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RICHMOND, Va. -- Abortion polled as a top election issue in Virginia and likely propelled victories on Tuesday across several states.
Democrats attributed takeover of the state General Assembly to their defense of abortion rights. They campaigned against the Republican Party's view of abortion access as too restrictive and out of step with Virginia citizens.
Democrats retained control in the Senate with a narrow 21-19 majority, and barely flipped the House of Delegates. They currently sit at a 51-48 majority, with one undeclared race that shows the Republican candidate in the lead. The lead hinges on approximately 200 votes, as of Friday afternoon.
Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, won his Senate District 16 race against incumbent Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico. He was also one of four candidates to beat an incumbent; two in the Senate and two in the House.
VanValkenburg's victory was one of the most decisive for Democrats among districts seen as competitive. He attributed this to voter fear of the Republican agenda surrounding reproductive rights.
"I think one is that people were afraid that if Republicans gained control, they were going to take away women's rights," VanValkenburg said. "I think abortion access was of course a huge issue during our race and across the state."
Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said Dunnavant's views on abortion access cost her.
"It is a district that has always favored a woman's ability to make their own health care decisions," Surovell said. "Dunnavant's views were out of step with the voters of that district."
Dunnavant's new redistricted constituency also had a more Democratic lean. The senator voted against a 15-week ban earlier in the year, because it did not have exceptions for the mother.
Abortion has been a source of conflict between the two parties, according to former Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling.
"They obviously think that they can make some inroads by arguing that Republicans want to ban abortion," Bolling said.
Republicans ran on central issues such as crime and safety, the economy and parents' rights. They presented their position on abortion as a reasonable compromise, with mostly unified messaging around a 15-week limit. They portrayed Democrats as radicals when accused of wanting to ban abortion.
The position of the Virginia Republican Party is clear and reasonable, according to Ken Nunnenkamp, executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia.
"I think Gov. Youngkin has been pretty straightforward, and the Republican legislature has also been pretty straightforward, as have all of our candidates," Nunnenkamp said in an interview before the election. "That is what we support, 15 weeks."
The Republican position included three exceptions: rape, incest, and threat to health of the mother, Nunnenkamp said.
"Unrestricted abortions up until the moment of birth in our opinion is an extremist view," Nunnenkamp said. "Fifteen weeks with the three exceptions is not an extremist view."
Democrats argued their position is the more moderate one because they want to keep the current law in place.
"It does make sure that women have the right to choose," said Shyam Raman, executive director of the Virginia Democratic Party.
Virginia currently has a restriction in place after the first trimester of pregnancy that the procedure must be performed in a state-licensed hospital. The abortion can only be performed after the second trimester if the pregnancy would result in death or impairment of mental or physical health of the mother, and three physicians must agree. Life support measures must also be in place and utilized if there is any evidence of viability.
Twenty-one U.S. states now either have an abortion ban or restrict the procedure earlier in pregnancy than the constitutional standard established decades ago by Roe v. Wade, according to the New York Times. The U.S. Supreme Court removed the reproductive protections last year in its Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling and granted states the power to decide.
"We are seeing it in real time, being removed as a right that women in this country have held for for over 50 years," Raman said.
Voters have lost trust in Republicans, because they have previously pushed for more restrictions than they said they would, according to Raman.
"When Susan Collins voted for Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch, it was, 'don't worry, they'll never overturn Roe,'" Raman said. "They promised."
The Republican position was not as moderate a compromise as presented, according to Amanda Wintersieck. She is an associate professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University, who studies political behavior and communication.
"Fifteen weeks is frankly not enough time for most women," Wintersieck said. "To both know that they're pregnant, to make the determination that is their choice between themselves and their doctor that is best for them, and to find the resources."
Infant mortality rates increased for the first time in 20 years, according to a November report from the National Center for Health Statistics.
"For the first time in decades, maternal mortality and infant mortality are up in America," Wintersieck said. "I think it's going to be pretty clear as we move forward that the Dobbs decision is directly linked to those poor health outcomes for new mothers and their babies."
The abortion access debate encouraged turnout, not just in Virginia but nationwide, according to Wintersieck.
"If we look at the last couple rounds of elections, it has been a major motivator for people turning out to vote," Wintersieck said. "It's been a major motivator for young people turning out to vote."
Ohio voters also took to the polls Tuesday in emphatic support for an amendment to the state constitution to protect abortion access and other reproductive decisions. The amendment takes effect 30 days after the election.
Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was reelected to his second term, after successfully pressing against his opponent's anti-abortion stance. Abortion is illegal in Kentucky, except in cases to save a mother's life.
Unofficial statewide turnout numbers from Wednesday indicate more than 39% of voters cast ballots in General Assembly races, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Turnout ranged from 21% to more than 56% within House and Senate districts. VPAP has a visualization by district, here.
That would put overall turnout near the 42% mark from last time all seats in the General Assembly were up for election in 2019. Localities will certify election results by Nov. 14 and the State Board of Election will certify the election on Dec. 4.
Democrats celebrated incoming results at a watch party on election night. They hoisted blue bricks and celebrated building a "brick House" to match the "brick wall" that the Senate Democrats used the past two years to deflect Republican policy.
At the end of the night, Del. Don Scott D-Portsmouth, who is poised to become the next House speaker, reiterated that voters supported abortion access.
"I think the No.1 thing is that they rejected the extremism of trying to tell women what to do with their bodies," Scott said.
Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, tied the issue of abortion access to freedom. Democrats won key races because voters want people who will fight for their freedom, he said.
"Our freedoms are on the line," Helmer said. "Our democracy is on the line. It's so important we have people who will fight for our freedom and Virginians see that."
In his victory speech, VanValkenburg added that the election results were a sign voters want progress to continue.
"They want us to focus on the things that matter, whether it's their kids' schools, whether its bringing down health care costs, creating a dynamic economy, protecting our environment, trying to reduce gun violence, and they certainly don't want us taking away women's rights," VanValkenburg said.
The unofficial results are in and according to projections, Virginia democrats have not only held the Senate of Virginia, but have won contorl of the Viginia House of Delegates.
At the time of publication, the makeup of the Senate is projected to be 21 Democrats, 18 Republicans with one race still undecided. The makeup of the House of Delegates is projected to be 51 Democrats, 46 Republicans and 3 undecided. The undecided race for Senate is the 24th Senate District on the Peninsula between Monte Mason (D) and Danny Diggs (R) and Mr. Didggs is currently leading in that race. The undecided House of Delegates races are in Western Henrico where the Democrat is leading, Williamsburg;/James City County and Petersburg/Dinnwiddie were the Republicans are leading.
Former Emporia Mayor Mary L. Person (D) lost her bid for the House of Delegates in the 83rd District to incumbent Otto Wacsman (R) 39.81%-60.07%. Ms Person won Emporia but lost Greensville County.
Republican Emily Brewer beat out Democratic rival Clint Jenkins in the race for the 17th Senate District 52.88%-46.84%
In Greensville County contests, the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Commonwealth Attorney, Commissioner of the Revenue and Treasurer were all running unopposed.
Tim Jarratt handily won reelection against Mario V. Walton.
For the Board of Supervisors, all four incumbents look to be returning to their seats, unless the unofficial votes change after the canvass of votes and the counting of provisional ballots. Unofficial results are below.
Zion District: Raymond L. Bryant 336, Belinda Astrop 375
Hicksford District: James R. Brown 343, Anthony B. Gillus 308, Thomas G, Slippy 283
Belfield District: E.F. "Frankie" Bryant, Jr, 204, William B. "Bill" Cain 394
Nottoway District: Tony M. Conway 391, Mike C. Rae 388, James C. "Jim" Sampson, Sr. 124
Bessie I. Reed-Moore, Janet P. Roberts, Ronnell E. Perason and Rustin R. Jesse all ran unopposed for Greensville County School Board.
James S. "Jim" Ferguson", Sr. and Jeffery C. Roach were also running unopposed to serve as directors on the Chowan Basin Soil and water Conservation District.
Voter turnout in Emporia City was 36.07% or 1,435 out of 3,978 Registered Voters.
Voter turnout in Greensville County was 62.85 % or 3,243 out of 5,165 Registered Voters
This information will ba updated in there are any changes in the official results after the Canvass.
RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia Democrats maintained control of the Senate and narrowly took control of the House on Tuesday, in a contest some consider a mid-point evaluation of the governor's leadership and influence.
All 140 seats in the General Assembly were up for election, with many new contestants due to redistricting. The previous majorities in both legislative bodies were narrow and remain tight still.
Democrats kept their 21-19 majority in the Senate. They flipped the House, but one race could hinge on mail-in votes, and the Democrat has not conceded. Their new majority will closely mirror the hold Republicans had, and currently sits at 51-48 until the final race is declared.
This is the largest group of women of color to be elected to the state legislature, according to political advocacy group Care in Action.
Del. Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, will serve as Virginia's first Black House Majority Leader.Virginians are ready to "move on," he said, speaking to the significance of his historic appointment in the "oldest continuous democracy" in the U.S.
"To see that this will be the first time that a Black person holds the gavel in the House of Delegates and it would be me? It's an honor," Scott said. "All of the commonwealth of Virginia, whether you're Republican or Democrat, can be proud of this day."
Democrats hoisted blue bricks at the victory party and thanked voters for giving them a "brick House" and a "blue wall" to stop the momentum of Republican policy, a reference to the "brick wall" often used by Senate lawmakers the past two years.
The campaign efforts of Gov. Glenn Youngkin and state Republicans were substantial but ultimately "rejected" by voters, according to a press release from the Democratic Party of Virginia.
Democrats reclaimed the majority they lost two years ago, but now under a Republican governor. Democrats could struggle to get the constitutional two-thirds majority needed to overturn a veto, meaning their legislative ability could be impacted.
Youngkin expressed optimism at a press conference Wednesday about working with what he described as a "pretty bipartisan-looking" General Assembly, but said legislators need to be dedicated to cooperation.
Senate Republicans celebrated holding 19 seats, and the new freshman senators added to their ranks.
"We had so many partners who aided this effort, which was driven by strong nominees," stated Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, in a press release. They said Youngkin was an "outstanding team leader" in the effort.
The caucus lamented the loss of Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, and recognized her "leadership, strength, resolve, and selflessness."
Dunnavant's opponent, Schuyler VanValkenburg, won by just over 7,000 votes. He now moves from the lower chamber, where he represented Henrico as a delegate, into a four-year Senate term. VanValkenburg pointed to the victory as a "sign of social progress to continue," and shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, that his first act as senator will be to advance legislation on the safe storage of firearms – something that failed to pass last session.
"Henrico County shows up," VanValkenburg said in his victory speech Tuesday. "People come up, they roll up their sleeves, they put a smile on their face and they talk about the things that matter. Because of that, people show up to vote, and we win elections."
Nearly 800,000 votes were cast during the early voting period, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. This marks a decrease in early voter participation compared to previous years. Final turnout numbers will not be available until after the election results have been certified, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
Del. Kim Taylor, R-Petersburg, announced victory, though her Democratic opponent Kimberly Pope Adams said the race is "too close to call." The 173-vote margin is too narrow, according to Adams, and there are still mail-in votes to count.
Republican Danny Diggs announced victory over Sen. Monty Mason, D-Williamsburg, in the Senate District 24 race. Mason had not conceded as of Tuesday night, with a 1,022-vote difference.
Such tight margins were seen across several other races. This shows how important it is for voters to turn out.
"If you don't wanna vote for yourself, vote for your children," said Chesterfield County voter Patricia Ighodalo. "They're your future. And if we wanna make a difference in our future, we have to vote."
Republican early voter participation increased compared to previous years, according to VPAP data, possibly after a hearty endorsement from the governor that included a statewide bus tour. Democrats still cast more early votes this year.
"Sometimes people don't vote, thinking that nothing's going to change," said Stafford County voter Carrie Schaefer. "When we do come out in large numbers, things can happen."
The last full General Assembly election in 2019 saw the highest turnout for statehouse elections this century, with over 42% of all Virginia voters taking part.
"People died for this privilege and right to vote," said Petersburg voter Polina Norman, who grew up during the Civil Rights Movement. She was up early Tuesday morning "bugging" her neighbors to go vote.
Chesterfield County voter Kirk Johnson said his parents paid a poll tax, which makes him value his ability to vote.
"All I have to do is come up here," he said.
Elected officials have substantial decision-making power that influence everyday life, though turnout rarely matches the impact.
"It doesn't matter whether it's a presidential election or whether it's a local election," said Chesterfield County voter Marlene Wheelhouse. "It's important to vote at all."
A lot of the races were predictable. There were only 11 races ranked as competitive – four Senate and seven House – and a handful of closely watched suburban races where turnout mattered. Competition is a positive for the state, said Alex Keena, an associate professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University.
The majority of Southern states lack the same competitiveness, according to Keena.
"Virginia isn't as polarized as other states where Democrats and Republicans can't really work together," Keena said, cautiously optimistic for bipartisan progress.
However, a Democratic majority in the legislature could prove troublesome for Youngkin's future political odds.
"There isn't a lot of appetite for Youngkin outside of Virginia," Keena said, despite high in-state approval rates.
Democrats saw their victory as a voter resistance against an abortion ban, and a win against Republican efforts to roll back some recent laws. Virginia is the only Southern state that hasn't implemented new abortion restrictions after the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
"The number one thing is that [voters] rejected the extremism of trying to tell women what to do with their bodies," Scott said.
Republican lawmakers "stand ready" to oppose Democrats despite their new majority, according to McDougle.
"[We will] promote our positive agenda of fighting inflation, lowering taxes, supporting law enforcement, and getting energy prices under control," McDougle stated. "We will also stand strong against the Democrats' extreme progressive agenda."
Pundits believe Virginia is a bellwether state and the election results could portend the lean of the 2024 presidential election.
Virginians were not just casting ballots for legislators this cycle. Voters made big decisions on referendums such as the Richmond casino, which failed for a second time and on a larger margin.
"We are proud to have run a community-centered campaign to create more opportunities for residents of this great city to rise into the middle class," organizers Richmond Wins, Vote Yes stated in a press release.
Additionally, Hanover County voters rejected a contested measure that would have allowed them to elect their school board leaders, with 52% of the vote. Gloucester County voters struck down a 2-cent per $100 assessed real estate tax that would have funded capital projects such as a fire station and renovation of school buildings.
The 4th Congressional District Committee will hold an unassembled caucus on Tuesday, December 20, 6am to 7pm at the following locations:
● Brunswick Conference Center - 100 Athletic Field Rd, Lawrenceville, Virginia 23868
● Charles City Government Center - 10900 Courthouse Road, Charles City, VA 23030
● Dogtown Dance Studio - 109 W 15th St, Richmond, VA 23224
● Diversity Richmond - 1407 Sherwood Ave, Richmond, VA 23220
● IBEW Local 666 - 1390 E Nine Mile Rd, Highland Springs VA 23075
● Meadowdale Library - 4301 Meadowdale Blvd, North Chesterfield, VA 23234
● Surry Parks & Recreation Center - 205 Enos Farm Drive, Surry, VA 23883
● Tabernacle Baptist Church - 444 Halifax St, Petersburg, VA 23803
All caucus locations will be open from 6:00 am until the last person in line at 7:00 pm has voted.
Anyone who considers themselves a Democrat and is a registered voter in the 4th District can cast their ballot at any of the locations. Voters will need to bring one of the same methods of identification that are required to vote in a normal state-run election.
Click/tap here for more information about the caucus. Any of the forms of identification required to vote on Election Day will be needed to vote.
What Democrats are running:
DEMOCRATS
Lamont Bagby
Delegate Lamont Bagby officially announced his run on December 12. Bagby currently represents the 74th House District.
“I’m running to continue the legacy, “I’m running to make sure that we continue to do the work on education, focus on voting rights, focus on running, we ran predatory lenders out of Virginia, now it’s time to run them out of America.”
Jennifer McClellan
Delegate Jennifer McClellan announced her campaign on December 13.McClellan currently represents the state Senate’s 9th.
“For the past 16 years, I’ve served the people of Virginia in the General Assembly and passed major laws to protect abortion rights, safeguard voting rights and tackle climate change. Now, I’m running for Congress to continue my friend Donald McEachin’s legacy of serving the people of Virginia and making sure their voices are heard in Washington, D.C.”
Joe Morrissey
State Senator Joe Morrissey said he was running for the seat on Devember 14. Morrissey currently represents the state’s 16th District,
“I am running because I know that I can continue my work on the federal level with criminal justice reform, cleaning up our environment, expanding access to healthcare, and making housing more affordable,”
Joseph Preston
Attorney Joseph Preston, who believes there should be a debate before the caucus is a former member of the House of Delegates
Tavorise Marks
Tavorise K. Marks is thefounder of Commonwealth Equal and has also announced his campaign.
“The 4th Congressional district deserves a proven fighter, advocate and activist to be their next representative in DC,” he said in a Twitter post.
Elliott Cox
Social Worker Elliott Cox, is running. with a focus is on disparities in mental health treatment.
REPUBLICAN CANVASS
Republicans will hold a Congressional District Party Canvass to select its nominee on Saturday, December 17. Anyone who considers themselves a Republican and is a registered voter in the 4th District may participate in the canvass between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Life Christian Academy at 1211 Boulevard in Colonial Heights.Voters will be asked to rank all candidates on the ballot in order of their preference.
The republicans currently in the race are:
Leon Benjamin
Leon Benjamin, the Republican who lost to McEachin in November, is running again for the seat.
“We have plenty of stuff to do in this very short time. We are all hands on deck and we are asking for everyone’s prayers and their help,” the father of three, who was born in Richmond and is a retired as a Navy pilot.
On election night, he received about 35% of the vote, and had lost to Donald McEachjin once before.
Dale Sturdifen
Former Mecklenburg County School Board chairman, Dale Sturdifen, is filing his paperwork to run.
Delegate Lamont Bagby Today Launched Campaign for Virginia's Fourth Congressional District to Succeed Late Congressman A. Donald McEachin
Delegate Bagby Rolls Out First Round of Endorsers, Including Mayor Levar Stoney, Mayor Samuel Parham, Delegate Delores McQuinn, Delegate Luke Torian and More
Richmond, VA – Today, Delegate Lamont Bagby officially announced his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives to fill the seat vacated by the late A. Donald McEachin. Delegate Bagby hosted a kickoff press conference, joined by supporters, endorsers, and community leaders.
Delegate Bagby has spent nearly a decade in the House of Delegates as a champion for Virginia's most vulnerable communities, ensuring everyone has equitable access to a world class education, a roof over their head, and economic mobility. Since elected, Delegate Bagby has become an emergent leader, undertaking an ambitious agenda to break cycles of poverty by providing quality healthcare, inclusionary affordable housing, environmental, and justice reforms, and equity in education.
"I am proud to stand here before you with my friends and neighbors at my side to announce my candidacy for the Fourth Congressional District of Virginia," said Delegate Lamont Bagby. "No one will ever be able to replace Donald McEachin, but I promised him, his wife Colette, and his children that his legacy would live on forever. As Delegate and Chairman of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, I have fought to get guns off the streets, make housing more affordable, expand access to voting, and run predatory lenders out of Virginia. There is more work to do to take on radical Republicans and to represent this District – and I hope the constituents of Virginia's Fourth Congressional District will trust in me to do so."
Delegate Bagby is proud to have the endorsement of:
The Honorable Levar Stoney, Mayor of Richmond
The Honorable Samuel Parham, Mayor of Petersburg
The Honorable Delores McQuinn, Virginia House of Delegates
The Honorable Luke Torian, Virginia House of Delegates
The Honorable Frank Thornton, Vice-Chairman, Henrico County Board of Supervisors
The Honorable Byron Adkins, Vice-Chairman, Charles City County Board of Supervisors
The Honorable Tyrone Nelson, Henrico County Board of Supervisors
The Honorable Vincent Robertson, Commonwealth Attorney, Sussex County
The Honorable Roscoe Cooper, Chair, Henrico County Public School Board
The Honorable Alissa Gregory, Sheriff, Henrico County
The Honorable Antoinette Irving, Sheriff, City of Richmond
Reverend Dr. C. Diane Mosby, Pastor, Anointed New Life Baptist Church
Mr. JJ Minor, Community Activist
Ms. Sandra Antoine, Community Activist
Mr. Steve Hammond, Community Activist
Mr. Charles Willis, Community Activist
Ms. Salinna Lor, Community Activist
Clark Mercer, former Chief of Staff to Governor Ralph Northam
After this summer's redistricting City Council candidate Denise Webb was drawn out of District 7, but persisted in running in the race for that district's City Council seat.
The result of a Denise Webb win, given her ineligible status as a resident of another district, would have been a special election at taxpayer's expense.
The voters of District 7 took that and Council Member Hines' record of helping her constituents into consideration as they re-elected Council Member Yolanda Hines to the seat she has held for 4 years by a 15.96% margin on Tuesday.
Hines won 69 votes to Webb's 50 in the low-turnout election. 94 of those votes were cast on Election Day (Hines 52-Webb 42), while the early in-person vote accounted for 19 (Hines 11-Webb 7). Seven voters cast Absentee Ballots (Hines 6-Webb 1).
George E. Morrison, III, Chair of the Emporia-Greenaville Democrats commented that "We are excited and happy to see her win re-election and to see her continue her hard work to move the City of Emporia forward. We are also hopeful that Hattie Sue Jefferson will be able to join Mrs.Hines on City Council after today's canvas of the results."
Council Member Hines won this seat 4 years ago, defeating Mark Mitchell by ten votes.
Council Members Threat and White ran unopposed and will both be returning to City Council.
In City Council District 4 three candidates vied for the seat of late Council Member F. Woodrow Harris by Write-in. There were 149 Write-in Votes cast and the results will not be known until after the City of Emporia Board of Elections canvasses the results Wednesday. The Three were Hattie Sue Jefferson (Who was running with the support of the Emporia-Greensville Democrats), Mark Lily and Melinda Ann Terry.
Congressman Donald McEachin has defeated Leon Benjamin in a landslide. Currently, the margin is McEachin 64.4%-Benjamin 35.41%.
Election Day is here and some major decisions are at hand!
On behalf of the City of Emporia and Greensville County Democratic Committee I write in full support of the candidacies to re-elect Congressman Donald McEachin, the Hon. Mrs. Yolanda Hines for City Council in District 7. Also, I fully stand with the members of our committee to support our member Mrs. Hattie Sue Jefferson in District 4 as a write-in candidate.
In Congressman McEachin our communities of Emporia-Greensville have an unwavering supporter that fights for us! He has fought and will continue to fight to protect Social Security and Medicare while continuing to rebuild our economy as well as further creating and attracting quality jobs here in the Fourth Congressional District. The Congressman has involved himself and his office in addressing the concerns of our residents regarding the slow and poor quality of mail delivery throughout the County and City. Our Congressman works in tandem with President Biden and Vice President Harris to address the most important and necessary needs of our community!
In District 7 the City of Emporia finally has a Council Member that represents them fairly and one which unequivocally has their best interest at heart! Rarely do you see an elected leader that has responded to the call of her fellow citizens that gets it…and Yolanda Hines GETS IT! As a member of our committee, she sought our endorsement to run for city council under our banner to continue to effectuate positive change. In Yolanda’s impassioned plea seeking our support she clearly understands that our city is near to turning the corner as we progress through a difficult crossroads – where we can either idly watch as our city folds with ever increasing water bills, “shell games” of devaluing property assessments while increasing property taxes, as well as decreasing city service. OR…the city council and its leaders can “take the bull by the horns” and address the city’s need for stronger and more frequent efforts to spur on Economic Development efforts. She believes that it is time to try regular and persistent intelligent conversations during each and every city council meeting about recruiting employers with jobs that can pay a living wage and take proactive steps to recruit developers that are willing to invest in our city. Additionally, we should continue to encourage entrepreneurs and small business owners – as we all know a rising tide lifts ALL boats! When investment is encouraged, new jobs are sought and created, the quality of our schools’ performance increases and in turn the will of future generations to return home and know they are wanted and needed to keep writing the city of Emporia’s future success story! She has assisted many citizens not only from her district but other districts as well as across the city and county with job searches through her former work with head start and Southside Virginia Community College. She has her Bachelors of Science degree in Criminal Justice as well as a Master’s in Business Administration from Averett University. She IS the only candidate that is ready to address the REAL concerns of the City of Emporia’s District 7!!!
However, Council member Hines can’t do it by herself. She needs the help and support of others on City Council. After the sudden death and untimely passing of District 4’s representative and the immediacy to find a candidate to place on the ballot the Democratic Committee sought out Mrs. Hattie Sue Jefferson to run as its write-in candidate to win the vacant District 4 seat on Council.
Mrs. Hattie Sue Jefferson, a long-time resident of Emporia and Greensville County native is married to Charles Jefferson and has one son, Quinton; a PhD student at Old Dominion University. Hattie Sue has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Marketing/Communications from Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Virginia and she holds her Master’s in Business Education from Virginia State University, Petersburg, Virginia. Further, she has attended Penn State University studying Labor Relations. In her leadership capacities she has served as a representative for the City of Emporia with the Crater District Area Agency on Aging. She has served as a Career Counselor for Southside Virginia Community College and has been a Special Education Teacher. She is a past President of Local Union CWA 2275 and was elected to serve as a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention. Hattie Sue is retired and has the undivided attention to commit to serving as the Council representative from District 4!
Both Council Member Hines and Candidate Mrs. Jefferson are ardent supporters for after school and year-round recreational opportunities for our children and youth. They are firm believers that governments place emphasis on the things which are of the utmost importance to them and for them, that emphasis should be greatly shared with the future and hope of our community – our children. Yolanda and Hattie Sue are equally as concerned about their fellow citizens in that they put their money where their mouths are.
There are no others better qualified and suited to stand and fight for this community and its citizens than Yolanda Hines and Hattie Sue Jefferson! Combined they have more than five plus decades in public service and they truly understand the need to attract new Employers, affordable quality housing and year-round youth programs.
Congressman Donald McEachin, Council Member Yolanda Hines and Mrs. Hattie Sue Jefferson comes to the table with a wealth of experience and are prepared to take on the challenges presented in this Country, our Fourth Congressional District, County and City!
I ask on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 that our fellow citizens in Emporia-Greensville and Districts 4 and 7 make your way to your polling place - the fire department for District 7, the Band Room for District 4 and cast your votes for Donald McEachin for
U.S. Congress, Yolanda Hines, City Council – District 7 and Write-in Hattie Sue Jefferson for District 4! The polls open at 6 o’clock in the morning and close at 7 o’clock in the evening – stop by and vote for a Positive CHANGE!!!
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Emporia-Greensville Democrats,
Virginia Elections Commissioner Susan Beals checks in at the Chesterfield County elections office on the first day of early voting. (Photo by Graham Moomaw/Virginia Mercury)
‘I have faith in our election officials and their commitment to their profession’
As a woman in a purple blazer lined up to cast a ballot on the first day of early voting in Chesterfield County, one election worker nudged another and said: “She’s the boss.”
It took less than 10 minutes for Susan Beals, Virginia’s new commissioner of elections, to vote early in Chesterfield, the Richmond-area suburb where she served as a local electoral board member before Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed her to the state’s top election job.
There were no problems as she showed her ID, had a ballot made in front of her by one of the on-demand ballot printers many cities and counties are adopting for early voting, filled it out and fed it into a scanner as one of the first few dozen midterm votes cast in her home county.
While a significant number of her fellow Republicans continue to stoke doubts about the 2020 election, Beals, a 47-year-old former GOP aide, said in an interview she’s confident in the election process she’s overseeing at the state level for the first time.
“We have a dependable system in Virginia,” said Beals. “We can always make process improvements, and that’s something that I’m committed to.”
Beals said “people are entitled to have questions” about the process, but the answers are readily available.
“Find somebody who knows the answer,” she said. “Seek out an election official and ask them how the process works. Because most of them would be very happy to tell you.”
Beals, who served on the Chesterfield electoral board for several years before Youngkin picked her in March to lead the state agency, has had other important business on her plate that doesn’t involve actual voting, like taking over an ongoing information technology project to replace the state’s voter system. She’s also been preparing an outreach campaign to inform voters about the impacts of redistricting, an initiative that will involve roughly 6 million voter notices that should hit mailboxes early this week.
But the start of the 45-day early voting window on Friday, in a year when Virginia will have at least two hotly contested congressional races on the ballot, will cast a new spotlight on how Youngkin’s administration will handle the work of running elections.
Beals praised the thousands of election officers across Virginia who are getting to work helping people vote, calling them “patriotic Americans” who are “committed to making democracy work.” Asked if she believes those sowing mistrust about elections are making that job harder, Beals said “there’s a lot of scrutiny of elections right now.”
“But everything I have seen from election officials is that they are conducting themselves professionally,” she said. “I have faith in our election officials and their commitment to their profession and their commitment to their communities.”
Asked how she feels about the “election integrity” unit Attorney General Jason Miyares recently announced, which has drawn backlash from Democrats who say it feeds into conspiracy theorizing about stolen elections, Beals characterized it as fairly routine.
“To me that’s a normal relationship that we have,” she said. “They provide advice. If there is something that needs to be investigated, our board will vote to turn it over to the AG and ask them to investigate it.”
The major change to state election policy this year is same-day registration, a policy Democrats passed in 2020 with a delayed effective date of October 2022. The new policy allows people to continue to register and cast a provisional ballot after the regular voter registration period closes Oct. 17.
Beals said she’s not encouraging potential voters to put things off to take advantage of that new law, because registering in advance remains the easiest voting experience. Anyone casting a provisional ballot won’t be feeding it into the scanners as other voters do, she said, because election officials have to take time to research whether the person is a valid voter or not.
“I would very much prefer that everyone who wants to vote in this election try to get registered before October 17,” Beals said. “Because we want you to vote a regular ballot.”
Youngkin talks elections in Texas
As early voting got underway, the man who hired Beals was taking a stage in Austin at the Texas Tribune Festival, where the topic of Republican election denialism came up as Youngkin sat for an interview at the high-profile political event.
David M. Drucker, a political correspondent with the Washington Examiner, asked Youngkin about his planned campaign stops for Republican candidates like Kari Lake, the GOP nominee for governor in Arizona who insists, falsely, that former President Donald Trump won in 2020.
“You are comfortable supporting Republicans that have issues or dispute the outcome of the last election?” Drucker asked.
“I am comfortable supporting Republican candidates. And we don’t agree on everything,” Youngkin replied. “I have said that I firmly believe that Joe Biden was elected president.”
Closer to home, Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, who has spread 2020 conspiracy theories without producing evidence of widespread fraud in Virginia’s election, has called on Youngkin to suspend the use of all “voting computers” in Virginia and switch to hand-counting all ballots.
There’s been no sign the Youngkin administration is taking her suggestion seriously, and the state usually avoids making major changes just as an election is beginning.
Beals, who once worked as an aide to Chase, called paper ballots “one of the most secure ways to vote” and indicated she had no problem with the state continuing to use scanners that are routinely tested for accuracy.
“It is a counting machine,” Beals said. “It is not a voting machine. It is a machine that counts ballots.”
As Beals waited for a coffee at a Starbucks near the Chesterfield voting office, she got a text message from her predecessor. Former elections commissioner Chris Piper, whom Youngkin chose not to keep in the job, wished her well as her first election got underway.
“You got this!” Piper said.
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