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Video: Sen. Mark Warner Says “if the American people really focus on what Mr. Trump is saying day in and day out…they’ll think twice”

By
lowkell
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1

Earlier this afternoon, Sen. Mark Warner held his weekly press availability, at which he covered a variety of topics, including the climate crisis, FAFSA (the form used to apply for financial aid), TikTok, rural hospitals, the upcoming presidential debate, results of Tuesday’s primaries, etc. See below for video and a few highlights, including:

  • “I hope everybody is staying as as cool as possible with the heat dome. I do wonder at times with the heat dome hitting us 10 days ago, record rains in south Florida, and now I understand the possibilities of 10 inches of rain in a tropical storm that’s hitting east Texas, I don’t know how any rational policy maker could still deny that our climate is changing and it’s something we need to address.”
  • “We’ve got to make the application to college as easy as possible and we’ve also got to make sure that sorting through the financial aid that in many ways makes kids able to go to college is in a clear form…. I can tell you as the [first?] person in my family to graduate from college, my parents only had enough money to help me a little bit through the first year…If I had not gotten student aid and…also worked almost 30 hours a week…my sophomore through senior year of college, I wasn’t able to afford to go.”
  • “The only way we’re going to get to a clean, carbon-free energy generation in a way that meets our power needs – and they are growing enormously even with just the existing data centers we have, without even adding new data centers, mostly driven by AI technology needs enormous amount of power – this would put additional funding both in terms of licensing and how we can, I believe, bring nuclear power, particularly small modular reactors, back into the energy mix.”  (Note: I strongly disagree with Sen. Warner on “small modular reactors” – they’re speculative technology and *extremely* expensive, multiple times more than solar, wind, energy efficiency, or even natural gas)
  • “How do we make sure that we maintain availability of health care, particularly hospitals in rural areas? We’ve seen about 30% of our rural hospitals across the country close over the last 15 years…rural hospitals are at such a tremendous disadvantage in terms of reimbursement rates. So I’ve had a bipartisan bill for years that would make sure that rural hospitals get at least 85 cents for every dollar that wealthier communities get in terms of reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid…this legislation would increase…the Medicare and Medicaid funding for OBGYNs…you shouldn’t have to travel literally two, three, four hours to get obstrectrics care.”
  • “I’m sure somebody was going to ask me about the primaries…in the three…Democratic primaries, I think we’ve got three great candidates in Mr. Vindman…in the seventh…we all are still waiting to see what happens in the Republican primary in the Fifth District. If there’s one thing I guess we can take away is that a Trump endorsement alone, even in one of our more conservative districts, does not necessarily guarantee an outcome.”
  • “While I’ve not seen the FTC complaint itself, I have grave national security concerns about TikTok. But I’d also say I have concerns about a lot of our social media  companies. I think the Surgeon General Murthy’s comments the other day that potentially these social media companies need warning labels needs to be really considered…the amount of mental health challenges that our kids face based on social media is  increasing not decreasing. And frankly Congress has been kind of pathetic in doing anything about it.”
  • “I think when push comes to shove [Biden losing support among women is] probably not going to be the case, because I think one of the most important issues for women this year is the ability for women to have control over their own bodies and the freedom and the ability to have access to reproductive health care. And when you’ve got former president Trump bragging about a Supreme Court that took away the right to abortion with Roe v. Wade; when you see my Republican friends say they want to support right to contraception but then vote against a simple bill that would provide that; when we see those same friends who say of course we support IVF to allow families that can’t otherwise conceive to have a family, yet again when that vote was put on the floor all but two of the Republican Senators voted against it. I think we’ll get a little more clarity next week when the debate takes place, this will finally stop some of the speculation...I think when the American people actually take a moment and start to listen to what Donald Trump is saying, I think they’re going to pull back, not just because of women’s health care, not just because of questions around democracy. But here we’ve got a presidential candidate who’s a convicted felon who spends 85% of every one of his speeches talking about himself and why he’s still angry over slights to himself or trying to relitigate the 2020 election. I think Americans, regardless of partisan leanings, want somebody that’s going to lay out what they’re going to do what a president’s going to do for them and for the future of this country. And I generally feel when people focus on what former President Trump is saying…some of those polls will change. But I think the president and his campaign needs to take those concerns to heart and aggressively reach out to those communities that need to hear more about his record. And in so many ways I mean there’s been a record, whether it was the broadband deployment, whether it was the CHIPS bill…the infrastructure that’s finally rebuilding our roads and bridges and airports…The fact is the American economy is the single strongest economy in the world… That in itself may not, those facts don’t convince everyone, because still we’ve got to grapple with inflation and I’m glad to see these inflation numbers are coming down. I do hope the Federal Reserve would go ahead and cut interest rates…that would allow people who want to buy their first home; if we just don’t have enough supply, if we get the the wheels churning on the housing market, I think that will help bring down costs as well, particularly in housing…I do think at the end of the day that if the American people really focus on what Mr. Trump is saying day in and day out, and count how much time he spends on talking about their families and folks’ needs, I think they’ll think twice.”

 

Sen. Tim Kaine Announces He Has Accepted Three Debates (NoVA Chamber/NBC4, Norfolk State/WAVY, and VA Bar Association) Across Virginia

By
Blue Virginia
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3

From Sen. Tim Kaine’s reelection campaign:

Senator Kaine Announces He Has Accepted Three Debates Across Virginia

Senator Kaine Has Accepted NoVA Chamber/NBC4, Norfolk State/WAVY, and VA Bar Association Debates

Richmond, VA – In the first week of the general election, Senator Tim Kaine is announcing he is accepting three debates in the race for U.S. Senate.

“In my 30 years of public service, I have traveled throughout the Commonwealth listening to Virginians about the issues that matter most to them, whether it be creating good-paying jobs, making healthcare more affordable, keeping Virginians safe, and standing up for our military families,” said Senator Tim Kaine. “Virginians deserve to hear from their candidates directly, which is why I am excited to discuss my record of standing up for Virginia at three debates and how I will deliver for every corner of the Commonwealth.”

Senator Kaine has agreed to three debates in three different regions of Virginia. These debates will take place sooner to inform Virginians who are voting early in larger numbers than ever before. Below are the following debates Tim Kaine has agreed to participate in:

  • A Virginia Bar Association Debate at the Omni Homestead in Hot Springs on July 20th,
  • A Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce Debate in McLean in partnership with NBC4 on September 19th, and
  • A Norfolk State Debate in partnership with WAVY-TV and Nexstar Media on October 2nd.

Thursday News: “Climate change made US & Mexico heatwave 35 times more likely”; “SCOTUS ‘deliberately delayed’ Trump immunity ruling”; John Oliver on Project 2025 Is “Required Viewing”; VA05 GOP “vote count continues in closer-than-expected contest”

By
lowkell
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13

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, June 20.

Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor Launches Campaign for the Democratic Nomination for Attorney General

By
Blue Virginia
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1

Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor announces her candidacy for Attorney General, joining former Del. Jay Jones in the race.

With 28 Years Prosecuting Cases, Standing for Abortion Rights, Stopping Gun Violence, and Protecting Families’ Values Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor Launches Campaign for the Democratic Nomination for Attorney General

Henrico — Today, Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor launched her campaign for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General. Taylor has served over a decade as Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney and has over 28 years as an experienced lawyer both as a prosecutor and defense attorney.

Taylor has been a leader in standing up to President Trump and the MAGA movement. While serving as President of the Virginia Prosecutors, Taylor also immediately helped spearhead that first wave of pushback from prosecutors nationwide who stood against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.  The very day of the Dobbs decision decimating Roe v Wade, Taylor announced she would not prosecute women or medical providers  for abortion care.

Moreover, Taylor has a long record of advancing racial justice–most notably she successfully prosecuted the leader of the Virginia KKK who attempted to run over Black Lives Matter protesters  in 2020.

Taylor has stood up opposing Attorney General Miyares’ bigoted action against LGBTQ+ Virginians. She has spoken up against his desired rollbacks of Title IX which, among other things, weaken protections for LGBTQ+ students. She also has issued a strong statement opposing his actions to destroy DEI in law schools, saying that the legal profession, to truly support justice, must look like America.

“When MAGA extremists push laws that punish women for making private healthcare decisions, women need to fight back. And when our extremist Attorney General tries to deprive our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors of their rights, we need to stand strong. I won’t let Jason Miyares, Glenn Youngkin or any MAGA extremist strip women of our fundamental reproductive rights or discriminate against any minority,” said Taylor.

“To defeat extremism and hate, we need an experienced, proven prosecutor as our Democratic nominee for Attorney General. I am the only candidate who has flipped a seat from Red to Blue in what was a Republican leaning locality and the only candidate with a proven record of successfully prosecuting many hundreds  of cases.”

In 2011, Taylor came to office after beating the US House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and the Henrico Republican political machine in an upset win. In the ensuing decade, she has been a strong leader in turning Henrico from Red to Blue, where now the Board of Supervisors and the General Assembly delegation are majority Democratic.   Taylor is proud of leading that charge and fighting for Democratic gains.

Taylor has also advocated at the General Assembly to reform Virginia’s criminal laws. She  has worked to strengthen hate crime laws, enhance stalker penalties and to get guns off the street. She worked with her local legislators to pass Lucia’s Law which penalizes parents or guardians who leave a gun unsecured with a minor in the home when the adults have been notified that the child could be dangerous.

As a longtime champion of gun safety, Taylor has the endorsement of Lori Haas,  the Advocacy Manager for the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and  a leading Virginia and national advocate for gun safety.

“Shannon is a longtime partner in the fight to reduce gun violence – helping me advance impactful public safety laws to address illegal and harmful firearm use. She is hands down the most qualified and experienced candidate in this race,” said Haas.

In her years of service, Taylor has led progressive reforms in the county prosecutor’s office. When she was sworn in, the office was almost entirely male and white, but she  brought in women in leadership positions and worked to have the office resemble the diversity of the County. She has instituted criminal justice reforms including ongoing work with recovery organizations and mental health support  while also offering diversionary programs to help offenders succeed.

“I am eager to bring my years of actual experience in the law, my decade of running one of the largest Commonwealth’s Attorney’s offices, my successes in fighting hate and bigotry, and my years of keeping communities safe to the Attorney General’s office to ensure progressive, responsive leadership for ALL Virginians.”

###

Learn more shannontaylorva.com

Paid for and Authorized by Shannon Taylor

Video: Kaine For Virginia Campaign Launches New Digital Ad, “Not Podunk”

By
Blue Virginia
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2

From Sen. Tim Kaine’s reelection campaign:

Kaine For Virginia Campaign Launches New Digital Ad, “Not Podunk”

Tim Kaine: “Elitists who refuse to show up for you will never stand up for you. I stand up for all Virginians, and I always will.” 

Richmond, VA – Today, the Kaine for Virginia campaign launched a new digital ad, “Not Podunk,” contrasting how Tim Kaine stands up and respects all Virginians while his opponent disrespects rural Virginia.

WATCH:

The ad highlights how Tim Kaine listens to Virginians and respects them, while Hung Cao denigrates Virginians, by calling Staunton “podunk” and saying that it would be “ridonkulous” to drive down to Abingdon.

Responding to Hung Cao insulting Staunton as “podunk,” Tim Kaine says, “Staunton isn’t podunk! We spent our honeymoon here.” And while Hung Cao said it would be ridonkulous to drive to Abingdon, Tim Kaine responds, saying, “Abingdon isn’t ridonkulous! My wife’s aunt lived there.”

When facing scrutiny for his scam PAC, Hung Cao lashed out at the Staunton News-Leader and called it a “podunk local newspaper.” Then Cao dug the hole deeper, saying it would be “ridonkulous” to drive to Abingdon and answer questions from voters who would want to know how he would represent them in the U.S. Senate. Cardinal News noted that Cao has continued to double down on the issue, reporting that Cao said it doesn’t make sense to drive to Hampton Roads for a forum also.

“Virginians deserve a U.S. Senator like Tim Kaine who shows up in every corner of the commonwealth, listens, and respects them,” said Michael Beyer, Communications Director for the Kaine for Virginia campaign. “The contrast in this race couldn’t be clearer: Tim Kaine is always willing to meet with Virginians and listen to them, while Hung Cao is an out-of-touch elitist who insults Virginians and refuses to show up for them.”

Watch the ad here and view a full transcript below:

  • Senator Tim Kaine: As your Senator, I listen to you and respect you. My opponent won’t.
  • Hung Cao: “I called Staunton, that Staunton newspaper, podunk… It is a podunk newspaper.”
  • Senator Tim Kaine: Staunton isn’t podunk! We spent our honeymoon here.
  • Hung Cao: “For me to drive six and a half hours down to Abingdon…to answer questions, it’s just ridonkulous.”
  • Senator Tim Kaine: Abingdon isn’t ridonkulous!  My wife’s aunt lived here.
  • Elitists who refuse to show up for you will never stand up for you.
  • I stand up for all Virginians, and I always will.

DCCC: The Case Against “far-right extremist,” “anti-abortion and anti-democracy” Derrick Anderson in VA07

By
lowkell
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4

From the DCCC:

“Eugene Vindman’s bravery and unapologetic dedication to protecting our democracy and freedoms is exactly the type of leadership Virginians are looking for. Derrick Anderson’s anti-abortion and anti-democracy agenda is alarming. This far-right extremist doesn’t stand a chance against a proven and honest leader like Eugene,” said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene. 

—

To: Interested Parties
From: Lauryn Fanguen
Date: June 18, 2024
Subject: The Case Against Derrick Anderson

Eugene Vindman is an American hero and dedicated public servant ready to serve his country and community in a new capacity. Through a 25-year long career in the Army, Eugene has gone from Paratrooper and officer to prosecutor before serving in the White House as a national security adviser. While at the White House as the NSC’s Senior Ethics Official, Eugene received a report that then-President Donald Trump had asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a personal political favor in an obvious quid pro quo to open a corrupt investigation into Joe Biden. Eugene stepped up and blew the whistle, leading to President Trump’s first impeachment. In response to Eugene working to protect our democracy, Trump fired him from his National Security Council job. That hasn’t deterred Eugene from looking for new ways to serve his community and his country. Eugene has stepped up once again, this time running for Virginia’s Seventh Congressional District to protect democracy, restore abortion rights, lower costs, and fight for Viriginians.

Eugene’s commitment to integrity before party won’t be found in his opponent. Derrick Anderson is a right-wing extremist who would vote to ban abortion nationwide. He’s yet another MAGA extremist who will fall in line with Donald Trump’s dangerous agenda. His loyalty to Trump knows no bounds, and Anderson wouldn’t think twice before abandoning Virginia families as his far-right friends attack our democracy and come for our rights and freedoms.

Where In The World is Derrick Anderson? 

Ask Derrick Anderson where he lives and get prepared to be led down a rabbit hole. Anderson claims to have lived in Spotsylvania County since 2021, but public records obtained by the Daily Beast suggest otherwise. According to those records, Anderson bought a townhouse in Alexandria in 2021 through a Veterans Affairs loan that is “only available for a primary residence.” The Daily Beast notes that they “asked the Anderson campaign, again and again, to provide information on where the candidate has lived for the last two-and-a-half years. The campaign repeatedly refused to do so.”

According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Anderson is a “Goochland resident,” a town roughly one-and-a-half hours from Fredericksburg. In 2021, when Anderson filed to run for office, he filed using a PO box in Henrico. Yet when filing this cycle, he used a different PO box in Fredericksburg.

Anderson’s blatant attempts at deception are disrespectful to voters in Virginia’s Seventh Congressional District, and emblematic of the dishonest and self-serving Member of Congress he would be if elected.

Voters know that Eugene is a man of integrity based on his honesty when he put his career on the line to blow the whistle on Donald Trump. That’s the leadership they deserve in Congress, not a confused, lying carpetbagger willing to say anything to get elected.

Anderson is an Overzealous Anti-Choice Extremist 

To Derrick Anderson’s credit, he has been consistent on one thing: his agenda to ban abortion. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Anderson claimed that they “finally got it right” when the court paved the way for states across the country to implement draconian and life-threatening abortion bans. After 2022 Republican nominee Yesli Vega shamefully implied that rape survivors can’t get pregnant and therefore shouldn’t have abortion rights, Anderson stood beside her and continued to campaign with her.

Anderson also supports March for Life, an anti-abortion group whose goals are to “end abortion by uniting, educating, and mobilizing pro-life people in the public square” and to “change the culture to ultimately make abortion unthinkable.” There’s no question that, if elected, Anderson would continue to push his anti-abortion views in legislation and vote to restrict abortion rights and access.

In contrast, Eugene understands what’s at stake for women and girls in Virginia and will fight back against Republican attacks to ban abortion nationwide.

Anderson is A MAGA Fanatic

Derrick Anderson’s far-right agenda doesn’t end with abortion. Anderson would be another MAGA extremist doing Trump’s bidding in Congress at the expense of Virginia families. He’s a part of the MAGA following that defends and supports Trump at all costs – even as Trump continues to threaten American democracy. After Trump was found guilty of 34 felonies by a jury of his peers, Anderson was quick to attack the rule of law and an independent jury of Americans to claim that he “stand[s] with President Trump and in the defense of his innocence.” The anti-abortion zealot unironically said “This should be rejected by every freedom-loving American.”

That wasn’t the first time Anderson sided with lawlessness and threats to American democracy. Anderson claimed that the deadly January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol was not an insurrection. It’s no wonder that he enthusiastically accepted the endorsement of Derrick Van Orden, who attended the “Save America” rally on January 6th and marched towards the Capitol. Anderson also happily accepted the endorsement of Elise Stefanik, who has refused to commit to certifying the results of the 2024 elections after voting to overturn the 2020 elections.

Derrick Anderson’s undemocratic and dangerous statements and associations are a sharp contrast to Eugene Vindman, who stood up to Trump in front of the nation and advocated for the rule of law and democratic values and norms.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Daily Beast: The Incredible Mystery of Where This GOP Congressional Candidate Lives [Daily Beast, 09/26/23]

Free Beacon: In Northern Virginia, GOP Factions Duel Over Crucial House Seat [Free Beacon, 06/05/24]

Prince William Times: Vindman has huge fundraising lead in 7th District race [Prince William Times, 04/04/24]

Washington Post: Yevgeny Vindman, officer who reported Trump, to run for Spanberger seat [Washington Post, 11/15/23]

“I’m not your typical candidate,” he said in an interview ahead of the announcement. “ I’ve retired from the Army, but now I have a change of mission — and that’s to serve the community I decided to live in and raise my kids in.”

Military Times: Eugene Vindman, Army vet who drew Trump’s ire, to run for Congress [Military Times, 11/15/23]

PATH TO VICTORY

Virginia’s last legislative elections in November indicate strong Democratic support in the Seventh Congressional District. House District 65 – in the Fredericksburg area – went Democratic by 6 points. While the Democratic candidate in Senate District 27 ultimately lost, Joel Griffin did outperform Terry McAuliffe in a district Glenn Youngkin carried in 2021. Democrats flipped a seat on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors in the Northern part of the district by 3 points in a district that overlaps with VA-07. Cook Political Report rates this district as Lean Democrat and Eugene Vindman has fundraised 4.5 times the amount Anderson has so far this cycle.

Virginia is the last state in the South with no abortion ban, and with the threat of a national abortion ban being more prevalent should anti-abortion politicians like Anderson have their way, voters are likely to elect the candidate who will protect their rights.

Whether voters look at their backgrounds or their agendas, there’s no question that they will side with Eugene Vindman. Eugene is a patriot and put himself at risk to defend American democracy both abroad and then at home when faced with Donald Trump’s lawlessness.

Virginians in the Seventh Congressional District decided last cycle to elect the independent-minded leader with integrity and reject the anti-abortion extremist, and they’ll make the same decision this November.

DCCC: The Case Against Jen Kiggans, Including Her “dangerous devotion to Donald Trump and her party’s far-right agenda”

By
Blue Virginia
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4

From the DCCC:

“Jen Kiggans has failed to fight for Coastal Virginians. From voting to cut veterans’ benefits, to pushing an aggressive anti-abortion agenda, Kiggans is out-of-step with this district. Kiggans has repeatedly stood against military families’ best interests and instead sided with extremists like Marjorie Taylor Greene. As a Navy veteran, pro-choice champion, and former small business owner, Missy Cotter Smasal has what it takes to be the leader Coastal Virginians deserve in Congress,” said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene. 

—

To: Interested Parties
From: Lauryn Fanguen
Date: June 18, 2024
Subject: The Case Against Jen Kiggans 

Voters in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District are presented with the choice between an unserious pay-to-play grifter who has cozied up to MAGA extremists and voted in lockstep with D.C. party bosses to cut veterans’ benefits, restrict abortion, and threaten to shut down the government, or Missy Cotter Smasal, a pragmatic, community-oriented leader who will deliver real results.

Missy Cotter Smasal is a Navy veteran, former small business owner, and a champion for Coastal Virginians. For Missy, serving our country has always come before party politics. As the Citizen Representative for the Chesapeake Bay Commission, Missy works with both Democrats and Republicans to restore the Bay and address other pressing local issues. Missy will work with anyone to deliver for our veterans and active duty service members, and has proven her steadfast commitment to supporting U.S. servicewomen through her nonprofit organization, Valor Run. Missy is ready to bring her bipartisan, patriotic experience to Congress to stand up for military families and veterans, protect a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions, and fight to lower the cost of prescription drugs, housing, and groceries.

The same cannot be said for Jen Kiggans. After hiding from voters her positions on virtually every issue in 2022 so she could be elected to Congress, Kiggans left Coastal Virginians behind – instead choosing to further embrace MAGA extremism. Her dangerous devotion to Donald Trump and her party’s far-right agenda has led her to vote against veterans’ best interests at every turn and compile a long anti-abortion record that is now under heightened scrutiny.

The November 2023 elections made clear that Coastal Virginians are eager to reject anti-abortion extremists. With Virginia now being the last state in the South without an abortion ban, this Biden-won seat will have a clear choice between an anti-choice, MAGA co-signer and a champion for women’s health care.

Kiggans Has Abandoned Veterans and Active-Duty Service Members 

Virginia’s Second Congressional District is home to more than 80,000 veterans, which is nearly 15% of the district – more than double the national average. Virginia Beach is also home to the Navy’s largest air base on the East Coast. Naval Air Station Oceana supports over 10,000 active duty personnel, 3,000 civilian employees, and their family members. Yet you couldn’t tell any of this by looking at Jen Kiggans’ disastrous voting record on veterans and the military. Kiggans voted to cut the Department of Veteran Affairs budget by 22%. The VA publicly stated that this legislation would hurt their ability to provide services and more than 20 veteran groups wrote a letter asking Congress not to pass this budget. Yet Kiggans ignored those concerns. Kiggans has since tried to lie about her voting record, knowing that her actions will cost her votes in November.

Kiggans has proven she is all talk and no action and will cave to her dysfunctional party at every turn. Kiggans failed to get additional funding for military housing while in Congress because according to her, she couldn’t “understand the process of Congress, how to get things done,” and they ultimately “missed that [opportunity].” Kiggans failed in her chance to improve the lives of our service members because she couldn’t be bothered to learn how to do her job. Her inability to govern led to fewer resources for military personnel living in subpar housing.

Kiggans has been letting down veterans and our active duty service members even before Congress. When Kiggans was in the Virginia Senate, she voted against reforms for predatory payday lenders that target members of the military. Payday loans have high interest rates, sometimes of up to 400%, but are pushed on the most vulnerable people who can least afford them. Payday lenders often locate themselves near military bases to entice or deceive young service members into predatory loans with abusive or unfair terms. In 2017, it was estimated that 44% of active duty military used payday loans. Yet when Kiggans had the opportunity to vote for legislation to help protect military personnel from predatory payday lenders, she chose to side with payday lenders. Color us shocked that Kiggans is funded by payday lenders, including multiple campaign contributions from GOPAC which receives “substantial financial backing” from the payday lending industry. Kiggans has continued to accept money from GOPAC while in Congress and proudly calls herself an alum of the organization. When she was finally pinned down by local press to explain her vote, Kiggans literally ran away while still mic’d, completely unable to answer for herself. GOPAC has already said that they will be spending again for Kiggans in 2024.

This is a stark contrast with Missy, a veteran who understands how tired Virginia veterans and service members are of politicians who break their promises and treat their benefits and financial security like pawns in a political game. Missy works to help military families and will continue advocating for them in Congress.

Kiggans Embraced Her Anti-Abortion Record 

Kiggans is an anti-abortion extremist trying to hide her anti-choice record. Despite her best efforts to skirt around the issue, her record speaks volumes. Kiggans voted for the Military Construction-VA Appropriations bill that prohibits abortions at VA medical centers. She voted to restrict abortion access for military personnel in the annual defense bill and also voted for an amendment to prohibit the Defense Department from paying for expenses related to abortion services. Despite representing a district where people were feeling the harmful impacts of Senator Tuberville’s hold up of military promotions, Kiggans said she agreed with Senator Tuberville’s destructive stance. This had a devastating impact on military families who were unable to move or enroll their kids in new schools while waiting for their promotions and new assignments to different states. When partisan judges threatened to rip away access to IVF, Jen Kiggans did nothing, refusing to support the bipartisan plan to protect IVF nationwide.

If Kiggans’ votes weren’t clear enough, her own alarming rhetoric further proves she is a threat to reproductive freedom. She called abortion a “shiny object” and derisively claims abortion is “elective surgery,” similar to a “Hollywood nose job.” It’s no wonder that Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorsed Missy. Missy stands with the majority of Virginians who believe politicians like Kiggans shouldn’t be restricting their personal freedoms. These restrictions in states across the country have already led to an 110% increase in abortions in Virginia from 2019 to 2023, with 17% of those being for patients from another state. Missy is running to protect abortion rights and will fight against extreme Republicans’ continued efforts to ban abortion nationwide.

Kiggans is a MAGA Enthusiast 

Jen Kiggans has proven time and time again that she will side with her MAGA friends and allies over Coastal Virginians. Kiggans called far-right MAGA extremist Marjorie Taylor Greene her “teammate,” even claiming that they “want the same things.” She gleefully endorsed now-convicted felon Donald Trump for president, claiming that it’s time to “unify” the MAGA party. Her unapologetic endorsement came despite the felon’s consistent disrespect for veterans, Gold Star families, and the military. Kiggans knows that Trump called fallen soldiers “suckers” and “losers,” is threatening to revoke our support of NATO allies, and is even willing to pull the U.S. from NATO. Despite the local consequences of this with the NATO Joint Force Command based in Norfolk, Kiggans endorsed him nonetheless. In reference to John McCain, who spent five years as a prisoner of war, including a stay in the infamous Hanoi Hilton, Trump famously said “I like people who weren’t captured.” Trump was also too vain to be seen with soldiers who lost limbs in the line of duty because “it doesn’t look good for me.”

Her devotion to the most extreme members of her party knows no bounds. Kiggans happily fundraised for John McGuire, who admitted to being outside the Capitol during the deadly January 6th insurrection and even posted a selfie at the event. Kiggans also had MAGA enthusiast Elise Stefanik at her campaign launch the day after Stefanik refused to commit to certifying the 2024 election results and described the violent insurrectionists as “January 6 hostages.” This squares with Jen Kiggans herself previously refusing to assert that Joe Biden is president. The American Journal News also revealed that Kiggans has “been funneling cash to far-right, extremist legislators” in Virginia’s local elections.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Daily Kos: Virginia district takes center stage in the fight to stop abortion bans [Daily Kos, 06/06/24]

Dogwood: Jen Kiggans voted in 2020 against reforms for predatory payday lenders who target military members [Dogwood, 05/20/24]

Virginia Pilot: Opinion: U.S. Rep. Kiggans has abandoned her post [Virginia Pilot, 12/25/23]

Newsweek: As House Republicans Veer Right, Moderates Like Jen Kiggans Come Under Fire [Newsweek, 09/15/23]

“Republican Congresswoman Jen Kiggans, who represents Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, may have upset this balance late last month after praising some of her party’s most conservative and controversial members in her comments at a breakfast meeting hosted by The Tidewater Liberty Partners, a group that advocates for limited government, which were recorded and later posted on YouTube.”

New York Times: Vulnerable Republicans Take a Political Risk With Abortion Vote [New York Times, 06/14/23]

“But Ms. Kiggans was one of dozens of Republicans from competitive districts who voted this week to support adding a bevy of deeply partisan restrictions to the annual defense policy bill, including one that would reverse a Pentagon policy aimed at preserving access to abortion services for military personnel, no matter where they are stationed.” 

Richmond Times Dispatch: Cotter Smasal in Va. 2nd among Dems getting DCCC backing [Richmond Times Dispatch, 01/29/24]

Washington Post: Va. Democrats already lining up behind challenger for Kiggans in 2024 [Washington Post, 09/12/23]

The Hill: Navy veteran launches bid for seat held by Kiggans [The Hill, 09/06/23]

PATH TO VICTORY

Democrats’ success in flipping the VA House was powered by Coastal Virginia State House districts that sit within the confines of VA-02, and abortion was the key issue. Delegate Michael Feggans in HD-97 flipped the seat, winning by 5 points after Gov. Glenn Youngkin won there in 2021 by 3 points. Additionally, HD-84, a Republican-held open seat, went Democratic by 6 points. Virginians said loud and clear that they reject extreme politicians that want to ban abortions – an unfortunate sign of things to come for Jen Kiggans.

President Biden won this seat in 2020, and outside groups are already spending against Kiggans and communicating to voters early: Courage for America launched a seven-figure buy against Jen Kiggans with two ads featuring veterans direct to camera who feel left behind by her extremism in Congress; Accountable.US and Affordable Virginia also launched campaigns calling Kiggans out for betraying veterans; MoveOn has a seven-figure program to target Kiggans and others who claim to be moderates but vote in lockstep with Marjorie Taylor Greene; and Unrig Our Economy ran ads against Kiggans for voting to cut access to Social Security and raising the cost of housing and utilities.

Groups are pouring in because everyone can see that Jen Kiggans is a vulnerable freshman whose MAGA extremism exposed just how unfit she is for this district. Missy Cotter Smasal has a track record working with Republicans as a part of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, honoring service members, and committing to the fight to protect abortion rights. Coastal Virginians want a pragmatic, solutions-oriented leader. While Jen Kiggans has failed to meet the moment, Missy is ready to flip this seat back to blue and ensure Virginia’s Second Congressional District once again has real, independent leadership.

Wednesday (Juneteeth) News: “Something’s Rotten About the Justices Taking So Long on Trump’s Immunity Case”; Kaine to Face Far-Right-Extremist Cao; Mehta, Smasal, Witt, Vindman, Subramanyam Win, “Trump’s bid to oust Good ends in nailbiter”

By
lowkell
-
22

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, June 19 (happy Juneteenth!).

Virginia Primary Night June 2024 Results: Live Blog

By
lowkell
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24

UPDATE 9:37 pm – With 22/24 localities reporting in the VA05 GOP primary, it’s now John McGuire 50.92%-Bob Good 49.08%.  Still too close to call.

UPDATE 9:05 pm –  With 17/24 localities reporting in the VA05 GOP primary, it’s now John McGuire 51.7% – Bob Good 46.7%.

UPDATE 8:51 pm – With 13/24 localities reporting in the VA05 GOP primary, it’s still close – McGuire 51.8%-Good 48.2%

UPDATE 8:43 pm – With 47/55 precincts reporting in the Arlington County Board Democratic primary, JD Spain leads with 32%, followed by Natalie Roy (28%) and Tenley Peterson (24%). This nomination process uses Ranked Choice Voting, so we’ll see what happens when that’s calculated…

UPDATE 8:22 pm – With 10/11 localities reporting in the VA07 GOP primary, Derrick Anderson leads 43.6%-40.3% over Cameron Hamilton.

UPDATE 8:10 pm – Congrats to Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11), who is doing a superb job in Congress, for being overwhelmingly renominated (he currently leads with over 85% of the vote).

UPDATE 8:07 pm – Not Larry Sabato calls the VA10 Dem primary for Suhas Subramanyam, the VA02 Dem primary for Missy Cotter Smasal and the VA07 Dem primary for Eugene Vindman. Congrats and good luck to all three of these Democratic nominees. “NLS” also calls the VA10 GOP primary for Mike Clancy.

UPDATE 8:03 pm – With 8/24 localities reporting in the VA05 GOP primary, Trump-endorsed John McGuire leads incumbent Rep. Bob Good by a narrow 51.1%-48.9% margin.

UPDATE 7:55 pm – With 4/8 localities reporting in the VA02 Dem primary, heavy favorite Missy Cotter Smasal leads Jake Denton by a 65.7%-34.3% margin.

UPDATE 7:51 pm – With 26/33 precincts reporting in Alexandria, Alyia Gaskins leads by a wide margin (59.7%-28.8%) over Amy Jackson for Mayor. For City Council, the leaders are John Taylor Chapman (11.6%), Sarah Bagley (11.3%), Abdel S. Elnoubi (10.1%), Kirk McPike (10.1%), Jacinta Greene (9.5%), Charlotte A. Scherer (9.3%)…

UPDATE 7:48 pm – With 8/11 localities reporting in the VA07 GOP primary, it’s neck-and-neck between Cameron Hamilton (44.1%) and Derrick Anderson (43.9%). The winner of this primary will take on Democrat Eugene Vindman this fall.

UPDATE 7:46 pm – Ben “Not Larry Sabato” Tribbett has called VA05 for Gloria Tinsley Witt  and VA01 for Leslie Mehta. Congrats and good luck to both!

UPDATE 7:43 pm – With 14/55 precincts reporting in the Arlington Democratic primary for County Board, JD Spain leads with 31%, followed by Natalie Roy with 25% and Tenley Peterson with 25%…

UPDATE 7:41 pm – With 5/24 localities reporting in the VA05 Dem primary, Gloria Tinsley Witt leads by a big margin, 63.4%-21.5% over Gary Terry.

UPDATE 7:38 pm – With 5/7 localities reporting in the VA10 Dem primary, Suhas Subramanyam leads 33.7% over Dan Helmer (20.7%), Atif Qarni (12.3%), Jennifer Boysko (11.9%), Eileen Filler-Corn (8.8%)…

UPDATE 7:36 pm – With 6/7 localities reporting in the VA10 GOP primary, Mike Clancy leads by a wide margin, 61.3%-23.2% over Aliscia Andrews.

UPDATE 7:34 pm – With 4/24 localities reporting in the VA05 Republican primary, State Sen. John McGuire leads Rep. Bob Good 53.8%-46.2%

UPDATE 7:30 pm – With 61/133 localities reporting in the VA GOP US Senate primary, Trump -endorsed Hung Cao is running away with it, at 64.5% of the vote, with Eddie Garcia the runner-up at just 10.2%. This one’s OVER.

UPDATE 7:29 pm – With 9/18 localities reporting in the VA01 Dem primary, Leslie Mehta is now up 64%-36% over Herb Jones.

UPDATE 7:26 pm – With 7/18 localities reporting in the VA01 Dem primary, Leslie Mehta  holds a small lead over Herb Jones, 54.7%-45.3%.

UPDATE 7:22 pm – With 4/7 localities reporting in the VA10 Dem primary, State Sen. Suhas Subramanyam leads with 25.8%, followed by Del. Dan Helmer with 21.0%, followed by  former Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn with 11.6%, then State Sen. Jennifer Boysko with 11.6%.

UPDATE 7:19 pm – With 2/11 localities reporting in the VA07 Dem primary, Eugene Vindman leads by a wide margin, 58.7%-14.1% over Briana Sewell, and 9.8% for Elizabeth Guzman.

UPDATE 7:15 pm – With 20/133 localities reporting, Trump-endorsed Hung Cao leads the VA GOP US Senate primary by a wide margin (60.9%-11.5%) over Eddie Garcia. This one’s pretty much a done deal.

***********************************************

It’s 6:45 pm, and polls will close in Virginia in 15 minutes. In this live blog of the primary election returns, I’ll primarly be checking the VA Department of Elections website (Democratic results here; Republican results here) and VPAP for results as they come in. Feel free to use the comments section of this post to report what you’re hearing. The top races I’ll be closely watching – in roughly descending order – are:

  • VA10 Democratic: Former Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn. vs. State Sen. Suhas Subramanyam vs. former VA Secretary of Education Atif Qarni vs. Del. Dan Helmer vs. Marion Devoe Sr. vs Krystle Kaul vs. State Sen. Jennifer Boysko vs. Adrian Pokharel vs. Del. Michelle Maldonado vs. Mark Leighton vs. Del. David Reid vs. Travis Nembhard
  • VA05 GOP: Rep. Bob Good vs. State Sen. John McGuire
  • VA07 Democratic: Eugene Vindman vs. Del. Briana Sewell vs. former Del. Elizabeth Guzman vs. Carl Bedell vs. Cliff Heinzer vs. PW County Supervisor Margaret Angela Franklin vs. PW County Supervisor Andrea Bailey
  • VA07 GOP: Derrick Anderson vs. Cameron Hamilton vs. Jon Myers vs. John Prabhudoss vs. Maria Martin vs. Terris Todd
  • VA10 GOP: Mike Clancy vs. Alex Isaac vs. Aliscia Andrews vs. Manga Anantatmula
  • VA01 Democratic: Leslie Mehta vs. Herb Jones
  • Arlington County Board (Democratic): Tenley Peterson vs. Natalie Roy vs. JD Spain vs. Julie Farnam vs. James DeVita
  • Alexandria Mayor (Democratic): Alyia Gaskins vs. Amy Jackson vs. Steven Peterson
  • Alexandria City Council (Democratic): R. Kirk McPike vs. Jimmy Lewis vs. Abdel Elnoubi vs. Sarah Bagley vs. Canek Aguirre vs. Jesse O’Connell vs. Kevin Harris vs. John Taylor Chapman vs. Jonathan Huskey vs. Jacinta Greene vs. Charlotte Scherer
  • VA05 Democratic: Gloria Witt vs. Paul Riley vs. Gary Terry
  • VA02 Democratic: Jake Denton vs. Missy Cotter Smasal
  • VA11 Democratic: Rep. Gerry Connolly vs. Ahsan Nasar
  • Roanoke City Council (Democratic): Terry McGuire vs. Phazhon Nash vs. Benjamin Woods vs. Jamaal Jackson (who dropped out but remains on the ballot)

 

Rep. Jen Kiggans Facing Ethics Complaint After Allegedly Spending Taxpayer Funds on Reelection Campaign

By
Blue Virginia
-
4

From Affordable Virginia:

Rep. Jen Kiggans Facing Ethics Complaint After Allegedly Spending Taxpayer Funds on Re-Election Campaign

“Likely violation of federal law,” the complaint says.

Virginia Beach, Va. – Congresswoman Jen Kiggans is facing an ethics complaint that alleges she may have violated federal law by using taxpayer funds to produce ads that help support her in her re-election campaign. So far this year, the Congresswoman has spent more than $90,000 in taxpayer funds on mass communication, making her the highest spender among the Virginia congressional delegation. She has spent nearly 4 times the average amount among the Virginia congressional delegation.

A constituent and resident of Virginia Beach filed the complaint on behalf of Affordable Virginia, a non-partisan organization focused on holding Rep. Kiggans accountable on behalf of working families. “I saw some ads Rep. Kiggans put out with disclaimers that they were funded by Congress, but it was odd to me since they were almost identical to a video her campaign is using,” said the Complainant. “That just didn’t seem right. I’m sick of politicians acting like they can do whatever they want, especially when it comes to using taxpayer money.”

The complaint alleges Rep. Kiggans likely violated the Franking Rule, which refers to a set of guidelines that restrict how members of Congress can use taxpayer-funded communication materials. According to the House Communications Standards, materials produced under this policy are generally meant to inform constituents about congressional business and help them access government services, but using them for electoral purposes is strictly prohibited.

The Videos Under Scrutiny 

In addition to a video her campaign is using having very similar script language to those produced with taxpayer funds, the timing of their release is also being called into question.

Weeks after announcing that she was the Republican nominee, Rep. Kiggans started running two ads, “Seniors” and “Veterans,” with disclaimers stating that they were paid for by official funds authorized by the House of Representatives and appeared to have been filmed in her official office and contained footage of her on the House floor.

While the Commission approved the ads on January 10, 2024, and August 2, 2023, respectively, they were not aired until several months after Rep. Kiggans began her re-election campaign.

Appears to Be Clear Violation of Ethics Rules 

“The timing of these ads clearly indicates they are meant to influence voters,” said Emily Yeatts, Campaign Director for Affordable Virginia. “Rep. Kiggans waited to release these videos until she was actively campaigning for re-election. This is not only a potential violation of Congressional rules. It is a slap in the face to the working families she represents who are struggling to make ends meet while their Congresswoman uses taxpayer-funded videos to get herself re-elected.”

Potential Violation of Federal Law

The complaint also alleges that Congresswoman Kiggans not only undermined public trust but likely violated federal law along with commission standards. “This might not seem serious to someone like her, but it’s serious to me since it’s public money she’s using to campaign,” said the Complainant. “For once, I just want politicians to do the work they were elected to do instead of acting like the rules don’t apply to them.”

###

About Affordable Virginia

Affordable Virginia, a project of Family Friendly Virginia, is a grassroots campaign urging Congresswoman Jen Kiggans to stop siding with corporations and the ultra-wealthy and start fighting for policies that will lower costs for working families in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District.

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