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Arlington Dems Press Release: JD Spain, Sr. Secures Democratic Primary Nomination for Arlington County Board

By
Blue Virginia
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4

From the Arlington County Democratic Committee; congratulations to JD Spain!

JD Spain, Sr. Secures Democratic Primary Nomination for Arlington County Board

ARLINGTON, VA—Arlington Democrats are excited to announce the nomination of Julius “JD” Spain, Sr. (“JD Spain, Sr.”) for Arlington County Board. Following the final ballot tabulations released by Arlington’s Office of Voter Registration and Elections on Saturday, June 22, JD Spain, Sr. emerged as the winner of Democratic Primary for Arlington County Board.

Spain crossed the threshold in Round 4 of ranked-choice voting tabulations, receiving 10,565 (52%) of the overall votes. Election results will be certified at the upcoming Arlington Electoral Board meeting on Monday, June 24 at 4:00 p.m. Arlington Democrats will marshal the full resources of the Democratic Party to elect Spain on November 5, 2024.

“Arlington Dems are excited to have our County Board nominee for November,” said Steve Baker, Chair of Arlington Democrats. “I know JD will work hard to represent our entire community, and we are excited to get to work electing all of our candidates up and down the ballot.”

“I’m grateful for the broad support across the county for the work we hope to do in our community,” said JD Spain, Sr., Democratic Nominee for Arlington County Board. “Today’s results show that we are ‘One Arlington,’” he continued, “and I welcome all fellow Democrats and others to join our campaign until victory is won in November.”

To learn more about JD Spain, Sr. and to contact his campaign, please visit his website at JDforArlington.com.

Political Winners and Losers: Virginia Primary Elections June 2024

By
lowkell
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9

Here are a few winners and losers that I believe are worth highlighting from the most recent Virginia election cycle. Note that this list isn’t even close to comprehensive – nor is it intended to be – so please add winners and losers of your own in the comments section if you’d like; I’m sure I missed some, maybe a bunch! By the way, it’s important to point out that you can be a “winner” even if you’re a right-wing Republican (e.g., McDonnell and Cuccinelli in 2009 – or Youngkin in 2021 – were “winners,” even though they suck!) or whatever, and that you can be a “loser” even if you’re the greatest (or my favorite) Democrat in the world, because in this context “winner” and “loser” is all about whether someone “won” or “lost” politically in this election cycle, not whether that makes me happy or not or whether it’s normatively a “good” or “bad” thing, per se. Also, the lists aren’t in any particular order, except of course for the biggest loser from this election, which you can see below and is VERY obvious. 😉

Oh, one more thing – I’ve always asked people for their opinions, so some of the following aren’t originally by me, but I’ve chosen to include them (in quotes/italics when they’re someone else’s wording) because I thought they were interesting, because I agreed with them in full or part, etc.. Still, you’re welcome to blame me if you don’t like them. LOL

P.S. I’m obviously not going to include everyone who won or lost a primary in these lists, but only ones that jump out at me for whatever reasons.

Winners

1. Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10): “Her endorsement carried the weight and was the validator in Loudoun to lock down support.” When I heard that Rep. Wexton had endorsed State Sen. Suhas Subramanyam, my initial response to several people was, “that’s game/set/match, right?”  In the end, it almost certainly made the difference in a close race with Del. Dan Helmer, who outspent Subramanyam and ended up finishing second by just 3.6 points. More broadly, Wexton is a “Winner” in every other sense of the word, including her courage in the face of a life-threatening illness, her great work for the 10th Congressional district, her incredibly successful political career, including her January 2014 special election win for State Senate, her reelection to the State Senate in November 2015, her Democratic nomination for VA10 in June 2018 and her win over Barbara Comstock in November 2018, plus her reelections in 2020 and 2022. Anyway, thanks to Jennifer Wexton for all her amazing service to Virginia, and good luck going forward – we’re all pulling for her!

2. Eugene Vindman: “Ran strong and won every county. Grew as a candidate, and will have the resources necessary to hold the seat.” From the beginning of this primary, my view was that it was Vindman (with a national profile and tons of $$$) against a scattered field of local candidates, each of whom (Del. Briana Sewell, PW Supervisors Andrea Bailey and Margaret Angela Franklin, plus former Del. Elizabeth Guzman) has some following, but not much money. And that’s pretty much the way it turned out, with Vindman coming close to 50% of the vote, followed by Guzman at 15% and Sewell at 13%. So, a dominating, impressive win for Vindman, who we now all need to support for the general election this November, in a district that’s “purple” and definitely not safe-Democratic.

3. Suhas Subramanyam: His solid base in Loudoun County, the heart of the 10th congressional district, plus a crucial endcorsement from highly popular incumbent Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10), helped boost Subramanyam to victory in a crowded field of fellow legislators, a former VA Secretary of Education, etc. Subramanyam will likely win handily this November – and represent this district quite possibly for many years to come. Quite impressive from somebody who first ran for office just 5 years ago (to succeed then-Delegate John Bell, who was running for State Senate), and was just elected to the State Senate in November 2023. Wow.

4. John McGuire: This guy is an insurrectionist who was literally in the pro-Trump mob outside the US Capitol on 1/6/21. He’s also been a completely ineffective legislator in the Virginia General Assembly. But in today’s Republican Party, just about all that matters is being loyal to the Dear Leader, Donald Trump, and that helped boost McGuire over incumbent Rep. Bob Good (R-VA05) to almost certainly (pending a possible recount) be the next Congressman from the 5th congressional district. What a steep decline in quality from Tom Perriello, just a few years ago but feels like an eternity…

5. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11): “85% for any incumbent, especially in this climate with the Squad and Justice Dems screaming unconditional unilateral ceasefire, is a solid win.” Rep. Connolly has been doing a great job in the U.S. House and richly deserved to be renominated. And that’s what happened, with Connolly racking up a 71-point victory margin over his primary challenger, who mostly seemed upset about the fact that Congress (overwhelmingly) passed an aid package for Israel (note: the package also included significant humanitarian assistance for Gazans who badly need help).  Anyway, here’s hoping that Rep. Connolly will continue to be an excellent representative of the 11th Congressional District for years to come.

6. Leslie Mehta: A VERY impressive showing (winning by 33 points) for this first-time candidate in the VA01 Democratic primary against former VA01 Democratic nominee Herb Jones. Unfortunately, VA01 is a pretty “red” district, with an entrenched incumbent (Republican Rob Wittman) who has a TON of money. Still, Mehta’s 66.3% vote share in the Democratic primary certainly puts her in the “winners” column for this writeup. (P.S.  Abigail Spanberger could also be on the “Winners” list for her endorsement of Mehta, which arguably helped propel Mehta to her huge win in the primary)

7. Gloria Tinsley Witt: Another impressive showing for another first-time Democratic candidate, this time in the VA05 Democratic primary. Witt ended up defeating two opponents – Gary Terry and Paul Riley – with 57.2% of the vote, and now will face likely VA05 GOP nominee John McGuire in the fall. Unfortunately, this is a very “red” district, but still, impressive performance in the primary by Witt, and hopefully she can make the case to VA05 voters that McGuire is an extremist who’s been completely ineffective in the Virginia General Assembly – and will be just as ineffective (or worse!) in Congress.

8. Missy Cotter Smasal: A 70%-30% win in the Democratic primary for Smasal is impressive, and hopefully will provide some momentum for the fall, with a tough-but-winnable race looming against incumbent Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02), who is truly abysmal but also has a ton of money. The keys to Democrats picking up this seat in November will be: a) Joe Biden winning VA02, hopefully by 3+ points; b) Tim Kaine winning VA02 as well, hopefully by even more than Biden, and spending a ton of money communicating with voters; c) Smasal raising a lot of money as well, running a strong campaign, making the case against Kiggans, etc.  Fingers crossed on this one, especially given what a massive downgrade it was from Elaine Luria to Kiggans.

9. Alyia Gaskins: The next mayor of Alexandria, winning the Democratic primary in this overwhelmingly “blue” city by a wide margin (59.4%-29.9%) over Amy Jackson. Impressive – good luck as Mayor of Alexandria! (P.S. Also worth noting here is that current Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson endorsed Gaskins, as did City Council members John Taylor Chapman, Kirk McPike, Sarah Bagley, former Mayor Bill Euille, etc.).

10. Alexandria City Council top 6: Winners here were (in descending order of finish) John Taylor Chapman, Sarah Bagley. R. Kirk McPike, Abdel Elnoubi, Canek Aguirre, Jacinta Greene. Congrats to all six on their nominations and/or renominations!

11. JD Spain: On Friday evening, Spain was confirmed as the winner of the Democratic nomination for the lone Arlington County Board seat up for election this November. This was an impressive win by a progressive, pro-“Missing Middle” housing candidate over a well-funded, anti-“Missing Middle” opponent, Natalie Roy, as well as another impressive, progressive candidate, Tenley Peterson. So…great job by JD Spain and his supporters, and good luck on the Arlington County Board, helping to make Arlington a more inclusive, environmentally sustainable, affordable, equitable, etc. place for years to come. (P.S. Also worth noting here are some key endorsers for JD Spain – State Sen. Barbara Favola, Del. Patrick Hope, Del. Alfonso Lopez, Del. Adele McClure, County Board members Takis Karantonis and Matt de Ferranti, Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, State Sen. Russet Perry, etc.)

12. Ranked Choice Voting: Worked very well in Arlington, where JD Spain (see above) led after the first around, then led by even more after votes were reallocated using Ranked Choice Voting methodology, with most of the second/third-place votes from the other “YIMBY”/pro-housing/progressive candidate (Tenley Peterson) going to pro-“Missing Middle”/progressive Spain. Which, of course, expresses the wishes of the Arlington Democratic electorate more accurately than if the primary had been decided in a “first-past-the-post” methodology. Anyway, it’s long past time to expand Ranked Choice Voting to ALL elections in Virginia with more than two candidates.

13. “Missing Middle”/Enhanced Housing Opportunities: In Alexandria, the winner of the Democratic primary for Mayor – Alyia Gaskins – looks like ” a victory for those wanting more density and housing in the city,” as Gaskins “voted for all eight of the Zoning for Housing proposals and has continued to vouch for more investment in affordable housing.” And in Arlington, pro-“Missing Middle” candidate JD Spain (see above) won the Democratic primary for the single open Arlington County Board seat, soundly defeating a candidate (Natalie Roy) who was opposed to “Missing Middle.”  Both victories are very good news if you care about affordability, environmental sustainability, diversity, etc.

14. Politicians whose endorsed candidates mostly won: Obviously, the top example of this in the June 2024 primaries was Jennifer Wexton (see above), whose endorsement of Suhas Subramanyam arguably made the difference in a close contest with Dan Helmer and other heavyweight Democratic candidates. Also worth noting is State Sen. Russet Perry, who endorsed Suhas Subramanyam (who won), JD Spain (who also won), Eugene Vindman (who also won); Scott Surovell, who endorsed Suhas Subramanyam (who won); etc. You could also throw Donald Trump into this category, as he endorsed John McGuire over Bob Good, although that race is super close, so it’s not like Trump’s endorsement resulted in a huge McGuire win (although certainly, Trump’s endorsement of Hung Cao for US Senate helped Cao crush his Republican opponents).

15. Sam Shirazi’s predictions: On June 16, Virginia political guru Sam Shirazi posted his predictions here on Blue Virginia, and…he nailed them, getting every prediction right. Nice job!

Mixed

1. The Washington Post’s endorsements: They endorsed Eugene Vindman, who won easily (of course, he was always going to win easily, regardless of the WaPo). On the other hand, they endorsed Dan Helmer, who lost. Bottom line: there’s no indication that the WaPo’s endorsements make much difference at this point, nore should they, given how discredited that paper’s reputation is getting these days, and also the fact that its editorial board’s judgments regarding Virginia politics have been crap for as long as I can remember – certainly back to 2006, when they endorsed Harris Miller over Jim Webb, and then all the years they endorsed Republicans like Frank Wolf, Barbara Comstock, Tom Davis, etc.

2. Atif Qarni: “Solid showing and disciplined campaign. Could have a future in the General Assembly?” Qarni was outspent by a wide margin, yet managed to finish third (with 10.6%) in the VA10 Democratic primary, ahead of former Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (9.3%) and State Senator Jennifer Boysko (9.1%).  Not a victory for sure, but still, not too shabby at all against a field full of heavyweight candidates!

3. Del. Dan Helmer: “Had millions in crypto money and did well in absentee voting, but ultimately couldn’t close out the election.”  Bottom line for Helmer: it looked like he might pull off a win for the VA10 Democratic nomination, given the huge amounts of money spent on his behalf (by VoteVets, the crypto industry, etc.), along with the WaPo endorsement (not that anyone should care what the WaPo thinks about anything, by the way), and strong campaign. Unfortunately for Helmer, he ran into some of the same problems that he encountered in his 2018 run for the VA10 Democratic nomination: a) he’s not from Loudoun County, which is the heart of the district; b) in both cases, there was an elected official from Loudoun County – Jennifer Wexton in 2018, Suhas Subramanyam (endorsed by Jennifer Wexton) this time around – in the race. As if all that wasn’t enough, Helmer also ran into last-minute accusations (which he STRONGLY denied) of sexual harassment. Put all that together, and Helmer ended up losing a possibly winnable race, albeit only by 4 points. The good news for Helmer is that he maintains his House of Delegates seat, as well as his close ties to House Democratic leadership…

4. Del. David Reid: The bad news for Reid is that he finished in sixth place in the VA10 Democratic primary, receiving just 3.2% of the vote. The good news for Reid is that he’s well liked in his House of Delegates district and is probably in no danger of drawing a serious primary challenge or of losing his seat.

5. Del. Michelle Maldonado: Similar to Reid, Del. Maldonado received just 3.2% of the vote in the VA10 Democratic primary, but is presumably in no serious danger of drawing a major primary challenge or of losing her House of Delegates seat.

6. State Sen. Jennifer Boysko: When she started her run for the VA10 Democratic nomination, Boysko was considered a top-tier candidate, with rumors flying around that she might get the endorsement of Rep. Jennifer Wexton. In the end, though, Wexton endorsed Suhas Subramanyam, and Boysko finished fifth, with just 9.1% of the vote. Not great. On the bright side, Boysko’s probably secure in her State Senate seat, which isn’t up until 2027, so this wasn’t a disaster politically for her, but it wasn’t great either.

7. Del. Briana Sewell: “Was described as an up and comer in General Assembly, she ran fourth in her home County, Prince William.”  Sewell ended up finishing third in the VA07 Democratic primary, with 13.4% of the vote, behind Eugene Vindman (49.4%) and former Del. Elizabeth Guzman (15.0%), but ahead of Supervisor Andrea Bailey (12.5%) and Supervisor Margaret Angela Franklin (5.8%) – those latter two also in the “Mixed” category, as they keep their seats on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors. Anyway, Sewell should be safe in her House of Delegates seat, so this wasn’t a disaster or anything, but as with the others who ran and lost, it’s not the outcome she wanted.

8. “NIMBY” forces in Arlington and Alexandria: Discussed above, in the “Winners” section, but it’s worth adding that several leading “NIMBY” candidates (e.g., Natalie Roy in Arlington) lost in Arlington and Alexandria. And, as noted above, pro-housing-diversity candidates JD Spain and Alyia Gaskins (endorsed by pro-smart-growth GreaterGreater Washington) WON, which is great news.  However, it’s also worth noting that several of  GreaterGreater Washington’s endorsed candidates for Alexandria City Council (Jimmy Lewis, Jesse O’Connell, Kevin Harris) LOST.  So it’s somewhat of a mixed bag, but overall, could have been a LOT worse.

9. Sen. Tim Kaine: On the one hand, Kaine will be facing a Republican candidate (Hung Cao) who is way out of the mainstream, with TONS of crazy, bizarre, extreme comments that can be used against him in the fall. On the other hand, Cao won his primary overwhelmingly, and is now in lockstep with Trump, so he’ll presumably have an enthusiastic Republican base voting for him, and presumably will do about as well as Trump does in Virginia…which hopefully will be a loss by 10 points (or at least high single digits).  Let’s just make sure we do everything we can to ensure that Sen. Kaine is reelected, preferably by a huge margin.

Losers

1. Rep. Bob Good (R-VA05): A far-right extremist who’s been nothing but a destructive, divisive, noxious force in the U.S. House, Good made the fatal mistake in the Trumpified/cult-like GOP of endorsing someone OTHER than Trump for president (Ron DeSantis). In response, Trump and his people wage war on Good, vowing to destroy him, supporting Good’s super-far-right/insurrectionists/Trump cultist opponent, John McGuire. And, in the end, it looks like Good will be ousted, albeit not by a huge margin. Anyway, let’s just hope this is the end of a political career that has been a disgrace to the 5th Congressional district, to Virginia, to Congress and to America.

2. Former Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn: “A distant result running in a different county. Where does the former Speaker go from here?” This one’s REALLY painful, as Eileen Filler-Corn has been a champion and a hero in Virginia for years, playing a significant role in Democrats clawing back from just 34 seats in the House of Delegates to a 55-45 majority (!), then being elected the first Jewish and first female Speaker in Virginia history, then leading/presiding over passage of literally HUNDREDS of progressive, environmental, pro-clean energy, etc. bills – arguably the most significant General Assembly session in a POSITIVE way in Virginia history. So, yes, Filler-Corn was leader when Democrats (barely) lost the House of Delegates majority in 2021, but that was pretty much 100% due to the fact that Glenn Youngkin won the governor’s race (the fact is, there’s minimal ticket splitting anymore, so the delegate races closely track the governor’s results in each district). So why is Filler-Corn in this category, then? Because, unfortunately, her political future is now murky, following the loss of her Speakership, Democratic leader position, House of Delegates seat (she chose not to run for reelection after being redistricted in with another delegate, Kathy Tran), and now the VA10 Democratic nomination. Let’s hope she figures out a path forward, because Virginia would *greatly* benefit from having Filler-Corn’s continued active participation, hopefully for years to come.

3. Former Del. Elizabeth Guzman: This is a tough one as well, as Guzman is a progressive fighter/champion with an inspiring life story, considered a rising star not long ago (e.g., delivering the Spanish-language rebuttal to Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in 2018). Since 2021, though, it’s been somewhat of a rollercoaster for Guzman, as she ran for the 2021 Democratic Lt. Governor nomination before dropping out to (successfully) focus on fighting off a challenge to her House of Delegates seat; then barely (just 50 votes out of >12k cast) lost her primary of State Sen. Jeremy McPike in June 2023; and now finished 44 points behind newcomer Eugene Vindman in the VA07 Democratic primary. On the other hand, while Guzman was massively oustpent by Vindman, she still managed to finish in second place (with 15% of the vote), ahead of Del. Briana Sewell (13.4%) and Prince William County Supervisor Andrea Bailey (12.5%). The question now is whether Guzman has a path forward politically speaking. Let’s hope so, as she is very talented with a great deal to offer…

4. Herb Jones: After winning the 2019 Democratic nomination for State Senate (then going on to lose the general election to Tommy Norment by a 62%-38% margin) and the  2022 VA01 Democratic nomination (going on to lose to Rep. Rob Wittman in November by a 57%-42% margin), Jones – an impressive guy, including former U.S. Army (retiring aftger 30 years of service with the rank of full Colonel and recipient of a Bronze Star for his service in Iraq) and former Treasurer of New Kent County (for 12 years), plus a small business owner lost the Democratic nomination for VA01 by 33 points this time to newcomer Leslie Mehta (see above). So we’ll see what Jones decides to do next, but in this “red” area, it’s hard to see many paths forward politically. Let’s hope Jones stays active and involved, though, as he has a lot to offer!

5. Aliscia Andrews: The 2020 VA10 GOP nominee (she lost to Jennifer Wexton by 13 points in November 2020) got absolutely CRUSHED this time in the Republican primary, losing to Mike Clancy by 42 points (64%-22%). It’s hard to see much path forward politically for Andrews after that one, and given lunacy like this, that’s a VERY good thing!

6. Krystle Kaul: Listening to her at forums, Kaul actually seems very smart, knowledgeable, level-headed, impressive, etc. Unfortunately, though, as a first-time political candidate, Kaul spent a lot of money (much of it her own), yet only got 2.2% of the vote (975 votes), finishing 9th, just behind Adrian Pokharel (988 votes) and just ahead of Travis Nembhard (716 votes) – who also belongs on the “Losers” list, actually.

7. Travis Nembhard: Ran an impressive campaign in 2023 for House of Delegates in a tough district, losing by just 4 points, 52%-48%. This time around, though, Nembhard didn’t do very well at all, finishing 10th in the VA10 Democratic primary, with just 1.6% of the vote, behind Krystle Kaul and Adrian Pokharel. Not great.

8. Any connection between Republican candidates’ rhetoric and facts, the truth, reality, science, moderation, etc.: It’s really wild to see the level to which the Republican Party – formerly the home of sane, moderate, reasonable people, from Dwight Eisenhower to Gerald Ford to George HW Bush to John Warner and many more – to the home for extremists, nutjobs, cranks, conspiracy theorists, etc. Today, the formerly great GOP is the home of people it once purged – nativists, isolationists, authoritarians, religious fundamentalists – and no longer the home for serious, constructive, reality-based policy ideas. So much for truth, reality, science, facts, loyalty to the constitution and rule of law, etc. Instead, Republicans just nominated the likes of John McGuire (as far right as they come, literally in the pro-Trump mob outside the US Capitol on 1/6/21, a 100% Trump sycophant, etc.) in VA05; Hung Cao (compared abortion access to the horrors and atrocities of the Holocaust, mocked climate science, praised the violent insurrection attempt on 1/6/21 and defended the insurrectionists, opposes protections for LGBTQ people; total NRA/gun fanatic, you name it) for U.S. Senate; Derrick Anderson (who bizarrely/falsely claims that national hero Eugene Vindman is all about “revenge” against Donald Trump; who claimed the unanimous jury verdict against Donald Trump was a “sad day in American history” and added, “I stand with President Trump and the defense of his innocence”; who is supported by extremists like Elise Stefanik, Tom Cotton, Derrick Van Orden, Tom Emmer, Mike Johnson, Ronny Jackson, Steve Scalise, former NRA President Bob Corbin, etc.) in VA07; etc. Just a bizarre, wacked-out party, even if the “mainstream media” prefers to normalize and “both sides” these people.

9. The “mainstream media”: Speaking of the “mainstream media,” this was yet another election cycle filled with weak, thin (or nonexistent), shallow, false equivalence, “both sides-ist,” “concern trolling”, whitewashing, and/or nonexistent coverage of Virginia politics by the WaPo et al. And that doesn’t even count the cesspool of social media and/or right-wing-propaganda media, like Sinclair (e.g., WJLA7 in northern Virginia), Fox “News,” far-right/MAGA talk radio, etc. Also, sadly, local papers continue to decline, with many Virginia news outlets mere shells of their former selves (although there’s also been a rise in online publications such as Virginia Mercury and The Cardinal, which have mostly been a positive force, but not a replacement for high-quality daily local papers). All in all, the political media in this country is a mess, and the consequences are VERY damaging to our democracy (given that an INFORMED citizenry is essential to democracy’s healthy functioning, even its very existence).

10. Politicians whose endorsed candidates lost: Former Gov. Ralph Northam and former AG Mark Herring are both great guys who did superb jobs in government and have strong name ID and approval ratings among Democrats, yet their endorsements in this cycle didn’t seem to move the needle at all. Northam, for instance, endorsed Andrea Bailey for VA07 (Bailey ended up finishing fourth) and Eileen Filler-Corn in VA10 (she ended up finishing fourth as well, behind Northam’s former Secretary of Education, Atif Qarni), along with Missy Cotter Smasal in VA02 (Smasal won her primary overwhelmingly, as expected).  As for Mark Herring, he also endorsed Filler-Corn, but his endorsement was clearly swamped by his successor in the State Senate, Jennifer Wexton. Oh well…they’re still both great guys who did tremendous things for Virginia – even if their endorsements don’t come with a lot of political “juice” anymore. Also note that in Arlington, Board member Libby Garvey – whose retirement opened up her seat – endorsed Tenley Peterson to succeed her, but Peterson ended up finishing a fairly distant third, behind JD Spain and Natalie Roy. Another one for this list is Del. Nick Freitas (R), who endorsed Cameron Hamilton in VA07…won by Derrick Anderson by 8 points. Also endorsing Cameron Hamilton was Bob Good, who is most definitely NOT in “good” shape in his primary with John McGuire. Oh, and our old pal Amanda Chase was a huge supporter of Chuck Smith, who finished fourth (with 8.8% of the vote) for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. There are many other examples, including a bunch of endorsers of Briana Sewell in VA07, but you get the idea. Anyway, none of this probably matters that much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s got to hurt a bit if you’re a politician whose political “mojo” in terms of helping their endorsed candidate(s) win perhaps isn’t what it used to be…

“Done in a habitat-friendly way, solar can increase biodiversity and help heal the land.”

By
Blue Virginia
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5

by Ivy Main, cross posted from Power for the People VA

It’s a problem that divides communities and stymies lawmakers: Virginia’s transition to clean energy depends on building thousands of acres’ worth of large solar facilities, but a backlash from some rural neighbors makes siting projects increasingly difficult.

Most of the objections are aesthetic – few people prefer to look at rows of solar panels if they once enjoyed a bucolic country scene – but some opponents say they worry about the loss of farmland and trees. Solar, they fear, is bad for the land as well as the eyes. It doesn’t help that some early solar development suffered from corner-cutting that resulted in soil compaction and erosion. If that is solar, many people want no part of it.

In 2022, land conservation groups banded together with agriculture and logging interests to lobby for legislation requiring mitigation whenever a solar project would disturb more than 50 acres of forest or 10 acres of “prime agricultural soils.” House Bill 206 applies to any solar project developed under Virginia’s sort-of-streamlined “permit by rule” process, which is available to all but the largest facilities.

The solar industry initially fought the legislation, joined by some climate advocacy groups. They pointed out that no other industry is subject to mitigation requirements, and that solar provides greater climate benefits than forests and agriculture. Moreover, solar panels can be removed and the land returned to farming or forestry. By contrast, once land is converted to a housing subdivision or strip mall or data center, the damage is permanent.

Eventually the solar industry accepted compromise language that put off the effective date until the start of 2025 and gave industry members a voice in an advisory panel under the auspices of Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The law tasked this group with helping to develop “criteria to determine if a significant adverse impact to prime agricultural soils or forest lands is likely to occur as a result of a proposed solar project,” and if so, the actions that should be considered in any mitigation plan. DEQ was to use the working group’s conclusions to draw up regulations.

As it turned out, the working group agreed on very little. Its 717-page report found consensus on only a few points, leaving DEQ itself with the task of resolving key issues. On May 13, the agency published its proposed regulations. The regulations are currently under executive branch review, after which Interested parties and the public will have the opportunity to comment.

Meanwhile, a few things have happened since the passage of HB 206.

In March of 2022, DEQ toughened its stormwater regulations to address the runoff and erosion problems that had given solar a bad name in some communities. Building on that, the agency just released a new stormwater handbook that will become effective July 1, 2024, with sections specific to solar development.

Some solar industry members complain that DEQ’s stormwater regulations are unreasonably onerous, but no one questions the importance of preventing runoff and erosion. In any case, many companies are already using land-friendly practices that make it easier to meet tougher rules. One is the use of terrain following trackers, a technology that allows solar to be installed on uneven terrain instead of bringing in bulldozers to level the site. The trackers maximize solar production in hilly areas while preserving topsoil and vegetation.

The new tracker technology is among the suite of low-impact approaches gaining ground as the solar industry matures. DEQ encourages another eco-friendly practice: planting native species among and around solar arrays. Native plants provide food and habitat for insects whose numbers have plummeted in recent years, threatening our ecosystems. Though only a few solar projects have achieved DEQ’s pollinator-smart certification to date, most of the developers I’ve spoken with say they are open to it.

Photo credit Solar Power World and Nexamp

Gaining traction even faster is the practice of using grazing animals for vegetation management. Sheep hit the sweet spot: project owners save money they would have to spend on humans operating machinery, while the sheep thrive in the shade of solar panels and return nutrients to the soil. Already, 2% of sheep in the U.S. are being grazed under solar panels, according to an American Solar Grazing Association webinar, including at several large Virginia facilities providing power to Dominion Energy. Elsewhere, cattle graze under solar panels or crops grow between the rows, further erasing the distinction between solar facilities and agricultural use.

All-terrain trackers, topsoil preservation, native plants and incorporating active farming or grazing: all these practices ensure farmland isn’t “lost” to solar. Yet DEQ’s tougher stormwater rules, the solar industry’s increasingly land-friendly practices, and even the passage of HB 206 haven’t allayed concerns among solar opponents. Instead, rural counties have stepped up the pace of bans, caps and moratoriums.

One suspects the continued hostility isn’t because opponents lack familiarity with the ways solar can be eco-friendly, but because the opposition’s primary motivation isn’t preserving farmland. If what they really care about is keeping solar from cluttering up the viewshed (“preserving our rural heritage” is the euphemistic framing), then adding a new layer of mitigation requirements won’t change anything.

Admittedly, I never supported HB 206 in the first place. From an environmental perspective, solar is no worse for the land than monoculture pine plantations or commodity crops grown with pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers. Done in a habitat-friendly way, solar can increase biodiversity and help heal the land. And solar addresses our CO2 problem, far more even than trees.

Still, DEQ’s job was to try to find a middle ground between the solar industry and its detractors, and in fairness, their effort gets some things right. The proposed rules recognize that there are degrees of impact a solar facility can have, and that practices like leaving topsoil undisturbed or incorporating agrivoltaics should be rewarded with lower mitigation requirements. A neat table delineates the various levels of impact and proposes differing levels of mitigation to match. Mitigation mostly takes the form of land set-asides, but can also be satisfied with per-acre payments.

And yet the proposal misses the mark on at least three fronts. First, it fails to give full credit to solar projects that minimize soil disturbance and incorporate agrivoltaics. DEQ should recognize that adopting best practices is itself mitigation, which should obviate the need for land set-asides or monetary payments.

Second, the proposed regulations make no exceptions for projects owned and operated by local farmers who incorporate solar into their farm activities in order to increase and diversify their income without having to sell their land. If the point of HB 206 was to protect farming, DEQ has shot wide of the mark.

Finally, the dollar amounts that DEQ proposes in lieu of land set-asides are punishingly high, with perverse effects. A solar company that has to pay a stiff penalty must pass that cost along in the form of a higher price for the electricity produced. If a utility has to pay more for electricity, ratepayers ultimately foot the bill.

The alternative is equally counterproductive. I noted at the start that DEQ’s permit-by-rule process is available to all but the largest projects, but it is not the only pathway open to developers. Projects over 150 MW are required to go to the SCC for approval, but smaller projects aren’t foreclosed from doing so. If DEQ makes its own process too onerous, solar developers will go to the SCC instead. The SCC requires that a developer secure a local permit, but not that it employ soil-saving practices, agrivoltaics or mitigation.

It would be great if DEQ could turn the lemon that is HB 206 into a lemonade of a solar industry adopting eco-friendly development practices and incorporating pollinator plantings, sheep grazing, and other agrivoltaic businesses. What we have instead is a proposal that may kill the permit-by-rule program without producing any benefit to anyone – in effect, turning lemonade into lemons.

There is still time to get it right. DEQ may not be able to resolve the solar wars, but a good set of regulations would position Virginia to make the most of a solar industry that is essential to our future.

 

This article was originally published in the Virginia Mercury on June 12, 2024.

Saturday News: The “deadly intensity of climate-fueled heat waves”; “Autocrats in China, Russia…making common cause with MAGA Republicans”; Right-Wing SCOTUS “refuses to accept blame for its worst guns decision”; “Trump to hold rally in Virginia with Youngkin day after CNN debate”

By
lowkell
-
27

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, June 22.

Ahead of Two-Year Anniversary of Dobbs Decision, Spanberger Helps Lead Bicameral Effort to Repeal Antiquated Law (the “Comstock Act”) Restricting Abortion

By
Blue Virginia
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8

From Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07)’s office:

Ahead of Two-Year Anniversary of Dobbs Decision, Spanberger Helps Lead Bicameral Effort to Repeal Antiquated Law Restricting Abortion

The “Stop Comstock Act” Would Block Future Administrations from Using 150-Year-Old Statute to Ban the Mailing of Mifepristone & Other Drugs Used in Medication Abortions

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today helped introduce bicameral legislation in response to clear intent by extreme politicians and judges to misuse an archaic law from the 1800s — and questions of the law’s applicability by U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — to prohibit the mailing of abortion medication, like mifepristone.

The Comstock Act, enacted by Congress and signed into law in 1873, criminalized the use of the mail to transport a wide range of “obscene, lewd, or lascivious” materials, including “any article or thing designed or intended for the prevention of conception or procuring an abortion.” Congress previously amended the Comstock Act in 1971, removing references to contraception following the Supreme Court’s decision in Griswold v. Connecticut which protected the right to access contraception. Although the Comstock Act has not been enforced for decades, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn Roe v. Wade raises concerns that extreme politicians, judges, and groups will weaponize the antiquated law to effectively ban the mailing of medication abortion drugs or — if interpreted to its fullest extent — prohibit abortion altogether.

The Stop Comstock Act would repeal language in the Comstock Act that could be used by a future administration to ban the mailing of mifepristone and other drugs used in medication abortions, instruments and equipment used in abortions, and educational material related to sexual health. In 2023, more than 60 percent of abortions in the United States were medication abortions.

“The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade two years ago swung open the door to allow lawmakers and judges across our country to further strip women of their reproductive rights. Now anti-abortion politicians, judges, and groups are citing a more than 150-year-old statute — put on the books when women in the United States could not vote and could only recently own property in their own names — to further restrict women’s access to abortion or impose a nationwide abortion ban,” said Spanberger. “Congress must repeal this outdated, antiquated statute and remain steadfast in our work to protect access to reproductive care.”

Alongside Spanberger, the Stop Comstock Act is led in the U.S. House by U.S. Representatives Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), Cori Bush (D-MO-01), Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12). The U.S. Senate version is led by U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN).

The legislation is endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Center for Reproductive Rights, Physicians for Reproductive Health, National Women’s Law Center, and Reproductive Freedom for All.

Six Questions for Hung Cao After Republicans Defeat Right to Contraception Act in the U.S. Senate

By
Blue Virginia
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7

From Katie Baker/Muckraker Consulting:

Six Questions for Hung Cao After Republicans Defeat Right to Contraception Act in the U.S. Senate

In 2022, Cao did not respond when asked how he would vote on the Right to Contraception Act
In a stark blow to reproductive rights, Republicans in the U.S. Senate on June 5 defeated the Right to Contraception Act. The legislation, which is co-sponsored by Senator Tim Kaine, would have codified the right to birth control pills, IUDs, emergency contraception, and other contraceptive methods. Despite strong public support from eight out of ten voters and the urgent need to protect Americans’ reproductive freedoms, nearly every Republican senator voted against this critical legislation.

In 2022, during Cao’s failed bid to represent the 10th Congressional district, the Washington Post reported that Cao did not respond to a question as to whether he would have voted for the Right to Contraception Act. Now that he is the official Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Hung Cao must answer the following six questions in the wake of the defeat of the Right to Contraception Act:

1. The Republican party’s opposition to the Right to Contraception Act contradicts the overwhelming public support for contraception rights. How do you reconcile your party’s stance in light of the fact that over 80% of voters, including 68% of Republicans, support legislation protecting the right to contraception?

2. With reproductive rights under threat nationwide, why does your party continue to prioritize ideological agendas over the health care needs and rights of voters, especially considering the clear public support for contraception rights?

3. Given the critical role contraception plays in women’s health and autonomy, what are your thoughts on the Right to Contraception Act, which aimed to safeguard individuals’ rights to make their own health care decisions free from government or political interference? How do you plan to address the concerns and priorities of voters regarding contraception rights if elected?

4. Is it your personal opinion that IUDs or emergency contraception cause abortion, contrary to medical science? With Republican lawmakers and extremist groups spreading such misinformation about contraception, it’s important for voters to understand where you stand.

5. The Right to Contraception Act seeks to codify the constitutional right to contraception, as established by the Supreme Court in Griswold v. Connecticut and Eisenstadt v. Baird. Given Trump’s statement that he is open to restrictions on contraception and Justice Thomas’ call for the Supreme Court to ‘reconsider’ this right, how would you justify your party’s opposition to the Right to Contraception Act, knowing that this right is under threat?

6. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade disregarded decades of established precedent and had devastating effects on reproductive rights and health care access. Now, conservative lawmakers are trying to make the case that contraception isn’t under threat despite the explicit words of Trump and Thomas and the introduction of legislation in multiple states that could ban IUDs and emergency contraception.

Given this context, how can you argue that contraception is not under threat, as you did during your Congressional race? 

VA Dems: Youngkin a “spineless, failed governor…kissing up to Donald Trump…such an embarrassment…a lost soul”

By
lowkell
-
12

The Virginia Dems are 100% correct about Glenn Youngkin, who started off as a supposed “moderate” (that was always b.s., obviously, to anyone who was paying the *least* bit of attention) and now has morphed into a a “spineless, failed governor…kissing up to Donald Trump…such an embarrassment…a lost soul.”

Also note: going forward, any journalist who refers to Youngkin as a “moderate,” “centrist,” “normie Republican,” etc. needs to be fired immediately. The guy’s full-out MAGA/extremist at this point. And really, any journalist who EVER called Youngkin a “moderate,” “centrrist,” “normie Republican,” etc. should not be a journalist.

Expert Analysis and Business Leaders Confirm Trump’s Agenda Will Raise Taxes, Increase Costs For American Families

By
Blue Virginia
-
7

From the Biden for President campaign:

To: Interested Parties

From: Communications Director Michael Tyler

Subject: Expert Analysis and Business Leaders Confirm Trump’s Agenda Will Raise Taxes, Increase Costs For American Families

Date: June 21, 2024

Less than a week out from next week’s debate, new analysis details how disastrous Donald Trump would be for American families.

A new Moody’s analysis finds Biden’s economic policies are significantly better for the U.S. economy, while Trump’s plans would trigger a recession, cut 3.2 million jobs, add 1% to inflation, and reduce middle-class families’ incomes by $2,000:

“Biden’s policies are better for the economy,” says Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics. “They lead to more growth and less inflation.”

According to a Moody’s study, Trump’s plan would trigger a recession by mid-2025 and an economy that grows an average 1.3% annually during his four-year term vs. 2.1% under Biden. (The latter is in line with average growth in the decade before the pandemic.)

Next year, under a Trump administration, inflation would rise from the current 3.3% to 3.6%, well above the 2.4% forecast under Biden, the Moody’s analysis shows. Compared with Biden, the U.S. would have 3.2 million fewer jobs and a 4.5% unemployment rate, a half percentage point higher, at the end of a Trump tenure.

The Center for American Progress also analyzed Trump’s newest economic proposals:

“Trump’s latest idea to replace all income taxes with tariffs is mathematically impossible, but even if it were feasible, it would dramatically increase income inequality and raise taxes for the bottom 90 percent of households. It would raise taxes for middle-income households by $5,100 to $8,300 while cutting taxes for the top 0.1 percent by at least $1.5 million annually.”

“The combination of his 10 percent tax on all imports and a 60 percent tax on all imports from China would raise taxes for a typical family by $2,500 each year. This includes a $260 tax on electronics, $160 tax on clothing, a $120 tax on oil, and $110 tax on food.”

Trump can try to spin his way out of it as much as he wants, but the data speaks for itself. As the Financial Times Editorial Board wrote yesterday, Trump’s “disastrous” policies would:

  • “Threaten to undermine basic functions of the US economy”
  • “Set to be driven by ‘revenge’—against his enemies, and against the democratic system.”

Let’s not forget, Donald Trump’s presidency was an indisputable disaster for the U.S. economy. He was the worst jobs president in modern American history. He broke promises and failed Americans in states like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania who watched their factories close down and their jobs get shipped overseas under his watch.

Now, heading into the first debate, business leaders and economic experts are raising the alarm about the dire threat of a second Donald Trump presidency for American workers, businesses, and families.

Last week, Donald Trump met with the biggest CEOs in America – it did not go well.

CEOs told reporters Trump was “remarkably meandering,” “could not keep a straight thought,” “was all over the map,” and “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Trump was so bad that some CEOs walked out of the meeting with Trump “less predisposed” to support him.

Business leaders like Reid Hoffman and Mark Cuban have warned Trump is a threat to America’s stability, our democracy, and our economic well being.

Trump’s response: Argue that business executives should be “fired” if they don’t “100%” support him, while proposing a ludicrous policy to increase taxes on working families by $8,300 while cutting taxes for the rich.

In Donald Trump’s America, the rich pay less, and working Americans pay more.

Americans have a better choice this November than Donald Trump, a convicted felon who only cares about himself.

Joe Biden is leading America out of the mess Donald Trump left us in.

This is America under President Joe Biden:

###

Paid for by Biden for President

Friday News: “Extreme heat should inspire urgency, not doom”; “The Russia-North Korea pact bolsters a growing ‘alignment of evil’”; “US supreme court opened Pandora’s box … and Ten Commandments law flew out”; “Good vows to have recount, full investigation in GOP primary”

By
lowkell
-
28

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, June 21.

Team Biden-Harris Raises More than $85 Million in May 2024, Entered June with $212M War Chest

By
Blue Virginia
-
1

From President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign:

Team Biden-Harris Raises More than $85 Million in May 2024, Entered June with $212M War Chest

$212 Million in Cash on Hand, More than $558 Million Raised Since Launch, Highest Total of Any Democratic Candidate in History at This Point in the Cycle

Three Million Supporters Joined Team Biden-Harris in May Alone

Fundraising Fueling More Than 1000 Battleground Staffers, Major Paid Media and Organizing Efforts

Today, Team Biden-Harris announced a $212 million war chest and more than $85 million raised in May 2024, continuing to build on the steady and historic work of the Team Biden-Harris fundraising operation. Team Biden-Harris’ May haul and war chest continues to outpace any Democratic candidate in history at this point in the cycle.

Team Biden-Harris’ May haul was driven by continued strength and growth in our grassroots network. May was Team Biden-Harris’ second strongest grassroots month to date, a majority of May’s raise came from grassroots donors, and three million more supporters joined Team Biden-Harris in the month alone.

This historic war chest is being used to election-winning campaign infrastructure building and efforts, including:

  • More than 1,000 Team Biden-Harris coordinated staffers across the country, and more than 200 coordinated offices.
  • New, major organizing and outreach programs like Black Voters for Biden-Harris and today’s announcement of new investments into organizing and paid media targeting Latinos during Copa América.
  • A historic, $50 million paid media program targeting battleground voters in the month of June ahead of the first presidential debate.

“Our strong and consistent fundraising program grew by millions of people in May, a clear sign of strong and growing enthusiasm for the President and Vice President every single month,” said Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Manager. “The money we continue to raise matters, and it’s helping the campaign build out an operation that invests in reaching and winning the voters who will decide this election – a stark contrast to Trump’s PR stunts and photo-ops that he’s pretending is a campaign. From person-to-person organizing to a historic paid media campaign, we’re doing the work to reach and earn the votes needed to win in November.”

“With Election Day right around the corner, voters are energized and motivated to rally behind Team Biden-Harris,” said DNC Chair Jaime Harrison. “And this May, our grassroots donors showed up and showed out. Powered by nurses, teachers, and retirees, our fundraising program is rapidly growing and reaching voters nationwide. While Trump is leaching off his billionaire sycophants, our campaign represents the voices of America, and we’re honored to have their support as we race toward November.”

Team Biden-Harris’ strong grassroots operation in May reflects growth and durability across the campaign, DNC, and its joint fundraising committees:

  • May was Team Biden-Harris’ second strongest month for grassroots fundraising to date.
  • Team Biden-Harris grew its active email list by another 3 million subscribers in May – two million more additions than in April and continuing to build upon its universe, which is already the largest in the history of Democratic politics.
  • May was Team Biden-Harris’ best month for recurring donors to date.
  • Since launch, 96% of all our donations were under $200 and 2 million donors have made nearly 5.6 million contributions.
  • Team Biden-Harris now has over 250k recurring donors, over 1.4 times what we had at this point in 2020.
  • A majority of May’s raise came from donors hailing from all 50 states and all walks of life – mainly teachers, nurses, and retirees.

Donald Trump’s campaign tells a different story. His campaign and the RNC have closed battleground state offices, announced no at-scale organizing programs, and have virtually zero battleground staff. And Trump is proudly selling the American people out to billionaire oil and gas executives to fund his campaign – and his other issues.

President Biden’s 2020 campaign raised over $1 billion, the most money of any presidential campaign in history, which included $700 million online driven by small-dollar donations – also the most in history. With President Biden at the top of the ticket, ActBlue saw over 133 million separate donations in the 2020 cycle with 71% being first-time donors.

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Paid for by Biden for President
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