Youngkin served on the governing board for one of those schools from 2016 until 2019 but has distanced himself from anti-racism initiatives that were adopted by the school.[164]
The Washington Post identified the Loudoun County school system as “ground zero for Youngkin’s victory”, citing the widespread activism among parents in the county who opposed progressive school policies.[240] Following two sexual assaults that occurred in Loudoun County schools, Youngkin called for campus police to be stationed at every school in Virginia,[241][242] and after winning the election, he directed the state’s Attorney General, Jason Miyares, to investigate the Loudoun County school system’s handling of those assaults.[105] Initially, the perpetrator of the assaults was characterized as gender fluid; although this was later denied by the perpetrator’s lawyer, conservative media coverage focused on this aspect of the assaults, and the news story fueled opposition to bathroom policies that had been newly adopted in Virginia to accommodate transgender students.[243][244][245] Youngkin’s Democratic opponent in the election, Terry McAuliffe, said that the assaults were being exploited during the campaign as “a transphobic dog whistle”.[243]
A major subject of opposition among Republicans during the campaign was a state law signed in 2020 by Youngkin’s predecessor, Ralph Northam, requiring that all Virginia public schools adopt protections for transgender students.[235] Youngkin himself has been critical of these protections. While running for governor, he supported teachers who refused to refer to their students by preferred pronouns and argued against allowing transgender girls to play on girls’ sports teams.[85][235][237][239]
Youngkin’s first official action as governor was to sign an executive order banning Virginia schools from teaching critical race theory. The order also bans critical race theory from teacher diversity trainings and any other materials produced by the Virginia Department of Education.[104]The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that the executive order “targets various initiatives…including the EdEquityVa Initiative, a program aimed at promoting cultural competency in classrooms, higher teacher diversity, and decreasing suspension rates for Black students.”[111]
This same executive order cancels the Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative,[106][246] a program that had been developed and proposed by the Northam administration in an effort to both close the racial achievement gap and better equip students with modern job skills.[247][248][249][250] According to The Virginian-Pilot, some critics of the program viewed it as “a dumbing down of standards”.[247] Youngkin called the program a “left-wing takeover of public education”,[246] and many conservatives claimed that it would have eliminated advanced high school math classes – a claim that Youngkin gave prominence to during his campaign. James Lane, Virginia Superintendent at the time, and NPR, both disputed this characterization of the program.[249][251][248][247] The Virginia Math Pathways Initiative would have prioritized data science and data analytics over calculus while still offering students the opportunity to enroll in calculus at an accelerated pace. Although education officials within the Northam administration explored the potential benefits of detracking students prior to the 11th grade, no plans to do so were ever adopted, and in April 2021, those officials explained that the Virginia Math Pathways Initiative was not designed to eliminate advanced math classes at any grade level.[247][249][251][250] Shortly after Youngkin and other conservatives first began speaking out against the Virginia Math Pathways Initiative, The Washington Post reported that the actual nature of the program had been “obscured…[by] prominent Virginians and copious coverage from right-wing news outlets” as “outrage built online” among those opposed to it.[249]
In early April 2022, Youngkin signed a bill allowing school parents throughout Virginia to review and opt their children out of any educational material containing “sexually explicit content”; any opted out student would be provided with alternative material.[252][253][254] This is the first statewide law in the nation allowing for parental review of sexually explicit content in school curriculum. Democrats have criticized the bill for taking control over education away from local school systems and have argued that its definition of “sexually explicit content” is “overly broad”.[255] The bill passed along mostly party lines.[255] A similar bill, known as the “Beloved Bill”, was vetoed by McAuliffe in both 2016 and 2017. That bill, which had originated when a conservative activist took issue with the inclusion of Beloved in her high school senior son’s AP English class, became one of the focal points of Virginia’s 2021 gubernatorial election,[88][255] and reviving the bill was identified by The Washington Post as “one of the key promises” of Youngkin’s campaign.[255]
Education budget
Youngkin and McAuliffe both campaigned on increasing the education budget in Virginia,[235] where teacher salaries have perpetually lagged behind the national average.[256][257] During the campaign, McAuliffe proposed investing $2 billion annually in education and increasing teacher pay in Virginia to above the national average, while Youngkin’s own proposals included $100 million a year for raising teacher salaries, $200 million for improvements to school infrastructure, and over $1 billion for expanding school choice programs. McAuliffe criticized Youngkin for not releasing budget details until late in the campaign and argued that spending on education in Virginia could be threatened by the extent of Youngkin’s tax cut proposals.[229][235][258][259]
After the election, outgoing governor Ralph Northam proposed implementing a 10% salary increase for Virginia teachers over two years; when asked, Youngkin did not specify whether he agreed with the proposal but reiterated that he shared the general goal of raising teacher pay.[256]
Charter schools and lab schools
While running for governor, Youngkin voiced support for expanding charter schools in the state and set a goal of adding at least twenty during his term.[228][229] After the election, The Richmond-Times Dispatch reported that Youngkin’s actual goal for charter schools would be to increase the number in Virginia “to match North Carolina, which has more than 200.”[133] Only seven charter schools currently exist in Virginia,[260] one of the lowest amounts in the country,[229] and Youngkin has backed proposed legislation that would shift the authority to approve new charter schools from local school boards to newly created “regional charter school divisions”. These divisions would have nine voting members, eight appointed by the Virginia State Board of Education, and one appointed by local school boards within the region.[261]
The state budget that Youngkin signed for 2022 includes $100 million for re-establishing lab schools in Virginia.[262][263][264] These K-12 public schools, which are separate from charter schools, had previously existed in the state and had continued to be allowed under Virginia law before Youngkin came into office, but none remained operating in the state by the start of Youngkin’s term.[265][266] Previous lab schools in Virginia had been established as partnerships with institutions of higher learning; only public colleges and universities with teacher training programs were allowed to enter into these partnerships.[265][266][267] An amendment that Youngkin introduced to the 2022 state budget removed the requirement that all lab schools in the state act as teacher training programs. It also opened lab school partnerships to be formed with community colleges or certain private universities. Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears had to break a tie vote in the State Senate for this budget amendment to be approved by the General Assembly.[262][263][264][221] Youngkin has additionally advocated for allowing private businesses to enter into lab school partnerships.[265][266][268] He has said that lab schools could be either newly established or converted out of existing schools[265][267] and has supported legislation that would direct the Virginia State Board of Education to “give substantial preference” to lab school applications filed by historically black colleges or universities. Under that legislation, the same preference would be given to applications seeking to establish lab schools in “underserved communities”.[268]
Youngkin supports revising how Virginia public schools are funded, so that per pupil funding for any students attending lab schools in the state would go to the institutions operating the schools attended by those students instead of going to the public school boards for the districts where those students reside.[221][269] An amendment proposed by Youngkin for the 2022 state budget would have enacted this plan but was not adopted by the General Assembly.[262][263][264][221] Although the Virginia Education Association and the Editorial Board of The Free Lance–Star have both supported Youngkin’s goal of re-establishing lab schools in Virginia, they have also both criticized Youngkin’s plan for redirecting per pupil funding away from local school boards, noting that because Virginia law allows lab schools to enroll students from anywhere in the state, the plan could lead to decreased funding for certain school districts.[269][270]
School safety
In April 2022, Youngkin signed House Bill 741 into law mandating all public schools in Virginia to create detailed digital floor plans of their buildings. The law also provides $6.5 million dollars to schools to create these floor plans.[271]
Asked if he accepts the scientific consensus on the causes of climate change, Youngkin said he does not know what causes climate change and that the cause is irrelevant.[273] He supports climate change adaptation efforts such as building additional seawalls.[273][274] While running for governor, Youngkin said he would not have signed Virginia’s Clean Economy Act (which calls for Virginia’s carbon emissions to reach net zero by 2050) because he believes it would increase utility prices.[273] Youngkin is in favor of what he calls an “all of the above approach” to energy, saying that he supports both renewable energy sources and natural gas.[275]
After winning the election, Youngkin said that he would use an executive action to withdraw Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a regional carbon cap-and-trade market. Youngkin has called the initiative a “carbon tax” and has stated that leaving the initiative would save ratepayers an average of about $50 a year.[276] Democrats have countered that leaving the initiative would cut off a source of revenue for the state that raises hundreds of millions of dollars a year; this revenue is used for flood control and to provide low income ratepayers with energy assistance.[276] On his first day in office, Youngkin signed an executive order calling for a reevaluation of Virginia’s membership in the initiative.[96]The Washington Post noted that because Virginia entered the initiative through legislative action, Youngkin may lack the legal authority to withdraw from the initiative without legislative approval.[276] The publication theorized that this legal limitation may have been why Youngkin ultimately ordered a reevaluation of the initiative rather than a withdrawal.[96]
In his 2022 address to the General Assembly, Youngkin called for the state to better protect against pollution of the James River, voiced support for ongoing efforts to clean the Chesapeake Bay, and proposed that the state establish a Coastal Virginia Resiliency Authority to combat rising sea levels.[109][277] Later that year, Youngkin opposed the scope of a bill that had been designed to improve Virginia’s flood preparedness. According to The Washington Post, Youngkin attempted to “gut” the bill by amending it but was overruled by a unanimous vote by the State Senate.[155]
In April 2022, Youngkin issued an executive order that rescinded former governor Ralph Northam’s order to ban single-use plastics at executive branch state agencies. Although the replacement order issued by Youngkin also directed state agencies to develop a plan for increasing recycling in Virginia and reducing food waste by companies in the state, environmental groups criticized the order, claiming that recycling alone without measures to curb the sale of single-use plastic is “a clear step in the wrong direction that will result in irreversible damage.”[278]
Health care
During Virginia’s 2022 legislative session, Youngkin vetoed bills that would have set a three year statue of limitations on the collection of medical debt and prohibited health insurance companies from charging higher premiums for tobacco use. Both bills had passed the state legislature with broad bipartisan support.[153][154][155] Youngkin explained his veto of the latter bill by claiming that such a policy would have caused higher costs for consumers. According to The Washington Post, this claim conflicted with national studies showing that the policy would have decreased costs for consumers. The publication also noted that Youngkin’s veto of that bill was in opposition to “the unanimous recommendation of a bipartisan study commission”.[155]
Immigration
An amendment that Youngkin introduced to the 2022 state budget took away $10 million over two years in financial aid that had been planned for undocumented immigrants pursuing higher education in Virginia and used the money instead to increase financial aid for students attending Virginia’s historically black colleges and universities.[279][280] The amendment was passed by the General Assembly along mostly party lines.[191] According to The Washington Post, half of the money reallocated by the amendment will be “used to supplement in-state student aid at Norfolk State and Virginia State universities, which are both public institutions” and the other half will be used to “increase Virginia Tuition Assistance Grants, a form of aid for residents attending private colleges and universities, to $7,500 from $5,000 a year for students enrolled in historically Black institutions.”[280]Lamont Bagby, chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, condemned the amendment, calling it the wrong way to help HBCUs.[280] Several Democrats characterized the amendment as an attempt at “pitting” two different disadvantaged student groups against each other.[280][281]The Richmond Times-Dispatch noted that Youngkin could have drawn from “up to $50 million in unappropriated money” in state revenue to assist Virginia’s HBCUs, rather than taking money that had been initially allocated to assist undocumented immigrant students.[279]
Youngkin personally opposes same-sex marriage, but has said he would not interfere with the issue as governor.[282] In an interview with the Associated Press, he said that he considers same-sex marriage “legally acceptable” and that “as governor, [he] would support [legal same-sex marriage].”[283][284] He has maintained the governor’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board but has been criticized by members of that board for what they have described as his lack of meaningful support for the LGBTQ+ community.[285]
In June 2022, Youngkin expressed some support for LGBTQ+ Pride Month; he hosted “a private Pride reception at the Capitol” but did not invite any of Virginia’s openly LGBTQ+ state legislators to the event, which was boycotted by all but one member of the LGBTQ+ Advisory Board and by other LGBTQ+ groups. Those who boycotted the event did so because they saw it as inconsistent with Youngkin’s policy stances, which they considered to be in opposition to the LGBTQ+ community.[286][287][288] That same month, Youngkin hosted the Log Cabin Republicans, an LGBTQ+ Republican group, at the Governor’s Mansion.[285] Youngkin rejected a request from the LGBTQ+ Advisory Board to issue a proclamation recognizing Pride Month,[288] while his decision to hold a Pride event has been condemned by the socially conservative Family Foundation of Virginia, which wrote that Youngkin’s choice to celebrate Pride Month “dismays many people of faith”.[286]
Marijuana
In 2022, Youngkin proposed an increase in criminal penalties for individuals found in possession of more than two ounces of marijuana, from a $25 fine to criminal misdemeanor penalties.[289][290][291] Under Youngkin’s proposal, possession of more than two ounces would be a Class 2 misdemeanor, while possession of more than six ounces would be a Class 1 misdemeanor. Possession of more than a pound is classified as a felony under Virginia law, which would remain the same under Youngkin’s proposal.[290]
When Virginia legalized limited marijuana possession under the Northam administration, it became the only US state not to have misdemeanor penalties for possession over the legal amount. Youngkin’s proposal to introduce such penalties in place of the current law’s simple fine was inspired by a recommendation made in 2021 by the state legislature’s nonpartisan Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.[289][290][291] Before Youngkin made his proposal, the Democratic-controlled State Senate had passed a bill during the 2022 legislative session that would have made possessing more than four ounces of marijuana a Class 3 misdemeanor. That bill, which also would have legalized the sale of recreational marijuana in Virginia, was rejected by the Republican-controlled House of Delegates.[290]
Youngkin has also proposed raising the legal age for purchasing CBD products in Virginia to 21 and banning products that contain Delta-8 THC, which is described by The Washington Post as “a hemp-derived compound that has become popular for its similarity to Delta-9, the main compound in marijuana that gives consumers a high.[290]
Voting rights
As governor, Youngkin has continued the work of restoring voting rights to former felons, an effort that began under Governor Bob McDonnell and then intensified under McDonnell’s immediate successors, McAuliffe and Northam. Virginia is one of only eleven states that does not automatically allow former felons to vote by the end of their sentences. An amendment to the state constitution that would have established automatic voting rights restoration for released felons in Virginia passed the legislature during Northam’s final year in office, but amendments to the state constitution must be passed during two consecutive legislative sessions before they can be voted on by the public in a referendum, and Republicans in the House of Delegates voted against the amendment during Youngkin’s first year in office.[292]
Personal life
Before taking office, Youngkin lived in Great Falls, Virginia, with his wife Suzanne and their four children.[293]
As of September 2021, Youngkin had an estimated net worth of $440 million;[294] he contributed $20 million of his own money to his race for governor.[295] Although he said that he would release summaries of his tax returns before the election, he did not release them until after the election and has never released his actual tax returns. The summaries have not been independently verified.[296][297] As governor, he has placed some, but not all, of his financial holdings into a blind trust. The assets that he has not placed into a blind trust include stock in several companies that operate in Virginia. Youngkin has said that he will donate his entire gubernatorial salary, $175,000 a year, to charities.[297] In April 2022, he announced that he would donate his salary for the first quarter of that year to the Virginia Law Enforcement Assistance Program, an organization devoted to helping first responders who have experienced trauma.[298]
As a college basketball player Youngkin’s height was listed as 6 feet 7 inches; he now gives his height as 6 feet 5 inches.[299][295]
Youngkin and his wife helped found Holy Trinity Church, which met initially in their basement in McLean, Virginia.[301][302] The Youngkins set up a private foundation which owns the property where the church stands and a farm in Middleburg, Virginia that serves as a Christian retreat.[44][295] Holy Trinity describes itself as a “non-denominational church with Anglican roots and a contemporary charismatic expression.”[303]
^Gottlieb, Jenna (February 15, 2011). “Carlyle names new CFO”. Private Equity International. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.