Top 101 Most-Viewed* Blue Virginia Posts of 2019

With a little over a week left in 2019, it’s a pretty good time to look at what Blue Virginia’s top posts were this year. First, though, according to Google Analytics, we’ve had about 2 million pageviews (and 1.6 million “unique pageviews”) on Blue Virginia this year – not too shabby (note: I’ve been told by the techies that Google Analytics is a conservative estimate). In terms of most-viewed articles, also per Google Analytics, see below for the top 101 of 2019.

Looking at this list, it’s interesting that the top stories were…. Other popular topics in 2019 were: LOTs on the 2019 elections, both primaries and the general election on November 5th; obviously, the “blackface” and Justin Fairfax sexual assault accusations scandals; Sen. Amanda Chase’s lunacy about rape victims and the Capitol Police; several stories about the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Mountain Valley Pipeline; the Kathy Tran “late-term” abortion bill controversy; “winners and losers” lists; gun issues; etc. What I’m *not* seeing in the top-101 list are articles about a gazillion other topics we covered in 2019, including detailed coverage of the General Assembly session. Why do you think that is? Do people mostly like the “horse race” and stories with “conflict” in them? That’s my guess.

With that, let us know what you think the most important Virginia stories of 2019 were, and what you’d like to see more/less of in 2020. Oh, and of course thanks to all our readers, sponsors, and contributors (Adam, Cindy, Kellen, Andy, Jon, Ivy, Chaz, Will, Edwin, Jeff, Josh, Kenny, Ken, Julie, etc.) including of course tech whiz Brendan Lilly, who kept the site looking great and humming along in 2019!

1. Live Blog: Virginia Election Results 2019 [Dems Take House and Senate, Win Key Races in Prince William, Loudoun, etc.]
2. Virginia 2019 Candidates for House of Delegates, State Senate, County Boards, Other Offices
3. Virginia Primary Day 2019 Results: Live Blog
4. Old Town, Alexandria Incident Highlights Why “Open Carry” Laws in Virginia Must Be Repealed
5. FINAL RESULTS: Who Do You Support in Contested County Board Races (Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun Counties)
6. BREAKING: Sen. Mark Warner Statement on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Report
7. Polls: Who Do You Support in Virginia House of Delegates Democratic Primaries?
8. Addressing this Rebellion Against Anticipated Virginia Gun Laws
9. BREAKING: Huge Loss as Long-Time Virginia Democratic House Leader David Toscano Announces Retirement
10. Virginia Election Day 2019: Open Thread
11. Summer Parade in Churchville, VA Features Confederate Flags, Trump 2020 Signs, “Open Carried” Rifles and Handguns
12. Video: On “The Last Word,” CNU Professor Rachel Bitecofer Argues That “It’s All About the Base.”
13. Polls, Polls and More Polls: Who Do You Support in Virginia State Senate Democratic Primaries?
14. The Truth About Dominion’s Richmond Coliseum Plan
15. BREAKING: Supreme Court, in 5-4 Vote, Upholds New, Racially-“Unpacked” House of Delegates Districts
16. Video: At Annandale HS, Virginia LG Justin Fairfax Asks CNN’s Jim Acosta About Due Process Rights
17. Video: Loudoun Chair Phyllis Randall Refuses to Take Off “Moms Demand Action” Button, Says She’s “Embarrassed” for GOP Colleagues
18. My Dad’s a Fox-News-Watching Texan. What He Said About Pete Buttigieg Stunned Me.
19. South Carolina Won’t Legalize Marijuana This Year
20. Video: Great-Great-Granddaughter of USA’s 1st Reform Rabbi Confronts KKK at Hanover County Courthouse
21. WaPo Endorses All Men in Fairfax County; Reportedly Asked Female Candidate, “How will you be Chairman with two young children?”
22. Video: In Lopsided Debate, Democrat Qasim Rashid Utterly Demolishes Republican State Sen. Richard Stuart
23. “Her Screams Were So Bad I Nearly Called the Police…But I Felt Bad For the Guy”
24. Video: All Hell Breaks Loose at the End of 31st State Senate District Democratic Primary Debate
25. BREAKING – A Bat****-Crazy Week in Virginia Politics Gets Even Crazier: Ralph Northam in Blackface???; Tran/Surovell/Barker Town Hall Canceled Due to Security Concerns
26. Audio: In Robocall, Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid Blasts “Complete and Total Lie” in Commonwealth’s Attorney Race
27. Justin Fairfax Accuser Vanessa Tyson Issues Statement: “I am telling the truth. I have no political motive. I am a proud Democrat”
28. BREAKING: VA House Dems Choose Del. Eileen Filler-Corn as New Speaker, Del. Charniele Herring as New Majority Leader
29. Right-Wing Republican Virginia State Senator Amanda Chase: “It’s those who are naive and unprepared that end up raped”
30. BREAKING: Hard-Right Del. Nick Freitas Fails to File Properly, Announces He’s Withdrawing His Candidacy
31. BREAKING: Huge Upset – and Huge Debacle – as Prince William County Republicans Do Their Best to Commit Political Suicide
32. Sen. Amanda Chase Tries to Explain Her Outrageous Comments About Rape Victims, Fails Miserably, Gets Ripped Yet Again
33. Final Results of Polls on Who BV Readers Think Is Going to Win the Dem Primaries for House of Delegates on June 11
34. “It’s so shameful.” Entire Elected GOP Leadership of Virginia County Indicted
35. Fairfax County School Board Nominee Encourages Collaborative Reform In Wake of Traumatic Encounter with Law Enforcement
36. Community Activists Speak Out Against Party Gatekeeping in SD12
37. Every Single Virginia Republican Member of Congress Votes AGAINST Voting Rights; Every Virginia Democrat Votes FOR Voting Rights
38. Alicia Plerhoples Announces Candidacy for Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
39. Since the WaPo Failed to Publish Them, Here’s a Sampling of Prince William County Republican Chairman Candidate John Gray’s Offensive Tweets
40. Va. Del. Dawn Adams (D-HD68) on Third-Trimester Abortion Bill: “I made a mistake…I did not read a bill I agreed to co-patron”
41. Voters Petition to Have Loudoun Republican Commonwealth’s Attorney Candidate Nicole Wittmann Disqualified
42. Virginia Primary Day 2019: Open Thread
43. Polls: Who Do You Think Is Going to Win the Dem Primaries for State Senate on June 11?
44. Video: Fundamentalist Pastor Delivers “Incredibly Offensive” Invocation to Virginia House of Delegates
45. Mountain Valley Pipeline Flips Another Excavator, Sends Huge Tree Stump Rolling Off Right-of-Way that Almost Hits Bystanders
46. POLL: Who Should Be Virginia’s Next Lt. Governor?
47. “On Life Support” – Virginia Republicans Say Their State Party Is In Shambles
48. Transphobic Arlington Parents Group Sends Letter to Arlington Public School Staff
49. Sen. Creigh Deeds Statement on Video of “Independent” Opponent Removing Democratic Campaign Lit from Door
50. Will Trump’s Attack, Like Pearl Harbor, Awaken a “Sleeping Giant”?
51. Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni on Institutional Racism, the Need for Increased Diversity in Leadership
52. 1Q2019 Virginia Campaign Finance Numbers Start Coming In (Will Keep Updating this Post)
53. Video: Virginia House GOP Candidate Suggests “Commonsense” “Ankle Bracelets” for Women Getting Abortions
54. Virginia Speaker-Designee Eileen Filler-Corn Announces Transition Team
55. Endorsement: Justin Hannah for Loudoun County Sheriff
56. Virginia Dems Introduce First Bills for 2020…Plus the Equal Rights Amendment [UPDATED: Lots More Bills!]
57. UPDATED (9/2/19) Virginia House, Senate Ratings by Ben “Not Larry Sabato” Tribbett, Chaz Nuttycombe
58. Endorsement: Ghazala Hashmi for Virginia State Senate
59. Ben “Not Larry Sabato” Tribbett’s and CNU Professor Rachel Bitecofer’s Final Virginia Election 2019 Predictions
60. A Hate Group Held an Anti-Muslim Event in Warrenton, Virginia: Hate Lost, Love Won
61. “Not Larry Sabato” Ratings for Virginia State Senate, House of Delegates Races
    State Senator Amanda Chase (R-11th) Claims Capitol Police Are Partisan Liars
62. Endorsement: Ray Morrogh for Reelection as Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney
63. Roanoke College Poll: Trump at 53%-27% (-26 Pts.) Disapproval in Virginia; Dems Lead by 8 Pts. for House of Delegates, 5 Pts. for State Senate
64. You Must Be Kidding. LG Justin Fairfax Accused of Rape by Former Classmate at Duke.
65. LG Justin Fairfax Refutes Allegations Published in Same Far-Right Website That Published Northam Photo
66. After Tuesday, These Races Should Be High Priorities for Virginia Democrats
67. Virginia Senate Democrats Announce Leadership, Committee Chairs ahead of 2020 Legislative Session
68. FOIA Requests Find that Sen. Amanda Chase (R-SD11) Grossly Exaggerated, May Have Outright Lied to Defend Her Nasty Behavior to Virginia Capitol Police
69. Fairfax County School Board Member Ilryong Moon (D) Quits Dem Committee Amid Concerns He Could Stay on Ballot, Lead to 1-2 Rs Winning
70. BREAKING: US Court of Appeals for 4th Circuit DENIES “En Banc” Rehearing Requested by Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC
71. Wason Center Assistant Director Rachel Bitecofer: Key to 2019 Virginia Elections Is Getting Out Dem Voters; Best Way to Motivate Them Is Tapping Into “Trump Angst”
72. Video: Sen. Mark Warner Says AG Barr Has “Little Credibility” Because He’s “Time and Again, Not Acting as Our Attorney General But as a Personal Advocate for Donald Trump”
73. Dick Saslaw Owes My Wife An Apology
74. What On Earth Is Happening in Virginia’s House District 76?!? [UPDATED 2x]
75. Saturday News: Conservative Columnist David Brooks Calls Trump a “Sociopath” for El Paso “Thumbs-Up” Photo; “ICE raids target workers, but few firms are charged”; Cooch Says “‘No Pretty Way’ to Do Arrests, ICE Raids”; “Is Atlantic Coast Pipeline still a viable project?”
76. Del. Danica Roem: $16,438 from 409 Donations Received in a Few Hours After Her Statement on the “Westboro Baptist Church” Story
77. Reaction to Northam Photos Highlights VAST Moral Difference Between Virginia Democrats and Republicans When It Comes to Racism, Bigotry
78. “This Is What Democracy Looks Like”: Big Turnout for HD86 Democratic Nominating Caucus [UPDATE: Ibrahim Samirah Declares Victory]
79. Little Girls – America’s New Sacrificial Lambs
80. Video: Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Holds Press Conference on Sexual Assault Allegations, Gov. Northam
81. Statement: Pro-Choice Coalition Stands with Delegate Kathy Tran In the Face of Political Attacks
82. Video: Former Rep. Jim Moran Speaks in Sudan; Alexandria City Council Member Mo Seifeldein, Who Is From Sudan, Says He’s “Extremely Disappointed”
83. Polls: Who Do You Think Is Going to Win Fairfax County Dem Primaries on June 11?
84. Kyle McDaniel, Who Left GOP in Disgust Over Trump, Announces Run for Fairfax County School Board as Independent
85. The Latest from SD24, Where Far-Right Virginia Republican Tina Freitas – Who Opposed “Filthy Old Man” Trump Because He Wasn’t Conservative Enough! – Is Challenging Conservative Incumbent Sen. Emmett Hanger (R)
86. SD33 Special Election Results: Congratulations to State Senator-Elect Jennifer Boysko (D)!
87. Beto O’Rourke Schedule for Virginia (4/16-17)
88. Meet the Fairfax GOP-Endorsed, Far-Right School Board Candidates: Cheryl Buford Edition
89. Political Winners and Losers: Virginia Elections 2019
90. Definition of Insanity: Mountain Valley Pipeline Asks for “Emergency Authorization” to Prevent a Life Threatening Landslide
91. Winners and Losers: Virginia Primaries 2019
92. Video: Ralph Northam Keeps Opening Mouth, Inserting Foot (“Indentured Servants” vs. “Slaves”), Showing He Still Doesn’t Get It
93. Virginia’s Swung Blue, But It Hasn’t Trickled Down To the Countryside
94. Virginia Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax: “Attempts to bully [Del. Kathy Tran] or threaten her with violence are abhorrent”
95. Fun Times as Virginia House Republicans Fight on Facebook Over Freitas Fiasco
96. Mountain Valley Pipeline Company Has a History of Killing Its Own Workers
97. Democratic Nominee Steve Descano Rips “Trump Lawyer’s Entrance Into [Fairfax] Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Race”
98. Former Legislative Aide to Joe Morrissey Is on the Ballot as an Independent Candidate Against Morrissey. Should Dems Back Him?
99. Video: Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax’s Former Policy Director Speaks Out – “I believed and still believe that the Lieutenant Governor has lost the moral legitimacy to hold public office”
100. Republican Extremists Running for Fairfax County Public School Board
101. Chaz Nuttycombe’s Final 2019 Virginia Predictions: +7 D in House of Delegates, +4 D in State Senate