I have lived all all my life in Virginia. I am orginally from the Tidewater area, have live in central and northern Virginia, and am now back in Tidewater.
All my college education was in Virginia-at some very nice schools (thanks former Gov. Baliles).
I have never missed an election (including primaries) but did not become more involved in supporting Democratic candidates until 1997.
Since then I have walked, phoned banked, donated some money and lots of time to many candidates-local to statewide to national.
Also I have attended many different events – Keep the Ban etc but had never seen Mr. Chopra until I attended the candidates forum in Virginia Beach last Thursday.
All four candidates did a good job that evening and it was great to see such a talented group.
However, I don’t want a good person to win-I want the best person.
I think exerpience for the job does matter-it matters to me that both Northam and Herring have served in the General Assembly.
Here is the biggest reason I will vote for Northam:
Northam’s fight against the requirement of trans-vaginal ultrasounds for women seeking an abortion;
I don’t have to take Northam’s word that he will fight for the women of Virginia-I know he already has.
Both the VEA and NARAL have endorsed Northam (as they did Herring).
So from the crazy area of SE Virginia-home to Pat Robertson,
one of the areas that Bob McDonnell is a “native” of,
here is a chance to turn an area of Virginia
more blue (a bit purple) with the election of Dr. Ralph Northam for Lt. Governor!
All Virginia needs to turn blue, not just the northern part!
The following press release from the Terry McAuliffe for Governor campaign highlights how, increasingly, Virginia business people and moderate Republicans are getting on board with Terry’s campaign. Clearly, a lot of these people don’t see Ken Cuccinelli as good for business, and they’re most definitely right about that. All Cuccinelli would do is to divide Virginia and let our educational and transportation infrastructure fall apart, thus making our state less appealing for businesses and families to come live here. Why would anyone with any business sense want that?
Prominent Virginia business leaders Jimmy Hazel, S. Buford Scott, and David Addison announced their support for Terry McAuliffe on Monday. Hazel is the current chairman of Virginia FREE (Virginia Foundation for Research and Economic Education), a nonpartisan organization which provides information to Virginia’s business community in order to advance responsible, pro-business government. Scott is a former Chairman of Virginia FREE and Addison is currently a member of their Board of Directors.
“We need our next governor to support pro-job, pro-business policies, and that is why we need to make sure we elect Terry McAuliffe for Governor,” Hazel stated. In addition to being the current Chairman of Virginia FREE, Hazel is a Principal at Angler Environmental, an ecological design and building company, and the former Chairman of the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries.
S. Buford Scott, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of BB&T Scott & Stringfellow, said he is supporting McAuliffe because “he is committed to making vital improvements to our transportation systems in Virginia and knows what it takes to diversify Virginia’s economy so we can compete in a global economy.” Scott also referenced McAuliffe’s efforts to garner support for the bipartisan transportation compromise earlier this year as a testament to his commitment to finding mainstream solutions to the challenges facing the Commonwealth.
David Addison, Virginia FREE board member and Senior Vice President and Relationship Manager at Sandy Spring Trust, announced his support for McAuliffe, stating, “As a Virginia businessman and an Independent, I am announcing my support for Terry McAuliffe because he will focus on mainstream issues that will help the Commonwealth’s businesses grow and our communities prosper.” He also encouraged “Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike to support Terry in November.”
Statement from Jimmy Hazel:
“I am endorsing Terry McAuliffe because I know he will work every day to support Virginia’s businesses and make sure our economy remains resilient in the 21st Century. Terry will find mainstream, bipartisan solutions to issues Virginia’s business owners care about, like making our transportation system more efficient, streamlining economic development, and simplifying our tax code. We need our next Governor to support pro-job, pro-business policies, and that is why we need to make sure we elect Terry McAuliffe for Governor in November.”
Statement from S. Buford Scott:
“I am supporting Terry McAuliffe for Governor because he is committed to making vital improvements to our transportation systems in Virginia and knows what it takes to diversify Virginia’s economy so we can compete in a global economy. As director of the Virginia High Speed Rail Association and former Chairman of Virginia FREE, I want our next Governor to be someone who will work with both sides of the aisle, like Terry McAuliffe did when he helped garner support for the bipartisan transportation compromise earlier this year.”
Statement from David Addison:
“As a Virginia businessman and an Independent, I am announcing my support for Terry McAuliffe because he will focus on mainstream issues that will help the Commonwealth’s businesses grow and our communities prosper. I have always supported candidates not because of their political affiliation, but because I know they will tackle the challenges that Virginians care about and will support policies that will attract and keep the best companies here. Terry has been focused from day one on job creation and growing Virginia’s economy, and he knows what our state needs to do to help our businesses expand and hire more workers. I know that Virginia will move in the right direction if we elect Terry McAuliffe to be our next Governor which is why I encourage Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike to support Terry in November.”
Background on Jimmy Hazel:
Jimmy Hazel is the Chairman of the Virginia Foundation for Research and Economic Education (VA FREE), a non-partisan organization committed to protecting and strengthening Virginia’s business community by providing objective political information to business. Hazel is the former Chairman of the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries, and a Principal at Angler Environmental, an ecological construction and consulting firm.
Background on S. Buford Scott:
S. Buford Scott is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of BB&T Scott & Stringfellow, a full service regional brokerage and investment banking firm. Scott has been with the company for over 54 years, and provides investment services for individual clients with assets of over $200 million. He is the Director of the Virginia High Speed Rail Association, served as Chairman of Virginia FREE from 2003-2004, and was a member of the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University. Scott also served for ten years as trustee and member of the Investment Advisory Committee for the multi-billion dollar retirement system for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Background on David Addison:
David Addison is Senior Vice President and Relationship Manager at Sandy Spring Trust and board member of Virginia FREE. He has a history of supporting mainstream candidates who are focused on growing Virginia’s economy and making the Commonwealth more attractive to businesses. Addison was a member of the Boards of Duke University Cancer Center and Duke University Graduate Mentoring Program.
Here are a few Virginia (and national) news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, June 10. Polls open in under 24 hours; make sure you know when and where you’re voting (and for who – Blue Virginia has unanimously endorsed Mark Herring for Attorney General, with a solid majority of us supporting Aneesh Chopra for Lt. Governor).
*Shocking, but not surprising (“A judge says the attorney general’s office has been aiding and abetting Big Coal in its fight not to pay landowners for the gas it has taken from them.” How is this not illegal?!?)
*Virginia candidate Jackson has history of money problems (“The Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in Virginia, Chesapeake pastor E.W. Jackson, has a long history of financial and legal troubles, including his repeated failure to pay taxes in Massachusetts and Virginia, The Washington Examiner has learned.”)
*LTM Editorial: A shift right (“We are disturbed by the trio’s extreme social views, but are equally uneasy about the economic plan that Mr. Cuccinelli has put forward…”)
*Primaries enable an intraparty payback (“… the real bad blood is lower on the ticket, where seven House incumbents – five of them Republicans – representing 112 years of combined legislative experience face nomination challenges from newcomers who believe they’ve broken faith within their parties.”)
Whatever you think of the NSA situation (I have very mixed feelings…will have to sort through in coming days/weeks before commenting much more), let’s make sure we all understand that this all of this started after 9/11, under the Bush administration, and has been authorized repeatedly – and overwhelmingly – by Congress (e.g., members of both parties voted repeatedly, and overwhelmingly, for the Patriot Act, FISA, etc.). So how about we just focus on the substance of this important issue? Yeah, I know, good luck with that – instead, we’ve got Rush Limbaugh and others on the right bashing Barack Obama for this situation, when these same people were cheering LOUDLY when Bush did it. As always, it’s only “wrong” when a Democrat is in the White House. The fact is, this is a complex issue, as President Obama explained the other day, lots of shades of gray and priorities (liberty, security) to be weighed against one another. This is going to take a long time to sort out…as well it should!
On June 9, 2013, Aneesh Chopra stopped by the Richmond City Democratic Committee’s 1st Annual Dem-A-Que and addressed the crowd. Chopra is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor. The Virginia Democratic Primary is June 11, 2013.
In the past, in our various iterations (“Raising Kaine,” “RK,” “Blue Commonwealth,” “Blue Virginia”), we’ve made group blog endorsements of Democratic candidates in contested primaries. Sometimes those are unanimous. Sometimes it’s been a big majority in favor of one candidate or the other. And sometimes, it’s been more evenly split, or perhaps just a small majority, and/or a highly contentious/divisive process, in which cases we don’t make an endorsement. That’s just some context to today’s Blue Virginia endorsement of Mark Herring, which was strong, unanimous, and completely without division or contention of any kind. Bottom line: on this one, there wasn’t even any back and forth, as there often is, but a crystal clear choice: Mark Herring for Attorney General of Virginia.
We will explain our decision in a minute, but first a note about the LG race. In discussions among the Blue Virginia front pagers, we found majority support for Aneesh Chopra, but we also found one person not comfortable making an endorsement in that race, and a couple (e.g., Teddy Goodson) supporting Ralph Northam. Given that, we’ve decided not to make a Blue Virginia group endorsement in the LG race. Individual members of the “front page” have endorsed Aneesh Chopra separately, including Elaine in Roanoke and Lowell Feld’s (full disclosure: Lowell has been consulting to the Herring campaign on social media since January 2013; both Herring and his opponent have run paid ads on this site; nobody else on the Blue Virginia editorial board is consulting to Mark Herring).
Now, back to our unanimous endorsement of Mark Herring. First off, we refer you to the Blue Virginia interview with Herring, as well as to Lowell’s endorsement of Herring back in January. The interview discusses Herring’s background and experience, his reasons for running, his vision for the AG’s office, as well as his positions on a number of issues (e.g., pro-choice, pro-LGBT equality, pro-environment, pro-science, pro-consumer protection). For its part, the endorsement lays out the positive argument for Herring in detail, and we recommend that you read it. Also, see below for why we believe every Virginia Democrat and progressive should enthusiastically, and proudly, cast their vote for Mark Herring on Tuesday.
*Herring is superbly qualified for this job. He’s not just a highly experienced attorney, he’s also served on the front lines both at the local and state levels, giving him a tremendous, deep, detailed knowledge of all the issues facing Virginia. This experience is far and away the best – deepest, broadest, you name it – of the candidates in the race for AG.
*Herring has proven that he can win elections, not in deep-blue Arlington or Charlottesville or Richmond City, but in the “purplish” areas of Loudoun County and western Fairfax County (although note that this district went overwhelmingly for both Barack Obama and Tim Kaine in 2012, so things seem to be looking up from a Democratic perspective).
*Herring has a strong, progressive voting record. According to Project Vote Smart, Herring has consistently received 100% ratings from Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia; a 100% rating from Equality Virginia; and 100% ratings from the AFL-CIO. In addition, Herring was recently named a “Legislative Hero” by the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. That’s a record we can all applaud.
*During this election campaign, Herring has received strong endorsements from people and organizations we greatly respect: climate scientist/hero Michael Mann (victim of Ken Cuccinelli’s out-of-control, outrageous, anti-science witch hunt and abuse of power); NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia PAC; the Virginia Education Association; several big labor organizations; elected officials ranging from Senators Donald McEachin and Adam Ebbin to Delegates Rob Krupicka, Patrick Hope, Alfonso Lopez, Charniele Herring, David Toscano, Delores McQuinn, and Mamye BaCote; Mayors Molly Ward, Paul Fraim, and David Bowers; Arlington Revenue Commissioner Ingrid Morroy; and many many more.
*Herring rolled out a strong “Equality Agenda” for LGBT – and all! – Virginians. In it, Herring pledged to use the power of the Attorney General to push for “anti-bullying policies” and “to support initiatives to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Virginians from discrimination and disparate treatment in state and local agencies and programs.” This is great stuff, and will mark a profund shift from the bigotry and intolerance of Ken Cuccinelli.
*Herring also unveiled his agenda on women’s issues, stressing that “equal opportunities and rights for women and men are critical to the well being and progress of everyone – individuals, families and communities.” On a conference call, State Senator Barbara Favola heaped praise on Mark Herring, asserting that “Virginia’s women can trust Mark Herring because he’s…always been there for us,” and adding, “Mark is the only candidate for Attorney General who’s been an outspoken opponent of the TRAP regulations.” The bottom line, in Sen. Barbara Favola’s view, is that “I fully support Mark Herring for Attorney General, because I know he has our backs, I know we can trust him.” We agree.
*The powerful endorsement by climate scientist Michael Mann of Mark Herring was certainly one of the highlights of this campaign. According to Professor Mann, “it’s a real honor to be endorsing and supporting Senator Herring, because of the brave stance that he took very early on, when my colleagues and I at the University of Virginia were subject to what the Washington Post called a witch hunt by the Attorney General.” For his part, Mark Herring has called Ken Cuccinelli’s actions in pursuing his anti-science vendetta against Michael Mann an “absolutely outrageous and an abuse of power and downright unAmerican,” so bad that “Thomas Jefferson would be spinning in his grave.” That about sums it up, and we strongly appreciate Mark Herring’s leadership in this crucial area.
*We’d also point to Herring’s endorsement by Mary Sue Terry, the only woman ever elected to statewide office in Virginia, and the last Democrat to hold the office of Attorney General of Virginia. That really says a great deal, and we encourage everyone to read that endorsement!
*Over and over again, Herring has emphasized that when he’s Attorney General, he will return that office to one that serves ALL Virginians, that puts the law first, that stands up for mainstream Virginia values, and that works to make Virginia a welcoming place for individuals, businesses, and families to call home.
In the end, we just want to reiterate that this choice was not difficult in any way. In fact, it was one of the easiest endorsements we’ve ever made. On Tuesday, we urge you to vote for Mark Herring. And before then, please tell everyone you know to do the same. Thanks.
For those of you looking for information on which candidate to vote for on Tuesday, June 11, 2013, meet Justin Fairfax, Democratic candidate for Attorney General:
Justin Fairfax says his commitment to protecting the security of and opportunity for Virginia’s families will help him win the Democratic nomination for attorney general of Virginia in next week’s primary, as well as the general election in November.
Fairfax, 34, is a former federal prosecutor who served as the Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. During his time in the office, he served in the major crimes and narcotics unit of the Alexandria Division and had a seat in the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force.
It’s that experience that has given Fairfax the confidence to run for attorney general of the Commonwealth.
“I got to focus on protecting young families and our children,” Fairfax told Patch from the road Thursday. “We want to do that on a statewide scale.”
Fairfax’s success as a federal prosecutor has won him rave reviews:
But Fairfax’s history as a prosecutor sets him apart from his Democratic opponent.
Fairfax left the U.S. Attorney’s office nine months ago to focus on the campaign, and things have progressed quickly.
“In that time we’ve come very far very fast,” Fairfax said.
His history as a prosecutor has won Fairfax some big endorsements, including the stamp of approval from The Washington Post.
“Mr. Fairfax … is the more dynamic candidate and our choice for the Democratic nomination,” Post editorial staff wrote in their endorsement. “Mr. Herring has a greater range of experience, but Mr. Fairfax combines an agile and impressive command of the issues with a prosecutor’s passion for justice.”
Fairfax recently went on a statewide “Security and Opportunity Tour,” during which he and his camp told Virginians that if he were elected, he would work to safeguard their security and give them more economic opportunities.
“People have gotten very excited about our message,” Fairfax told Patch Thursday.
Herring narrowly led Fairfax in a May 29 poll by Public Policy Polling, in which 3 percent more Democrats said they would vote for Herring. Herring also holds a lead in fundraising efforts.
But Fairfax is focused on making one final push for supporters in the coming days, and agrees with the endorsement from the Post about his qualifications.
“We feel like we’re in a really strong position to win,” he said.
Fairfax received his degree from Duke University and graduated from Columbia Law School. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and two children.
WTF? Seriously? Can you imagine if Democrats or the media did this? Wow…what a bunch of hypocrites these Republicans are! Also, note that Republican AG nominee Mark Obenshain sponsored this law, which I heard was rammed through “in the dark of night,” so to speak. Amazing.
Remember how Virginia Teapublican LG nominee EW Jackson said Yoga was satanic? (“The purpose of such meditation is to empty oneself…{Satan} is happy to invade the empty vacuum of your soul and possess it.“) Well, somebody better call this guy fast, because we’ve got a Satanic-style crisis in Turkey that needs Bishop Jackson’s (divine) intervention ASAP! (snark) Check it out…mass Yoga demonstrations against the autocratic ruler of Turkey!
Here are a few Virginia (and national) news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, June 9. Also, it looks like a beautiful day today; if you can, head out and canvass for your favorite Democratic candidate (e.g., Mark Herring), just like this photo of Aneesh Chopra canvassers – including recent Arlington School Board candidate Barbara Kanninen – yesterday.
*Schapiro: Bob and Maureen talk it through (“A late-night, might-have-been conversation at the Executive Mansion between Gov. Bob McDonnell and first lady Maureen McDonnell”)
*Critical vote on Beach light rail (“Tuesday’s vote is the start to a process that must be methodical and completely transparent. Virginia Beach’s future as a financially healthy, vibrant place to live and visit is at stake.”)
*An ideology that punishes children (“The prevailing political philosophy in Richmond starves public schools of sufficient funding. Voters must object.”)
The following press release from the Terry McAuliffe for Governor campaign highlights how, increasingly, Virginia business people and moderate Republicans are getting on board with Terry’s campaign. Clearly, a lot of these people don’t see Ken Cuccinelli as good for business, and they’re most definitely right about that. All Cuccinelli would do is to divide Virginia and let our educational and transportation infrastructure fall apart, thus making our state less appealing for businesses and families to come live here. Why would anyone with any business sense want that?
Here are a few Virginia (and national) news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, June 10. Polls open in under 24 hours; make sure you know when and where you’re voting (and for who – Blue Virginia has unanimously endorsed Mark Herring for Attorney General, with a solid majority of us supporting Aneesh Chopra for Lt. Governor).
