Republicans may be eclipsing Democrats in early in-person voting this year in Virginia, though Democrats appear to be outperforming Republicans in submitting mail-in ballots, according to data compiled by the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project.
Just two weeks out from the presidential election, Republicans are likely to have cast 46.5% of early in-person ballots, while Democrats likely account for 45.5%.
Ross Snare has resigned as Chairman of the Manassas Regional Airport Commission, effective Monday, October 21, 2024. His departure comes amid unverified allegations involving disparaging remarks about a city council member, adding fuel to an already heated local election season.
Snare, a Prince William County resident, was appointed to the commission by the Manassas City Council in 2018 and reappointed in 2022. He made history in June 2023 by becoming the youngest and first county Prince William County resident to serve as Chairman. During his tenure, Snare played a pivotal role in the airport’s efforts to introduce commercial flights, a milestone now expected to be achieved in 2026, a year behind the initial schedule.
In his resignation letter to the city council, Snare cited personal matters and other commitments as his reasons for stepping down. “Serving as chair during this transition over the past several years has been the honor of a lifetime,” Snare wrote. “I wish you all the best during this transition.”
The resignation followed a podcast episode of “Until They Kick Us Out,” where hosts read aloud text messages they claimed were between Snare, Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger, and a city employee, allegedly disparaging a sitting council member. Potomac Local News has not independently verified these messages.
This development occurs in the context of a contentious local election, where incumbent Mayor Michelle Davis Younger, a Democrat, faces challenger Xiao Yin “Tang” Byrom, a Republican and longtime city business owner. The podcast hosts have publicly endorsed Byrom for the upcoming November election. With three city council seats and four school board seats also in contention, the campaign has been marked by polarizing debates over property taxes, public safety, capital projects, and school accreditation.
Snare, who currently serves as the Associate Chief of External Affairs for UVA Health, has a background in political affairs and community service, including his role as the Chief Operating Officer of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce. He has been a vocal advocate for the airport, highlighting its economic impact, which includes $375 million in annual economic activity and over 1,350 jobs.
The Manassas Regional Airport, which covers 889 acres, is the busiest general aviation airport in Virginia, with plans to transform it into a hub for commercial passenger flights. The commission’s recent approval of these plans is seen as a significant step toward achieving a vision that has been in the works since the mid-1990s.
We just wrapped up an important discussion on the state of Manassas City Public Schools in our latest podcast episode, featuring insights from local education leaders and school board candidates. This special forum covered pressing issues facing our schools and presented diverse perspectives on how we can collectively move forward.
In this episode, you'll hear from Robyn Williams, an eight-year school board member now running for City Council, and Caitlyn Meisner, our dedicated local editor covering Manassas City Public Schools since 2023. Several candidates endorsed by the city's Republican committee, running for four open school board seats, also joined the discussion, including Allie Forkell, Javanese Hailey, Dayna Jackson-Miles, and Maidy Whitesell.
This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.
Our survey series ends with our eighth and final question to our candidates. Senator Tim Kaine and Hung Cao are running to represent Virginia in the U.S. Senate. Derrick Anderson and Eugene Vindman are running for the District 7 seat in the House of Representatives.
Early voting began Sept. 20. and ends November 2. Election Day is Nov. 5.
Over the past few weeks, we have offered a feature series offering insights into each candidate’s stand on critical issues affecting our area. Candidates have answered questions about the economy, education, veterans, borders, data centers, and more.
Each week, candidates were emailed a question and asked to reply by a deadline. This format lets voters quickly compare the candidates’ views on critical issues, helping them make an informed choice come election day.
We asked our candidates the following question:
With Winsome Sears and Abigail Spanberger leading the 2025 gubernatorial race, reproductive rights are expected to remain a central issue. What is your position on the current reproductive healthcare laws, and how do you plan to address concerns about access to services on one side and the need for restrictions on the other?
Kaine responded:
As a result of draconian abortion bans put into place following the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, women like Amber Thurman have died because they haven’t been able to get the care they need. Virginia is the last state in the South without an extreme abortion ban, and I won’t stop fighting against efforts to implement a national abortion ban so women can make their own health care decisions without interference from out-of-touch politicians. After the Supreme Court’s disastrous Dobbs decision, I introduced the bipartisan Reproductive Freedom for All Act, which would enact the core holdings of Supreme Court cases, including Roe v. Wade, which established and affirmed the rights to abortion and contraception. My bill is the only bipartisan proposal currently before Congress that would codify Roe v. Wade as a national protection of reproductive freedom.
Cao responded:
As a United States Senator, I will vote against any national abortion ban. I believe this issue was correctly sent back to the states which is a contrast from my opponent who wants to federalize this and take it out of the hands of voters in Virginia and put it in the hands of a Senator in California and a Congressman in Idaho. He wants to do this in order to push the most extreme agenda of unlimited abortion up to the moment of birth. This is why he voted against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act.
My family benefitted from fertility treatments so I would support making insurance companies pay for IVF and other fertility procedures. One of our five children was adopted so I would like to streamline the adoption process to help American families grow.
Anderson responded:
Unfortunately, this is something my opponent has been lying to voters about for weeks. I look at this issue as one we should approach with compassion and common sense rather than division and lies. To be very clear, I will not and do not support a national abortion ban. I’m a strong supporter of IVF and of over the counter contraceptive access. The Dobbs decision put this discussion back in the hands of the states and Virginia has spoken on this. I do not want to federalize this issue.
Vindman responded:
In 2022, when the Supreme Court overturned over 50 years of precedent in the dangerous Dobbs decision, they took away a Constitutional right held by women for generations. I don’t want my 14-year-old daughter to grow up in a world in which she has fewer rights than her mother or grandmother before her. That is unconscionable. My position on this is simple: an issue as personal as access to abortion care should be a decision made between a woman and her doctor, a politician shouldn’t be in the room. In office, I will codify Roe to make it the law of the land. My opponent unfortunately has dodged this question.
Derrick Anderson wants to let politicians dictate to women if they are allowed to access critical reproductive care. He has committed to being a “pro-life” member of Congress if elected. He actively campaigned for a candidate who disgustingly claimed that women can’t get pregnant from being raped, and therefore shouldn’t be allowed to receive an abortion if they requested one. And he is bankrolled by MAGA extremists who have called for a national abortion ban without exceptions like in Project 2025. Simply put: Derrick is a danger to women, and cannot be trusted to protect our families in Congress.
Derrick has claimed that “this should be an issue left to the states.” Let me be clear: this means that Derrick supports state legislatures and governors being able to ban abortion without exception. Including for victims of rape or incest and even when the life of the mother is in jeopardy. This is not a hypothetical future, it’s a reality women face every day. After the Dobbs decision, a 10-year-old rape victim was forced to flee her state because Ohio had banned abortion. Amber Thurman, a young mother in Georgia who had to travel hundreds of miles to receive an abortion, died from sepsis because she was denied the care she desperately needed. Right now, because of state politicians, victims are being denied care, and women are dying. So when Derrick says “leave it up to the states” don’t let his canned line distract you from the reality of what that really means.
It’s obvious that Derrick knows that his extreme position is unpopular, and that’s why he has done everything he can to dodge and distract from his true beliefs. At a recent candidate forum, Derrick was asked simply “do you support a woman’s right to choose, yes or no?” he repeatedly refused to answer. Derrick even went so far as to stage a photo-op with a “fake wife and daughters” in an attempt to soften his image as a bachelor who believes that women should be denied the ability to make their own healthcare decisions. It’s clear that he will do whatever it takes to hide his true position from voters because he’s too extreme for Virginia.
In this election, the voters of this district will decide the future of abortion rights and women’s healthcare access in Virginia and across the country. As a member of Congress, I will always vote to empower women to make their own choices. It is clear that Derrick won’t.
Diggs, elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2024 representing the George Washington District, praised Anderson’s leadership and vision for the future in a statement announcing his endorsement.
“Derrick Anderson is the leader we need to unite our community and tackle the challenges that matter most, both locally and globally,” Diggs said. “With a deep commitment to putting country over party and strong roots in our community, Derrick is focused on building a brighter, more inclusive future for all. His vision and dedication inspire real change. Let’s come together and support Derrick in making that vision a reality.”
Diggs’ endorsement is significant in a closely watched race because of his nonpartisan approach. Beyond his political role, Diggs has gained recognition for his diverse accomplishments as a law enforcement officer, motivational speaker, author, actor, and even a contestant on “America’s Got Talent.”
In response to the endorsement, Anderson expressed his gratitude, highlighting Diggs’ bipartisan approach and service to the community.
“Supervisor Diggs is an energetic, effective, and bipartisan community leader, and I’m honored to have his endorsement,” Anderson said. “He puts country over party every day, and I appreciate his service as a law enforcement officer. I look forward to working with him closely to improve our great district when I’m in Congress.”
Diggs currently serves as an alternate on several key committees, including the Joint Schools Working Committee, the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Association, and the Rappahannock Regional Jail Authority Board. He also represents the county on the George Washington Regional Commission and the Rappahannock River Basin Commission.
As the race for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District heats up, Diggs’ endorsement could provide Anderson with a boost, particularly among independent voters in the region.
Anderson has a background in military service and public policy. His campaign emphasizes national security, economic growth, and bipartisanship as key tenets of his platform.
The 7th Congressional District race is expected to be highly competitive and is considered a “toss-up.‘ Voters will decide on November 5 who will represent their interests in a region that spans urban and rural communities. Early voting is underway.
From Eric Olsen, Director of Elections, Prince William County Office of Elections:
Early Voting expands to all six locations across Prince William County starting on Sunday, October 13. Prince William County has the most weekend voting options and all satellite voting locations are open longer than any county in Virginia. Alternatively, you can apply for a mail ballot until October 25 at 5 pm. If you miss these options, you can still cast your ballot on Election Day on Tuesday, November 5 at your assigned polling place. Go to pwcvotes.org for locations, hours, and more.
Beyond knowing how and where to vote, we have found that some voters have concerns rooted in speculation, conspiracies, and misinformation. The election process is very secure with multiple redundancies and many security features. Here are some clarifications to questions we receive.
“How do I know the scanner is reading my ballot correctly?” We tested more than 10,000 ballots this election. We ran test ballots through every scanner in use and verified the scanned ballots matched the expected results. They matched 100% of the time. The scanners are sealed after testing. During the election, bi-partisan election officers track check-in and vote totals. After the election, Virginia runs an audit of all 133 counties and cities to verify the results. Rigorous testing, state requirements, and experienced professionals all make sure our ballot scanners work correctly.
“Do the voter rolls have lots of noncitizens? Are they voting?” No. We complete more than 100,000 updates to the voter rolls and registration mailings each year. These updates are most commonly due to people moving. We examined voters cancelled for their citizen status and found the number of voters cancelled for this reason was typically only 10-15 voters per month out of 330,000 voters. The reason these voters’ status was set to “non-citizen” is because they failed to check a box on a poorly designed DMV form, not because they were known illegal or residential aliens.
“Is mail voting a secure process?” Yes. Any ballot cast has a one-to-one relationship to a voter regardless of the voting method. If you vote by mail, your ballot is checked in just like when you go to an early voting site or an Election Day polling place. You can only get a mail ballot if you request one and it is only sent to your address. Once a voter casts their ballot, they cannot vote again. The system is designed to prevent fraud and abuse. All mail voters in PWC can track their ballot online with BallotTrax, a free service that enables them to follow their ballot at every step.
I encourage you to vote with confidence knowing a team of three bi-partisan Electoral Board members, 40+ non-partisan staff, and 1,000+ bi-partisan election officers do the diligent work of executing a fair election with many voting options. If you have questions or need help, please rely on official information at pwcvotes.org or call us at 703-792-6470. Our team is dedicated to upholding the law and to helping you!
Just The News: “The nonpartisan Cook Political Report on Tuesday shifted two House races towards Republicans, with a New Jersey House race becoming “lean Republican” instead of toss up, and a Virginia race becoming a “toss up” instead of leaning Democrat.”
“The Virginia race adds pressure to Democratic candidate Eugene Vindman, who is trying to defeat Republican Derrick Anderson in the state’s seventh district. Anderson and Vindman won their respective primaries in June, and are seeking to replace Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who is running for governor. Both men are Army veterans.”
The 7th District includes portions of Prince William County, Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, and Fredericksburg.
We continue our survey series with our seventh question to our candidates. The series will end next week with our eighth and final question.
To help voters in Virginia’s 7th District and statewide make an informed decision, we have offered a feature series offering insights into each candidate’s stand on critical issues affecting our area. Candidates are emailed a question and asked to reply by a deadline. This format lets voters quickly compare the candidates’ views on critical issues, helping them make an informed choice come election day.
Early voting began Sept. 20. Senator Tim Kaine and Hung Cao are running to represent Virginia in the U.S. Senate. Derrick Anderson and Eugene Vindman are running for the District 7 seat in the House of Representatives.
We asked our candidates the following question:
With inflation and the cost of living still being major concerns for voters, what are your specific plans to address economic inequality and provide relief to middle-class families?
Kaine responded:
When the global economy was hit hard after Covid disrupted well-established supply chains, the U.S. recovered better than any advanced economy, but there’s more to do. I proudly cast a deciding vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which slashed prescription drug costs by capping insulin prices at $35 per month, enabling Medicare to negotiate lower prices, and capping out of pocket costs. Inflation in the U.S. has been consistently falling since then as a result. Passing strong domestic manufacturing and infrastructure bills is also creating good jobs shoring up supply chains, thus reducing prices. America is also accelerating domestic production of clean, cheap renewable power because of the Inflation Reduction Act. I will keep working to lower costs for families. We’ve increased federal support to lower child care costs and I have a bipartisan bill to supercharge existing tax credits and expand child care. Lastly, we must bring back the expanded Child Tax Credit and make it permanent. When we did this, it benefitted 1.7 million Virginia children and cut child poverty to the lowest rate ever.”
Cao responded:
Everything that’s going wrong in our country right now stems from our wide-open southern border, and Virginians across the Commonwealth know it. Housing costs are at an all-time high because we have tens of millions of people here that were not here just a few years ago for which we need to provide housing. To make matters worse, the Biden-Harris administration is spending a billion dollars a day on illegal immigrants, driving up the cost of living for everyone else. When I am elected to the U.S Senate, my first priority will be to secure our border and stop the U.S. from spending taxpayer dollars on illegal immigrants. By doing so, we will lower the cost of living for everyone and provide relief for Americans who have been hurt by Bidenomics, sky high housing costs, and increased costs for goods and services.
Cao also responded with a quote from Tuesday’s debate at Norfolk State University: Â
Right now we need to be energy independent. That is the crux of everything. If it costs more for a farmer to farm their land, it’s gonna cost more for a trucker to bring it there. What they’ve made us dependent on oil from countries that hate us like Iran and Venezuela. These countries hate us in the Middle East. We need to be energy independent in this country. That means unleashing all the energy we can get to bring forth American power. I heard him say at a forum a couple weeks ago that solar and wind are more efficient than nuclear power. Can you imagine one of our aircraft carriers on wind power? Do you want to put sails on there? I’m a warrior by trade but also I’m an engineer and a physicist. I’m telling you right now that’s wrong. Nuclear power is the most clean and efficient form of energy out there and we need to exploit more of that in Virginia and we need to be energy independent and stop being dependent on other countries.
Anderson responded:
We need to put country over party to balance the budget and lower costs. Congress absolutely should not get paid if the budget isn’t balanced. The amount of spending in recent years has really hurt the middle and working class.My opponent is sadly on the other side of this issue — he believes in the failed policies of the past that led to higher costs and more inflation.Also, our small businesses are a key part of economic growth. I grew up in a Spotsylvania small business family — I washed dishes and mopped floors at my mom’s restaurants — and I’ll always fight for our small businesses and their employees. I see the impacts of high costs on my home district every day and offer a clear contrast from my opponent on this issue.
Vindman responded:
When my wife and I head to the store to pick up groceries or fill up our minivan on the way to pick up our daughter from school, we get the same sticker shock that I know everyone feels.
Costs are still too high, and we have to do better. In Congress, I will work across the aisle to lower the cost of everyday goods, cut excessive regulations so we can build more housing and make it affordable to buy or rent, and work to bring high-paying jobs to our region so that working families have the resources to thrive.
The COVID pandemic showed us all that vulnerabilities in our supply chain can have major downstream effects. We must strengthen our supply chain by investing in American manufacturing so that in case we face another global pandemic, we are not at the mercy of foreign countries.
Supply chain constraints are only one of the causes of the cost of everyday goods becoming unaffordable. Over the last few years, as families have been hurting, these major retailers are seeing record profits. If elected I will take on these price-gouging monopolies, and break up companies that are stifling innovation and hurting consumers.
To lower the cost of housing, I will work with local, regional, and state partners to cut burdensome regulations that make it too expensive to build new housing. The 7th district is an amazing place to live and raise a family, and an appropriate housing supply must be available to meet the high demand for housing here.
The past few years have laid bare what many of us have already known: for too long our economy has been working for those at the top while leaving the rest of us behind. We must invest in our middle and working class families. In office I will work with leaders in industry, and labor, to bring high-paying jobs to our region. I will secure federal funding to bring more manufacturing to Virginia and make sure our schools have the resources they need.
A new survey conducted by the Wason Center reveals that Vice President Kamala Harris leads former President Donald Trump by 11 points in the race for the White House among likely voters in Virginia.
Harris garners 52% of the vote compared to Trump’s 41%, with 4% of voters undecided and 3% choosing another candidate. Harris’s support is particularly strong among women, Black voters, and college-educated individuals, while Trump maintains strong backing among Republicans and a slight edge with white voters.
In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Democrat Tim Kaine holds a commanding 20-point lead over Republican Hung Cao. Kaine currently has the support of 55% of likely voters, compared to Cao’s 35%, with 8% undecided.
Key issues driving voter decisions include inflation and the economy, which 29% of respondents identified as their top concern. Other prominent issues include threats to democracy (18%), immigration (11%), and abortion (10%).
Virginia voters believe Harris is better equipped than Trump to handle a range of issues, including threats to democracy and racial inequality, but they are closely divided on who would better manage inflation and the economy. The U.S. Senate race shows a significant gap in name recognition, with 54% of respondents unfamiliar with Cao, compared to Kaine’s broad favorability.
The survey, conducted between September 28 and October 4, 2024, polled 800 likely voters across the Commonwealth.
