From The Center Square:
The districts most likely to shift Virginia’s current balance of power in the House of Representatives from Democratic to Republican would be District 7 or 10, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project – but that may prove a tough feat for District 10’s Republican Mike Clancy.
Clancy is a lawyer, tech executive and “national media commentator,” according to his campaign website. He was the clear winner of the district’s Republican primary, capturing nearly 65% of the vote. But he has never been elected to state-level office before. At the same time, his competitor is Sen. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun, elected to the state Senate after two terms in its House of Delegates.
Correction (Sept. 12):Â The dates listed for Candidates Anderson and Vindman are not all debates. We have updated the information to reflect whether they are debates or forums. Debates allow candidates to answer questions and respond to their opponent’s comments. Forums are typically statements with no back-and-forth between candidates. Anderson has previously agreed to participate in six debates; Vindman has agreed to participate in one debate at University of Mary Washington. Vindman previously declined a televised debate hosted by ABC news.
As election season heats up, Virginia’s candidates for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives District 7 have announced their debate schedules.
The race for Virginia’s Senate is between incumbent Tim Kaine (D) and Hung Cao (R).
Kaine, a Richmond resident, practiced law in Richmond before being elected to the Richmond City Council in 1994, then elected Mayor in 1998, and served Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and Governor from 2006 to 2010. Kaine was elected to the Senate in 2012. Kaine is a member of the Armed Services, Budget, Foreign Relations, and other Senate Committees.
Cao moved to Virginia as a child refugee from Vietnam in 1975 and graduated from Alexandria’s Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. He served as a Special Operations Officer in the Navy and with Special Forces overseas. Cao has worked at the Pentagon, with the FBI, and with Homeland Security. He and his family now live in Purcellville.
Both candidates have agreed to participate in a debate on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at Norfolk State University. The debate will be televised state-wide. There were initially three proposed debates, two of which Cao declined.
The race for District 7 is between Derrick Anderson (R) and Eugene Vindman (D).
Anderson, who grew up in Spotsylvania and graduated from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA Tech), served in the U.S. Army and as a leader of the Green Berets. After graduating from Georgetown University Law Center, Anderson also served in the White House under President Trump’s administration. Anderson is currently a Major in the U.S. Army National Guard.
Vindman moved to New York as a child refugee from Soviet Ukraine in 1979. He grew up in New York and enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating from Bingham University. He earned a law degree and served in the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps where he was assigned to the Pentagon and moved to Dale City. Vindman and his brother raised concerns about a 2019 phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which became a key element in the President’s impeachment inquiry.
As of Sept. 9, Vindman and Anderson will meet in four debates.
Monday, Sept. 16, Forum hosted by Fredericksburg Free Press
Tuesday Sept. 17, Forum hosted by Coalition for Action
Wednesday, Oct. 2, Debate hosted by University of Mary Washington
Monday, Oct. 7, Forum hosted by ARC of Northern Virginia
All four candidates have participated in our ongoing Candidate Survey Series, where we ask one question each week and share their responses with readers. Week three’s question tackling border security will be published on Wednesday, Sept. 11
We've asked Democrats seeking a congressional seat in our area where they stand on supporting President Biden's re-election bid.
In the 10th Congressional District, which includes Manassas, Manassas Park, and western Prince William County, Suhas Subramanyam gave his full-throated support to the president.
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Manassas Mayor Michele Davis Younger has called for Delegate Dan Helmer to drop his bid for the Democratic nomination for Virginia's 10th Congressional District following recent sexual assault allegations against him. The primary election is scheduled for June 18.
Mayor Younger's statement comes in response to a press release issued by Charles L. King, Esq., representing an anonymous female member of the Loudoun County Democratic Committee (LCDC). The woman has accused Helmer of sexually harassing her after a political event in 2018. According to King, Helmer groped his client's breast and later made sexually explicit comments about her to others.
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Congress today passed bill H.R.8035, known as the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024, which gives $61 billion in assistance to Ukraine. This includes funds for various forms of aid, such as military, economic, and humanitarian support.
Locally, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-7th District, Prince William, Stafford, Fredericksburg), and Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-10, Prince William, Manassas) supported the measure. Rep. Ben Cline (R-6th, Roanoke) and Bob Good (R-5th, Lynchburg) were among 112 Republicans who opposed the measure.
More than 10,500 people have been killed, and nearly 20,000 injured since Ukraine’s war with Russia began on on February 24, 2022. The war in Ukraine, often referred to as the Russo-Ukrainian War, started when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
This conflict is part of a larger ongoing dispute that began in 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
Spanberger and Wexton also voted today to send $14.3 billion to support U.S. military operations in and around Isreal in the wake of attacks from Iran last week. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Arlington) and Rep. Bob Good voted against the measure.
Spanberger and Wexton announced they will not seek office in 2024 after serving three terms. Wexton is retiring due to health matters, while Spanberger is mounting a run for Virginia governor in 2025.
Travis Nembhard: “I’m running for the U.S. Congress in my home district of VA-10. I look forward to continuing to serve the community that has given me so much, and where I’ve been raising my two children with my wife Stephanie.”
“I have spent my career standing up for people who are too often forgotten. My lifetime of public service is focused on combating injustices and fighting for those who need someone to fight for them the most. While working in the Obama White House, I witnessed the power of government to be a force for good. As an assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Bureau, I went after slumlords, corrupt employers that violated wage laws, and companies that discriminated against individuals. And, as a financial regulator, I investigated instances of complex white-collar crime. I have a consistent record of working to protect the public against bad actors, and I intend to do the same in Congress, on behalf of the 10th Congressional District.”
Nembhard, a Democrat, lost his bid for the Virginia House of Delegates seat in the 22nd District in Prince William County, which includes Bristow and Nokesville. Republican Ian Lovejoy won the seat by four points.
Nembhard is on a growing list of candidates who seek to replace Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D), who announced her retirement at the end of her term on December 31, 2024, due to health reasons.
The 10th congressional district includes western Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
“Maldonado is a second-term Democrat who recently won reelection to the House of Delegates 20th District. In an interview Tuesday with InsideNoVa, Maldonado positioned herself as a unifier who can bridge seemingly irreconcilable divides at a time when Congress is defined by fractures. She cited her work in Flint, Michigan, a community suffering a perpetual clean water crisis, her time working with the Minneapolis community following murder of George Floyd and her efforts to support congressional staffers following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the capitol.”
Insidenova.com: “State Del. Suhas Subramanyam on Thursday announced his candidacy for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, joining a rapidly growing list of Democrats seeking to replace outgoing Rep. Jennifer Wexton.”
“Subramanyam, a former technology advisor to President Barack Obama, was recently elected to the Virginia Senate.”
Insidenova.com: “Del. Dan Helmer of Fairfax County announced Wednesday morning that he is joining the race for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District next year.”
“Helmer, a U.S. Army veteran who was first elected in 2019, led the House Democratic Caucus’ campaign effort this fall, which resulted in Democrats picking up three seats and regaining control of the chamber.”
