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1Q25 Fundraising Totals for Virginia Statewide, Other Offices

By
lowkell
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2

Courtesy of VPAP, see below for the latest fundraising totals for the first quarter of 2025 – and cash on hand (as of 3/31/25) – for Virginia 2025 statewide and other candidates. These numbers will help tell us who the leading candidates are, with just over two months until the Democratic and Republican primaries on June 17. Also, to see how much the candidates raised in 2H24, click here.

US SENATE:

  • Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Warner raised over $3 million in 1Q25, spent $679k in 1Q25 and had $7.9 million cash-on-hand as of 3/31/25.

GOVERNOR:

  • Democrat Abigail Spanberger reported receipts of $6.7 million from 1/1 to 3/31; expenditures of $2.3 million; and cash-on-hand of $11.0 million as of 3/31/25.
  • Republican Winsome Sears reported receipts of $3.1 million from 1/1 to 3/31, expenditures of $1.2 million; and cash-on-hand of $4.0 million as of 3/31/25. Also, the “Winsome PAC” reported $147k in receipts, $198k in expenses and $365k cash-on-hand as of 3/31/25.

LT. GOVERNOR

  • Democrat Alex Bastani reported receipts of $134k (almost all self-funded) from 1/13 to 3/31, expenditures of $101k; and cash-on-hand of $33k as of 3/31/25.
  • Democrat Ghazala Hashmi reported receipts of $306k from 1/1 to 3/31; expenditures of $197k; and cash-on-hand of $656k as of 3/31/25. Hashmi also raised $40k in her State Senate account, spent $46k and had $1.2k in cash-on-hand there.
  • Democrat Babur Lateef reported receipts of $398k from 1/1 to 3/31; expenditures of $297k and cash-on-hand of $381k as of 3/31/25.
  • Democrat Aaron Rouse reported receipts of $398k from 1/1 to 3/31, expenditures of $139k; and cash-on-hand of $926k as of 3/31/25.
  • Democrat Victor Salgado reported receipts of $125k from 1/3 to 3/31, expenditures of $98k; and cash-on-hand of $106k as of 3/31/25.
  • Democrat Levar Stoney reported receipts of $429k from 1/1 to 3/31; expenditures of $446k; and cash-on-hand of $523k as of 3/31/25.
  • Republican Pat Herrity reported receipts of $540k from 1/1 to 3/31; expenditures of $205k; and cash-on-hand of $335k as of 3/31/25.
  • Republican John Reid reported receipts of $178k from 1/27 to 3/31; expenditures of $87k; and cash-on-hand of $91k as of 3/31/25.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

  • Democrat Jay Jones reported receipts of $931k from 1/1 to 3/31; expenditures of $229k; and cash-on-hand of $1.49 million as of 3/31/25.
  • Democrat Shannon Taylor reported receipts of $534k (including $228k transferred from her Commonwealth’s Attorney account) from 1/1 to 3/31; expenditures of $227k; and cash-on-hand of $666k as of 3/31/25.
  • Republican Jason Miyares reported receipts of $1.5 million from 1/1 to 3/31; expenditures of $655k; and cash-on-hand of $2.12 million as of 3/31/25. Also, Miyares’ “A Safer Virginia” PAC raised $105k, spent $283k and had $2.55 million cash-on-hand as of 3/31/25.

HOUSE OF DELEGATES

  • Speaker Don Scott reported receipts of $813k from 1/1 to 3/31; expenditures of $181k; and cash-on-hand of $2.46 million as of 3/31/25. Also, Speaker Scott’s Virginia Future Generations PAC raised $269k from 1/1 to 3/31, spent $213k and had $779k in cash-on-hand as of 3/31/25.
  • House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert reported receipts of $119k from 1/1 to 3/31; expenditures of $83k; and cash-on-hand of $583k as of 3/31/25. Also, Gilbert’s Republican Commonwealth Leadership PAC raised $557k from 1/1 to 3/31, spent $174k and had $1.19 million cash-on-hand as of 3/31/25.
  • HD01: Del. Patrick Hope raised $22k, had $51k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; primary challenger Sean Epstein raised $22k, had $19k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; primary challenger Arjoon Srikanth raised $39k, had $20k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.
  • HD22: Democrat Elizabeth Guzman raised $1491k and had $114k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; Republican incumbent Del. Ian Lovejoy raised just $25k and had just $40k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.
  • HD30: Democrat John McAuliffe raised $171k and had $141k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; Republican incumbent Del. Geary Higgins raised $38k and had $168k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.
  • HD41: Democrat Lily Franklin raised $190k and had $185k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; Republican incumbent Del. Chris Obenshain raised just $50k and had just $48k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.
  • HD57: Democrat Andrew Schear raised $13k and had $7k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; Democrat May Nivar raised $93k and had $105k cash on hand as of 3/31/25;  Republican incumbent Del. David Owen raised just $37.6k and had $135k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.
  • HD71: Democrat Jessica Anderson raised $115k and had $157k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; Republican incumbent Del. Amanda Batten raised $15k and had $254k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.
  • HD73: Republican incumbent Del. Mark Earley Jr. raised just $28k and had $55k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; Democrat Leslie Mehta raised $53k and had $35k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.; Democrat Justin Woodford raised $ and had $ cash on hand as of 3/31/25.
  • HD75: Republican incumbent Del. Carrie Coyner raised $132k and had $322k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; Democrat Lindsey Dougherty raised $14k and had $12k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; Democrat Stephen Miller-Pitts raised $4.3k and had $4.3k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; Democrat Dustin Wade raised $69k and had $60k cash on hand as of 3/31/25;
  • HD82: Democrat Kimberly Pope Adams raised $103k and had $120k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; incumbent Del. Kim Taylor (R) raised $117k and had $61k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.
  • HD86: Democrat Virgil Gene Thornton raised $55k and had $34k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; incumbent Del. A.C. Cordoza (R) raised just $8k and had $32k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.
  • HD89: Democrat Blaizen Buckshot Bloom raised $9k and had $3k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.; Democrat Karen Robins Carnegie raised $32k and had $21k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.; Republican Mike Lamonea raised $75k and had $54k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.; Republican Kristen Shannon raised $21k and had $14.6k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.
  • HD97: Democratic incumbent Del. Michael Feggans raised $60k and had $62k cash on hand as of 3/31/25; Republican challenger Tim Anderson raised $112k and had $83k cash on hand as of 3/31/25.

 

Wednesday News: “Judge in deportation case threatens Trump admin with contempt of court”; “America, This Is an Old and Brutal Tyranny”; “Biden says Trump administration has ‘done so much damage’ since taking office”; “Harvard knows: complicity won’t save you”

By
lowkell
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0

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, April 16.

As Sam Shirazi Points Out It Now “seems official…[Sen. Mark] Warner is running for re-election in 2026.” Here Are a Few Thoughts.

By
lowkell
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1

As you can see from Sen. Mark Warner’s campaign press release a little while ago, it definitely appears – as Sam Shirazi points out – that it “seems official…Warner is running for re-election in 2026.” Also, as Sam Shirazi points out, “Warner certainly a favorite in Trump midterm,” with the “only question…if Governor Youngkin runs.” My guess is that Youngkin will test the waters, but in the end won’t pull the trigger if he thinks it’s unlikely he’d win this race. But we’ll see; Youngkin certainly likes being in the spotlight, even if he brings almost nothing of substance, unless you count 24/7 bootlicking and groveling to Trump as “substance.” LOL

As for Sen. Mark Warner, I mostly think he does a good job and is, along with Sen. Tim Kaine, part of one of the most effective US Senate teams in the country. A few more thoughts on Sen. Warner, in no particular order, are:

  • Since he was elected governor in 2001, he’s been one of the most successful politicians in Virginia, leaving the governor’s mansion with approval ratings in the 70%s (!), then absolutely *crushing* former Gov. Jim Gilmore, 65%-34%, in the 2008 election for US Senate and defeating Republican Daniel Gade by 12 points (56%-44%) in 2020, with a near-brush with political mortality in the “Tea Party”/”red wave” midterm year of 2014, when Warner came within 19,000 votes of losing to Republican Ed Gillespie. But mostly, Warner’s been a political force in Virginia for a quarter century, and one would have to think he enters the 2026 reelection campaign as the favorite to win. (note: a January 2025 poll found “45% said they would support current Sen. Warner, while 38% would support [Glenn] Youngkin.” So…if that’s accurate, Warner starts with a comfortable lead over Youngkin.
  • While some on the left have expressed interest in Sen. Warner facing a Democratic primary, I’d say the chances of a serious intra-party challenge to Warner are minimal. If one *does* happen, it presumably would be a younger challenger, one with significant charisma and access to campaign contributions. It would presumably challenge Warner on several fronts – forcefulness in fighting back against Trump? willingness to work “across the aisle” vs. being MUCH more confrontational and partisan? ideology, given that Warner has always framed himself as a “moderate”/”radical centrist”/etc? But as of now, I’d be really surprised if Warner ended up facing a serious, credible, well-funded primary challenge…especially given that the VCU poll in January 2025 found that the “vast majority of Democrats (88%) stated they would vote for Warner.”
  • Whether you like him or not, Sen. Warner is very smart and knowledgeable on many areas of policy, including foreign policy, intelligence, the military, economics, technology, etc. The only area where I haven’t been particularly impressed with Warner’s expertise, really, has been energy, where for instance he seems to actually be enthused about the super-expensive/technologically-not-even-close-to-ready-for-primetime “Small Modular Reactors” and nuclear fusion power. But other than that, if you listen to Sen. Warner in his weekly press availabilities, you’ve got to come away impressed with his incredibly wide range of knowledge and ability to speak authoritatively on just about any subject, off the cuff, in detail. Sen. Warner may be 70 years old, but he doesn’t seem to have lost a step in terms of energy or mental sharpness.
  • Personally, I’d like see *all* Democratic Senators, including Senators Warner and Kaine, be less willing to maintain “norms” vis-a-vis Trump, given that Trump is busy smashing any/all norms, rule of law, etc. Specifically, while I understand Sen. Kaine’s reasoning (and presumably Sen. Warner’s reasoning is similar) on voting for numerous Trump Cabinet picks, I simply don’t agree that this is the way to proceed at this point. For instance, to me it was glaringly obvious that Marco Rubio would be a terrible Secretary of State, and that Kristi Noem would be a disaster as Secretary of Homeland Security, yet Rubio was confirmed 99-0, while 34 Democrats (including Sen. Kaine, although not Sen. Warner) voted to confirm Noem. Personally, I would have voted against the vast majority of Trump’s Cabinet picks, given that they were/are a combination of extreme, corrupt, unqualified, etc. And yes, they would have been confirmed regardless of how Democrats voted, but to me, that’s a reason to just do the right thing – and vote no. So that’s frustrating, although in the end, I don’t think it is – or necessarily should be – enough to justify a primary challenge to Sen. Warner or most other Senate Democratic incumbents. Because, in the end, Trump *was* elected president, *was* going to get his Cabinet (since Democrats are in the minority in the Senate), and the only question was the best strategy to deal with this deplorable situation…

Video: While Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA01) Stays Silent, VA State Senator Ghazala Hashmi Holds a Town Hall to Hear from VA-01 Residents

By
Blue Virginia
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0

From State Senator Ghazala Hashmi’s campaign:

While Wittman Stays Silent, Senator Ghazala Hashmi Holds Town Hall to Hear from VA-01 Residents

Richmond, VA –  As Congressman Rob Wittman continues to hide from his constituents by avoiding in-person public forums, Senator Ghazala Hashmi stepped up to fill the void. Last night she held a town hall to give residents of Virginia’s 1st District a platform to voice their concerns and more than a hundred community members attended, raising issues from rising costs to Trump and Musk’s threats against public education and Medicaid.

At a time of growing national instability—fueled by Trump-era policies that have cost Virginians jobs and jeopardized access to health care—Senator Hashmi made clear that showing up and listening to constituents is non-negotiable.

“We’re going to see the impact that is about to happen in just a few months for hundreds of thousands of Virginians. Impact on education, you don’t have to actually shut down a federal agency is what we’re seeing – you can just fire the staff,” said Sen. Hashmi at the town hall. “This is something Congressman Wittman should be standing up and defending. Have any of you seen him say he is not going to support that budget that will be passed which strips away Medicaid?  I haven’t… We need to have a Governor, a Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General who is going to be fighting for us on that.

Here is a video with highlights of Sen. Hashmi’s remarks.

Senators Kaine, Warner Demand Answers from Departments of State, Homeland Security on Sudden and Unexplained Revocations of Virginia Students’ Visas

By
lowkell
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5

Good to see, although the chances of getting answers from Rubio (who the US Senate voted 99-0 to confirm, astoundingly!) and Noem (who several Democrats actually voted to confirm, also astoundingly!) are…???

KAINE & WARNER DEMAND ANSWERS FROM DEPARTMENTS OF STATE AND HOMELAND SECURITY ON SUDDEN AND UNEXPLAINED REVOCATIONS OF VIRGINIA STUDENTS’ VISAS 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Mark R. Warner (both D-VA) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem demanding information and action on the growing number of Virginia college and university students whose visas or records have been abruptly terminated without due process, a means of seeking recourse, or even notification to the students or their schools.

“We write to you today expressing extreme concern after hearing from institutions of higher education throughout Virginia and the country that the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security are working together to revoke the nonimmigrant (F-1, M-1, or J-1) visas of their students. Such revocations are then used to terminate these students’ records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), potentially affecting their ability to attend school,” wrote the senators. “Worse, State and DHS are taking such actions without providing any notice to the affected students or their schools, with only vague, non-individualized reasons given for terminations in SEVIS.”

“The chaos caused by your actions is not acceptable. We believe in the rule of law and that immigration laws should be enforced. That starts with the Constitution and its guarantees of free speech and due process. These Constitutional protections apply to noncitizens in the United States, including people in nonimmigrant status,” continued the senators. “If there are international students in the United States in violation of our criminal or immigration laws, they should be removed. But summarily revoking these students’ visas and/or terminating their records in SEVIS without any notice to the students or their schools undermines confidence in State and DHS’s judgment and erodes Americans’ trust in the immigration system and the rule of law. Such distrust will be exploited by the very people who want to harm the United States.”

The senators posed the following questions:

  1. Since January 20, 2025, how many F-1, M-1, or J-1 nonimmigrant visas have the State Department revoked for people attending schools in Virginia? For each revoked visa, please provide the justification given for the revocation.
  2. For those whose F-1, M-1, or J-1 visas were revoked in question 1, how many had their records terminated in SEVIS?
  3. Since January 20, 2025, has the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) terminated the SEVIS records of any students attending school in Virginia whose nonimmigrant visas have not been revoked by the State Department? For each such termination, please provide the specific reason why their SEVIS records were terminated, and specify what evidence SEVP reviewed before terminating each record.
  4. How would a Virginia student whose visa has been revoked and/or had their SEVIS record terminated be notified that this has happened? How would their schools be notified that this has happened? If a student or school believes that such revocation and/or termination has been made in error, what are the avenues for review or appeal of the revocation and/or termination? How long would such process take?

Full text of the letter can be found here and below:

Dear Secretary Rubio and Secretary Noem: 

We write to you today expressing extreme concern after hearing from institutions of higher education throughout Virginia and the country that the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security are working together to revoke the nonimmigrant (F-1, M-1, or J-1) visas of their students. Such revocations are then used to terminate these students’ records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), potentially affecting their ability to attend school. Worse, State and DHS are taking such actions without providing any notice to the affected students or their schools, with only vague, non-individualized reasons given for terminations in SEVIS. Furthermore, there is no clear process for these students to ascertain why their record was terminated in SEVIS, then to challenge the termination if they believe that DHS or State has made an error in their case. To date, over 1,000 international students have had their student visas revoked and/or SEVIS records terminated nationwide, including in the Commonwealth of Virginia.[1]  

The chaos caused by your actions is not acceptable. We believe in the rule of law and that immigration laws should be enforced. That starts with the Constitution and its guarantees of free speech and due process. These Constitutional protections apply to noncitizens in the United States, including people in nonimmigrant status.

If there are international students in the United States in violation of our criminal or immigration laws, they should be removed. But summarily revoking these students’ visas and/or terminating their records in SEVIS without any notice to the students or their schools undermines confidence in State and DHS’s judgment and erodes Americans’ trust in the immigration system and the rule of law. Such distrust will be exploited by the very people who want to harm the United States.

Over 1.1 million international students matriculated to U.S. colleges and universities in 2023-2024, contributing over $40 billion into the U.S. economy and supporting 378,175 jobs.[2] Virginia is proud to be home to more than 170 colleges and universities, including community colleges and highly prestigious research universities that enroll international students. These students pay for the privilege and contribute tremendously to the academic intuitions and the communities in which they live.

We want all our students to feel safe, supported, and secure in their studies so they can focus on their education. As such, we are deeply concerned that this administration’s policies surrounding student visas will result in severe consequences to universities and colleges, and their surrounding communities.

To better assist us in understanding the impacts of State and DHS’s action, no later than April 30, 2025, please provide us with the following information:

  1. Since January 20, 2025, how many F-1, M-1, or J-1 nonimmigrant visas have the State Department revoked for people attending schools in Virginia? For each revoked visa, please provide the justification given for the revocation.
  2. For those whose F-1, M-1, or J-1 visas were revoked in question 1, how many had their records terminated in SEVIS?
  3. Since January 20, 2025, has the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) terminated the SEVIS records of any students attending school in Virginia whose nonimmigrant visas have not been revoked by the State Department? For each such termination, please provide the specific reason why their SEVIS records were terminated, and specify what evidence SEVP reviewed before terminating each record.
  4. How would a Virginia student whose visa has been revoked and/or had their SEVIS record terminated be notified that this has happened? How would their schools be notified that this has happened? If a student or school believes that such revocation and/or termination has been made in error, what are the avenues for review or appeal of the revocation and/or termination? How long would such process take?

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Video: Virginia Democrats Launch New Ad Highlighting Sears Downplaying Attacks on Virginia Jobs as Unemployment Rate Jumps

By
lowkell
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0

From DPVA:

NEW: Virginia Democrats Launch New Ad Highlighting Sears Downplaying Attacks on Virginia Jobs as Unemployment Rate Jumps

Sears: “It happens all the time… And the media is making it out to be a huge, huge thing, and I don’t understand why”

VIRGINIA – Today, Virginia Democrats released a new ad highlighting Winsome Earle-Sears – in her own words – downplaying the attacks on Virginia jobs as the unemployment rate in Virginia increases. In the audio first reported by Meidas Touch, Winsome Earle-Sears says “the media is making it out to be a huge, huge thing… and I don’t understand why.”

WATCH BELOW:

Read a transcript below:

Reporter: New unemployment claims in Virginia are skyrocketing. 

Narrator: Northern Virginia unemployment claims rose 7.1% in February. Over 53,000 people unemployed. Virginia families are dealing with the economic fallout. And what does Winsome Earle-Sears have to say? 

Winsome Earle-Sears: So, if you lost your job, and how many here have ever lost a job? Oh, you mean it’s not unusual? It happens to everybody all the time? Okay. And the media is making it out to be this huge, huge thing. And I don’t understand why. 

Tuesday News: “The Constitutional Crisis Is Here”; “Obama condemns Trump’s $2.3bn Harvard funding freeze as ‘unlawful and ham-handed’”; “Democrats Should Seize Trump’s Tariff Flop”; “Senator Kaine ‘skeptical’ about Russia interest in ceasefire with Ukraine”

By
lowkell
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0

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, April 15.

Sen. Tim Kaine, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08) Rip Donald Trump’s “Sick” Comments and “cozying up to an aspiring dictator,” El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele

By
lowkell
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0

See below for reactions by Sen. Tim Kaine, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08) – I’ll add others who weigh in, if and when they do – to Trump this morning (as Sen. Tim Kaine says) “cozying up to an aspiring dictator,” El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. As Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08) puts it:

“1) Kilmar Abrego Garcia was here legally 2) Trump illegally sent him to a prison in El Salvador; the Administration admits this was a mistake 3) The Supreme Court unanimously ordered his return 4) Trump refused 5) Trump wants to do the same thing to U.S. citizens This is sick.”

KAINE STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT BUKELE’S VISIT TO THE WHITE HOUSE 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, (D-VA) released the following statement regarding El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s visit to the White House:

“Once again, President Trump is cozying up to an aspiring dictator. The Bukele regime has for many years rounded up tens of thousands of Salvadorans without due process, and indefinitely crammed them into overpopulated megaprisons. Trump is conspiring with President Bukele to do the same with people in the United States, including Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal U.S. resident and Maryland father whom the Administration openly admits they deported by mistake, but now refuses to release from a notorious torture prison and return to his American family. The United States should call out Bukele’s contemptuous and anti-democratic behavior rather than celebrate and be complicit in it.”

 

“Virginia House Republicans In Disarray — Too Terrified to Lead, Too Divided to Govern”

By
lowkell
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0

From the Virginia House Democrats:

ICYMI: Virginia House Republicans In Disarray — Too Terrified to Lead, Too Divided to Govern
RICHMOND, VA—In case you missed it, Virginia House Republicans are in full-blown panic mode, and they’re admitting it.

As reported by the Virginia Mercury, a dozen GOP incumbents in swing districts have quietly formed a so-called “Purple Caucus” — a last-ditch effort to distance themselves from their party’s toxic brand and hang onto their seats this November.

According to Delegate Amanda Batten, who spearheaded the “caucus,” the group came together after Virginia House Democrats launched targeted digital ads calling out vulnerable Republicans for their extreme records:

“We kind of came up with it based on the composition of our districts,” Batten said. “But after the legislative session, the Democrat caucus did some hit pieces with YouTube ads targeting 12 members of our caucus.”

Translation? They’re scared. Instead of taking responsibility for pushing an agenda that’s out of step with Virginians, Republicans are scrambling to rebrand — without changing a thing.

Even their own leadership is falling apart. Batten admitted she hasn’t had a meaningful conversation with House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert in ages:

“I don’t really have any communication with Todd, he does not communicate with me,” Batten said. “Outside of [session], I honestly couldn’t begin to tell you the last time we had a one-on-one conversation.”

She added that Gilbert “seems very much like he has a foot out of the door.”

Republicans are fractured, rudderless, and facing growing backlash for their blind loyalty to Donald Trump and Elon Musk — whose economic agenda has slashed funding for Virginia schools, jobs, and health care. The Purple Caucus isn’t a change in policy. It’s a marketing gimmick from politicians who know they’re on the verge of losing.

Speaking to the Virginia Mercury, Speaker Don Scott put it bluntly:

“There is a Purple Caucus? They aren’t red and they aren’t blue? And Delegate Batten is supposed to be moderate now? That’s funny, because she’s not moderate. She’s as extreme as everybody else. They’re wrong on the issues, and they probably need to create another caucus — a common sense caucus — because right now they’re too terrified of Trump to do anything to change course.”

Amber Gantt, Communications Director for the Virginia House Democratic Caucus, added:

“This isn’t strategy — it’s survival mode. House Republicans are running scared, trying to rebrand without changing a single thing about their extreme agenda. Their leader is MIA, their members are splintering, and their caucus is in freefall. Voters see through the chaos — and come November, they’ll vote for leadership, not desperation.”

Read the full article here:

Video: On the “Friday Power Lunch,” Rachel Bitecofer and Gene Rossi Both Cut Loose – on Virginia’s 2025 Elections, the Failure of Dems to Communicate Effectively, Trump’s Dire Threat to Democracy and Rule of Law, etc. It’s Definitely Worth Listening To!

By
lowkell
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0

There was some really good stuff on Network NOVA’s Power Lunch this past Friday, with Rachel Bitecofer (Virginia connection: worked for several years at Christopher Newport University, including as assistant director of the Wason Center for Public Policy) and Gene Rossi (ran for the Virginia Democratic Lt. Governor nomination in 2017), both of whom were really fired up – for good reason!  See below for video, as well as a few highlights, including:

  • Rachel Bitecofer: “You guys are in Virginia, so…you’re my very very special people because you have an election this year. I really wish your DPVA chair was here to hear this… You guys are ground zero and you’re going to be on the front lines of the Trump backlash effect that is brewing.”
  • Rachel Bitecofer: “[Trump et al are] going to decimate rural places. So the long shot candidates if there is any on this call or you guys are going to have them on, make sure they understand this is a hey Trump’s screwing us moment…talk to your rural people and obviously in Northern Virginia the suburban educated federal employees.”
  • Katherine White: “We have a problem branding…We’re seeing ads in Virginia where Republicans are breaking through but we don’t see the ads anybody else is running about this. And so, you know, Jen Kiggans, the representative who took over from Elaine Luria running ads, we’re seeing them come on the phone, there’s not counter ads.”
  • Finale Norton: “So that’s what I wanted to say is this is what’s making me crazy. And so I agree about them not being in power. But at the end of the day and I mean this kindly, but I get a call every day, I get text messages every day for money, and I don’t see one single thing…and I’m Googling late at night and I see an ad, a digital ad, which I know they don’t cost all that much, of Kiggans saying how much she’s done for Virginia and the community and our district, and I don’t see jack squat from anybody else.”
  • Rachel Bitecofer: “I’ll tell you guys the honest truth, like I mean I’m flying and giving state f’ing dinners right at the Missouri Democrats, I’m like their keynote speaker at the banquet. NO calls from Virginia Dems – they have never once had a conversation with me, EVER. And that’s your problem….I can’t make them call me.”
  • Rachel Bitecofer: “We should have 50 state parties humming like Wikler’s…I mean, the red-state parties obviously will never have the same resources, but the
    strategy is the same everywhere. And yeah, Virginia drives me particularly nuts, because like I’m telling you guys, we should be able to win all three statewides on these fundamentals and like really expand that House majority; and anything less is failure in my mind.”
  • Gene Rossi: “The president of the United States is a convict. The president of the United States is a criminal and he has no moral compass…This is the first time in history that the president of the United States has had three of his personal lawyers holding the attorney general spot, the…deputy attorney general and this Emil Bove who’s sort of the Iago of the Justice Department…What is going on in the Department of Justice is coldhearted categorical retribution. And I just want to focus on one of the most hideous US attorneys ever to be appointed even as acting. Hs name’s Martin, not to be confused with our DNC chair, but the US attorney in DC is engaged in a witch hunt on steroids. All the prosecutors who were involved in J6 cases, he wants to investigate whether they broke the law and he wants to take retribution on the FBI agents who supported that. Well I represented one of the Oathkeepers, not because I believed in Trump, but he’s entitled to due process, 21-year-old kid he had autism…”
  • Gene Rossi: “[Thursday’s Supreme Court] opinion is is a little bit of a light at the end of the tunnel. We had a 9-0 opinion that basically said that Mr. Garcia is entitled, shocker…to due process of law. That I even have to say that is embarrassing. So the Supreme Court has acknowledged that you can’t just take somebody who’s a citizen, who hasn’t done anything wrong, put them on a plane to a freaking torture chamber in El Salvador – and it is a torture chamber. I want to say this to all of you here, please follow what’s going on in that prison in El Salvador. They’re putting like hundreds of people in one big room…I think they have one bathroom, it’s not really a bathroom. They’re not getting shower. You know we don’t have to provide a haircut…manicure and pedicure to prisoners, but you have to treat them like human beings…it’s said the best way to judge a society is to go to their prisons. We’re doing something that is outrageous. We’re sending people without due process to prisons in another country. This is the United States of America! So what this opinion says is he has to come back and they have to facilitate it, which is kind of a weasel word but at least the Supreme Court has acknowledged that you can’t just drag somebody out of the country. So this is not the greatest opinion, but it’s a beginning. And I predict…that Coney Barrett and some of the others are going to have an epiphany and they’re going to realize that the United States of America is going to live beyond their years and they have to worry about their legacy. So I think even Clarence Thomas, even Clarence Thomas is going to have some little semblance of an epiphany.”
  • Gene Rossi: “Let’s talk about the law firms. And for those who aren’t familiar with this issue, our lovely president issued an executive order or orders basically attacking law firms who dared to represent people that were filing lawsuits against him. How dare they, ok? Those executive orders are prima facie unconstitutional. However, there were two or three law firms Paul Weiss was one of them, there were a couple other big law firms, alright I’m going to hold my tongue on that…because I don’t want to inject too many profanities into this meeting. But let me tell you this, I would love to drop as many f-bombs…those three law firms that groveled to President Trump – Paul Weiss included…this is unbelievable folks…the head of one of the biggest law firms in the United States groveled to the president of the United States and met with him three hours in the Oval Office…to work out a deal where they would provide I think $40 million in pro bono work for Trump-related causes…The Mark Eliases of the world, the Perkins Coies of the world…who are fighting the good fight and protecting the integrity of lawyers and their independence, god bless them…I’m kind of embarrassed to be part of the profession on this issue.”
  • Gene Rossi: “The last thing I want to talk about is…my view of what’s going to happen in November…I think these legal issues are going to be part of it too. And I predict this…[2017] was a good year…We’re going to kick their ass this fall. I have never seen so much overt and latent enthusiasm. And it’s only April, it’s only April. I didn’t see this in April of 2017. People were mad at Trump but it wasn’t as deep and pervasive and intense as it is now. People want to just climb the moats…they want to vote today. And I want to end with this – Obama when he ran in 2012 said ‘Don’t boo, vote.’ We can all hold up placards and this and that and the other thing but we have to vote. We have to vote.”
  • Gene Rossi: “Kristi Noem…she skates on thin ice in an ocean of lunacy. She is hideous. She had that book where she killed her goat and her dog. That doesn’t surprise me. She was almost giddy…like a kid on Christmas Eve opening a present when she was having her photo taken with the prisoners behind her. All I can say that’s a sick person That is a sick person.”

As I said, these folks were FIRED UP – and for very good reason, as our country is facing the gravest threat at least since the Civil War, reminiscent of some of the darkest chapters in human history (at a Seder the other night, folks were comparing this to the rise of Hitler…). So definitely, do NOT look away, do NOT assume it “can’t happen here,” and do NOT take our democracy or our rights for granted…because that’s exactly what the authoritarians want us to do, as it makes their job much, much easier.

 

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