It’s Election Day 2019 here in Virginia – a crucial election in the Commonwealth’s history, with the chance – as Daniel Marans over at HuffPo explains very well:
- “to take control of both of Virginia’s state legislative chambers on Tuesday, bringing the state under unified Democratic control for the first time in a quarter century”
- to “have far-reaching implications for the state’s policies and politics…to pursue a host of liberal priorities like an increase in the state’s minimum wage, laws protecting LGBTQ rights and abortion rights and tougher gun safety regulations”
- to constitute ” a reaffirmation of [Virginia’s] secession from the South ― and it would be on the shoulders of a newer America”
There’s a lot of good stuff right there, but it will only happen if Democrats win both the Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate in today’s elections. I’d also add something else important that’s at stake today: as I wrote back in August, “a big Democratic victory in the November 5, 2019 Virginia elections would not only be good in and of itself, but would create a superb narrative line heading into 2020.”
So, with those high stakes, hopefully voters will turn out in droves today and vote Democratic up and down the ticket, against any Trump Republican and/or Trump enabler on the ballot. Polls are open from 6 am until 7 pm, which gives you 13 hours to exercise one of your most precious rights (and duties, IMHO, particularly at this moment in history) as an American – voting.
What are you seeing and hearing out there? What’s turnout like in your neck of the woods? Please let Blue Virginia readers know in the comments section of this post. Thanks.
P.S. For some final predictions, see 2018 VPAP “So You Think You’re a Pundit” Winner Predicts +7-8 D in the Virginia House of Delegates, +4 D in State Senate, Chaz Nuttycombe’s Final 2019 Virginia Predictions: +7 D in House of Delegates, +4 D in State Senate and Ben “Not Larry Sabato” Tribbett’s and CNU Professor Rachel Bitecofer’s Final Virginia Election 2019 Predictions.
P.P.S. Here are a bunch of races I’ll be watching closely in Virginia today – and live blogging about tonight:
HD10: Del. Wendy Gooditis (D) vs. Randy Minchew (R)
HD13: Del. Danica Roem (D) vs. Kelly McGinn (R)
HD21: Del. Kelly Fowler (D) vs. Shannon Kane (R)
HD27: Larry Barnett (D) vs. Del. Roxann Robinson (R)
HD28: Joshua Cole (D) vs. Paul Milde (R)
HD30: Ann Ridgeway (D) vs. Nick Freitas (write-in)
HD40: Dan Helmer (D) vs. Del. Tim Hugo (R)
HD50: Del. Lee Carter (D) vs. Ian Lovejoy (R)
HD51: Del. Hala Ayala (D) vs. Rich Anderson (R)
HD66: Sheila Bynum-Coleman (D) vs. Speaker Kirk Cox (R)
HD68: Del. Dawn Adams (D) vs. Garrison Coward (R)
HD72: Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg (D) vs. GayDonna Vandergriff (R)
HD73: Rodney Willett (D) vs. Mary Margaret Kastelberg (R)
HD81: Len Myers (D) vs. Del. Barry Knight (R)
HD83: Nancy Guy (D) vs. Del. Chris Stolle (R)
HD84: Karen Mallard (D) vs. Del. Glenn Davis (R)
HD85: Alex Askew (D) vs. Rocky Holcomb (R)
HD91: Martha Mugler (D) vs. Colleen Holcomb (R)
HD93: Del. Mike Mullin (D) vs. Heather Cordasco (R)
HD94: Shelly Simonds (D) vs. Del. David Yancey (R)
HD100: Phil Hernandez (D) vs. Del. Rob Bloxom (R)
SD7: Cheryl Turpin (D) vs. Jen Kiggans (R)
SD8: Missy Cotter Smasal (D) vs. Sen. Bill DeSteph (R)
SD10: Ghazala Hashmi (D) vs. Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R)
SD11: Amanda Pohl (D) vs. Sen. Amanda Chase (R)
SD12: Debra Rodman (D) vs. Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant (R)
SD13: John Bell (D) vs. Geary Higgins (R)
SD17: Amy Laufer (D) vs. Sen. Bryce Reeves (R)
SD28: Qasim Rashid (D) vs. Sen. Richard Stuart (R)
Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair: Ann Wheeler (D) vs. John Gray (R)
Prince William Board of County Supervisors – Brentsville District: Maggie Hansford (D) vs. Supervisor Jeanine Lawson (R)
Prince William Board of County Supervisors – Coles District: Raheel Sheikh (D) vs. Yesli Vega (R)
Prince William Board of County Supervisors – Occoquan District: Kenny Boddye (D) vs. Supervisor Ruth Anderson (R)
Prince William County School Board Chair: Babur Lateef (D-endorsed) vs. Alyson Satterwhite (R-endorsed)
Prince William County Sheriff: Josh King (D-endorsed) vs. incumbent Glendell Hill (R-endorsed)
Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney: Amy Ashworth (D-endorsed) vs. Mike May (R-endorsed)
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair: Incumbent Phyllis Randall (D) vs. John Whitbeck (R)
Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney: Buta Biberaj (D-endorsed) vs. Nicole Wittmann (R-endorsed)
Loudoun County Sheriff: Justin Hannah (D-endorsed) vs. incumbent Michael Chapman (R)
Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney: Steve Descano (D-endorsed) vs. Jonathan Fahey (I/R-endorsed)
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors – Springfield District: Linda Sperling (D) vs. incumbent Pat Herrity (R)
Fairfax County School Board – Springfield District: Laura Jane Cohen (D-endorsed) vs. incumbent Elizabeth Schultz (R-endorsed) and Kyle McDaniel (I)
Fairfax County School Board – Sully District: Stella Pekarsky (D-endorsed) vs. incumbent Tom Wilson (R-endorsed)
Fairfax County School Board – Dranesville District: Elaine Tholen (D-endorsed) vs. Anastasia Karloutsos (I) and Ardavan Mobasheri (I)
Fairfax County School Board – At Large: Abrar Omeish (D-endorsed), Rachna Sizemore Heizer (D-endorsed), incumbent Karen Keys-Gamarra (D-endorsed) vs. Vinson Palathingal (R-endorsed), Priscilla DeStefano (R-endorsed), Cheryl Buford (R-endorsed)
Chesterfield County Commonwealth’s Attorney: Incumbent Scott Miles (D-endorsed) vs. Stacey Davenport (R-endorsed)
Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney: Incumbent Shannon Taylor (D-endorsed) vs. Owen Conway (R-endorsed)
Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors: Democrat Javaid Siddiqi (D) vs. incumbent Leslie Haley (R)
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
