Virginia Politics & News
Virginia news from The Daily Signal, covering state politics, education policy, election integrity, and the political shift between Northern Virginia and the Commonwealth’s conservative regions.
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news
Early Voting Numbers Soar Across Virginia
More than 870,000 Virginians had cast an early ballot in the 2026 midterm elections as of two weeks before Election Day. That represents more than a quarter of the total voting turnout in 2022, the last time there was a midterm election without a presidential campaign to drive up turnout. According to the Virginia Public… -
news
Sen. Louise Lucas Indicted on Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering Charges
State Sen. L. Louise Lucas and six other people were charged Thursday with federal crimes involving an alleged conspiracy to sell marijuana and launder the resulting profits. Lucas, the president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, was indicted by a grand jury on charges of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana, and conspiracy… -
opinion
Democrats vs. Affordability
The Virginia General Assembly was going to convene on Monday, Oct. 26, to nominate and vote on judges for the Court of Appeals. The process is backlogged, and four seats needed to be filled when state Sen. Scott Surovell announced the date. Here’s the boring part. This session didn’t have the restrictions of a gubernatorial… -
analysis
Customers Pay for Virginia’s Policies on Power Production
Virginia’s federal elections will be finished in less than two weeks, but some state-based issues are likely to keep simmering long after Election Day. Examples include the state’s policies governing data centers and how the electricity to power those centers—and the homes of millions of citizens—is generated. A court in Goochland County hosted a pretrial… -
news
Virginia Democrats Host Get-Out-the-Vote Rally in Henrico
Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg barnstormed through the commonwealth, making a stop to support three Virginia Democrat candidates who are attempting to flip tightly contested districts. Shannon Taylor in the 1st District, Elaine Luria in the 2nd District, and Tom Perriello in the 5th District were all on hand to speak alongside Buttigieg, a… -
news
Virginia Lawmaker Calls for Speedy Passage of Defense Supplemental Bill
Rep. Rob Wittman said that when lawmakers return, they should prioritize the passage of a supplemental spending bill that would provide new revenue to the Pentagon. A key reason would be to replenish weapon systems that have been depleted during the ongoing war with Iran. “The reconciliation bill that passed out of the House has… -
news
Rep. Rob Wittman Makes His Case in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District
Virginia’s 1st Congressional District is shaping up as one of the tightest races in the country this year. At the end of September, the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics shifted the race into the toss-up category. It had been listed as “leaning Republican.” Republican Rob Wittman has represented the district since 2007, when he… -
news
Case Against Goochland Data Center Goes to Court on Tuesday
Data centers and land use issues will be on the docket in the Goochland County Circuit Court on Tuesday. Last year, the Board of Supervisors passed legislation that carved a Technology Overlay District out of a designated growth zone in an area called West Creek, near the county’s border with Henrico County. The county said… -
opinion
Religious Liberty on Display in Virginia Elections
Catholics in all 70 parishes of the Diocese of Arlington heard the same letter read from the pulpit last month. Bishop Michael Burbidge asked every priest to urge a “no” vote on the two amendments to the Virginia Constitution that voters will decide on Nov. 3. This is religious liberty at work, and in much… -
news
Virginia Voters Could Give Felons Voting Rights Before Their Sentences Are Over
Virginia could be on the cusp of significantly expanding voting rights for people convicted of felonies, even before they have served their full sentences. Question 3, on the ballot in November, is an amendment that would automatically restore voting rights to felons “upon release from incarceration.” Sentences for felony convictions frequently involve parole and fines… -
opinion
Fairfax Wants $1,575 to Show Its Superintendent’s Calendar. Prince William Quoted $123.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) are the two largest districts in Virginia. Central office administrators in each district appear to value transparency about their superintendents’ calendars very differently. On Sept. 30, I submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the calendar of Fairfax County Superintendent Michelle… -
news
Poll Shows Tight Race in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
A new survey in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District shows former Rep. Elaine Luria with a narrow 3-point edge over Republican incumbent Rep. Jen Kiggans. That is within the poll’s 4% margin of error, meaning the race is effectively a dead heat going into the final weeks of the campaign. The poll of 702 likely voters… -
news
Art Installation Connects a Henrico County High School to Germany
Relations between the United States and Germany may sometimes seem strained at the federal level. However, a group of 28 exchange students from western Germany joined scores of their American counterparts in Henrico County this week to build a bridge, of sorts, between their respective high schools. The students unveiled an art project on the… -
news
OOPS: Democrat Campaigns and Lives in the Wrong District
Former Democrat Rep. Elaine Luria’s latest campaign ad touts an endorsement from a small business owner, but neither the business nor its owner is located in the congressional district she’s seeking to represent. The ad comes as Luria faces questions about living outside the district she is running to represent. Luria is running in Virginia’s… -
news
Catholic Bishop Rallies Voters to ‘Confront the Evil’ at Ballot Box
Summary Bishop Michael Burbidge met with Catholic priests throughout the Diocese of Arlington last Thursday to reinforce the importance of defeating two constitutional amendments on the Virginia ballot. The proposed amendments have prompted an unprecedented effort by Burbidge to raise awareness among Virginia Catholics. Question 1 would expand abortion access throughout pregnancy while undermining parental… -
news
Panel Discussion Explores the Future of AI Regulation
Virginia is leading the world into the future of artificial intelligence, with many of the state’s 674 data centers (and more on the way) serving as the hardware that provides the memory to drive AI. Data centers are also a growing political concern, with politicians at the local, state and federal levels arguing over what… -
news
What Prompted a Virginia County to Shut Down 122 Surveillance Cameras?
All 122 Flock surveillance cameras operating in Henrico County will be shut down by the middle of October, making the county the latest jurisdiction in Virginia to cut ties with the license plate reading company. “As a county, we have listened as our residents have shared legitimate concerns about Flock Safety, the proliferation of its… -
opinion
What Has Become of Charlottesville, Virginia?
For more than a decade now, my hometown here in central Virginia has been fixated on getting national notoriety ever since the Yeardley Love case. We’ve had marches with Nazis and fascists, we’ve melted down Civil War general statues, we’ve had the University of Virginia fight against antisemitism and then, five years later, defend antisemitism…. -
news
Macy Makes Her Case in Virginia’s 6th Congressional District
Beth Macy didn’t intend to run for Congress, but the Virginia Democrat has raised more than $1 million in the recent quarter and says rising inflation, the war in Iran, and concerns over health care cuts compelled her to shift from participating in protest rallies outside incumbent Rep. Ben Cline’s headquarters to running against him… -
news
There’s No Debate in Many Virginia Races This Year
In the highly contested Senate race in Maine, Republican Sen. Susan Collins and her Democrat opponent Troy Jackson plan to go head-to-head in four debates. Unfortunately, voters in Virginia won’t have the luxury of getting many chances to hear from congressional candidates. In fact, in many races, there will be no debate at all this…