www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-05-13 10:44:00
With less than five weeks until Virginia’s June 17 primary, over 22,000 voters have cast early ballots, with nearly 90% being Democrats. High Democratic turnout is driven by competitive primaries for lieutenant governor, attorney general, and numerous House seats, unlike the Republicans who have only two statewide primaries and few House challenges. Early voting highlights Democratic contests in House Districts 81 and 93, while Republican primaries in Districts 97 and 70 will select November candidates. Other notable races include Democratic primaries in Districts 56 and 59. Local primaries in Chesapeake, Newport News, and Norfolk also show active voter engagement.
(The Center Square) – With less than five weeks to go, over 22,000 Virginians have already voted in the June 17 primary, and nearly 90% of those ballots have come from Democratic voters.
Early voting turnout is being driven by Democratic primaries for lieutenant governor, attorney general and dozens of House seats across Virginia, according to commonwealth data.
Republicans have far fewer contested races this cycle, with just two statewide primaries and limited House challenges, contributing to the lower early ballot counts so far.
Democratic voters have returned22,705 early ballotsas of Tuesday afternoon, compared to just over 2,000 from Republicans, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
The gap reflects the reality that far fewer Republican races are being contested in June, limiting turnout opportunities for GOP voters.
House District 81, which includes parts of Richmond, now leads the commonwealth in Democratic early voting with 521 ballots returned. Del. Delores McQuinn faces a primary challenge from Henrico school board chair Alicia Atkins.
District 93, which includes parts of Norfolk, follows closely with 507 early ballots cast. Del. Jackie Glass is running unopposed in the primary.
In House District 97, a Republican primary between Tim Anderson and Christina Felder will determine who faces Democrat incumbent Michael Feggans in November.
District 70 also features a Republican primary between Hailey Dollar and Cynthia Scaturico, with the winner facing Democratic incumbent Shelly Simonds.
In District 89, Democrat Blaizen “Buckshot” Bloom faces Karen Carnegie in a primary that will determine who takes on either Mike Lamonea or Kristen Shannon from the Republican primary.
Other high-interest districts include House District 59, where 486 early votes have been cast, and House District 56, which has already logged 478 ballots amid a contested Democratic primary.
Several local primaries are also drawing voters to the polls. Chesapeake voters are deciding between Wallace Chadwick and David Rosado in the Republican primary for sheriff.
In Newport News, Democrats are choosing between Howard Gwynn and Shannon Jones for commonwealth’s attorney and Sanu Dieng-Cooper and Derek Reason for treasurer. In Norfolk, John Butler and Ramin Fatehi are competing for the Democratic nomination for commonwealth’s attorney.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article provides a factual report on early voting patterns in Virginia’s upcoming primary elections, focusing on turnout differences between Democratic and Republican voters. It describes the number of early votes, contested races, and notable candidates from both parties without using language that endorses or critiques any political ideology or party. The tone is neutral and informative, avoiding emotive or persuasive phrasing, which indicates that the piece is primarily reporting on ideological positions and actions rather than presenting its own ideological stance. This adherence to straightforward data presentation aligns with centrist, unbiased reporting.
University of Virginia researcher Natash Sheybani received a \$5.5 million grant to explore how ultrasound technology can improve cancer treatments. As the research director at UVA’s Focused Ultrasound Cancer Immunotherapy Center, Sheybani aims to use ultrasound to enhance the precision and safety of immunotherapy drugs, particularly for metastatic breast cancer, brain cancers, and pancreatic cancers. Her work may help reduce the harsh side effects of traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, while also aiding drug delivery, especially for hard-to-treat areas like the brain. Sheybani emphasizes the importance of patient and caregiver insights in shaping the research.
Could ultrasound technology help better target cancer treatments? University of Virginia researcher Natash Sheybani recently received a $5.5 million dollar grant that can help her, and her team, answer that question.
As the research director at UVA’s Focused Ultrasound Cancer Immunotherapy Center, the grant from the federal Department of Defense will help support Sheybani and her team’s research into the potential of focused ultrasound to improve the safety and precision of immunotherapy drugs for cancer patients.
While Sheybani said medical research professionals often focus intensely on the science of their work, she feels that physical and emotional insights from cancer patients and their loved ones will also be crucial to her team as they dig into the nitty gritty of the science.
“Something we’re trying to do consciously in my lab is pulling in the voices of people who have themselves been diagnosed with cancer, those who have survived or those who have been caregivers to others who understand the (burdens of the disease),” Sheybani said. “I think those voices are so important, because they really do end up kind of dictating what is necessary, what is realistic, what is worthwhile.”
While ultrasound technology may be able to help more effectively target cancer, resulting in more positive survival prognoses, Sheybani also emphasized how it can lessen the “harsh” effects treatment can have on people overall.
For metastatic breast cancer in particular, only about a third of patients live past five years from their diagnosis and it is incurable. But treatments like chemotherapy, radiation and surgeries can help slow its spread. For chemo and radiation, there’s also heightened risks of targeting healthy tissue.
“Breast cancer therapies are still very harsh and we leave a lot of room for off-target toxicity and impacts that can have downstream impact on long-term quality of life,” Sheybani said.
That’s where ultrasound technology comes in. From heating up cancerous cells to break them down to sending sonic cues that can help medications penetrate better, Sheybani’s work at UVA builds on prior related research she has been a part of.
She added that her team also plans to focus on brain cancers and pancreatic cancers — two organs that can be challenging to treat. For the brain in particular, she said a membrane known as the blood-brain barrier makes it difficult for therapeutic drugs to enter in sufficient quantities. And of course, brain surgeries come with risks and duress on the body. Ultrasound could bolster treatments and in some cases help to avoid surgery, she said.
“You’re talking about basically an incisionless procedure, which you can kind of directly juxtapose with how invasive and cumbersome things like an open surgery might be,” Sheybani explained.
An alum of Virginia Commonwealth University and UVA, Sheybani went on to work on her post-doctoral research at Stanford before being recruited back to her alma mater. It’s a happy homecoming, she said, as she aspires to improve cancer treatments and the patient experience.
“I’ve had the good fortune in my career to kind of get in on the ground floor of … these developments that have definitely allowed me to stay in this community of people who are really dedicated to advancing this topic in a way that we hope will be really meaningful for patient outcomes,” Sheybani said.
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Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
This content focuses on scientific research and medical advancements related to cancer treatment without engaging in political or ideological debates. It presents facts and expert opinions in a neutral, informative manner, emphasizing innovation and patient care rather than political viewpoints. Therefore, it reflects a centrist stance, as it neither leans left nor right politically.
www.youtube.com – WTVR CBS 6 – 2025-05-12 22:23:51
SUMMARY: The Washington Commanders recently engaged high school students from Columbia Heights in an important mental health discussion, emphasizing that “Your mind matters.” With support from EverFi, students completed an online mental wellness course before participating in a panel featuring former player Marcus Smith, physician Dr. Herbert Harmon, and APA Foundation’s RL Andrews Jr. They addressed challenges such as anxiety, social media pressure, and the importance of accepting that it’s okay to not be okay. The event created a safe space for teens to open up, reflect, and learn to care for their mental health amid growing pressures, reinforcing that these students are leaders today.
Washington Commanders tackle mental health with area teens
John Curran, a former Republican candidate for Virginia lieutenant governor who failed to qualify for the primary ballot due to alleged internal sabotage, has re-entered the race as a GOP-aligned write-in candidate. He claims his goal is to “save” the Republican ticket, not split it. The Republican Party of Virginia disavows Curran’s campaign, affirming John Reid as their official nominee. Curran’s return complicates the race, risking vote splitting and party division. His platform includes conservative stances on housing, abortion, and adoption. Political experts view write-in campaigns as challenging and warn Curran’s bid could undermine the GOP’s chances in November.
John Curran, the former Republican candidate for lieutenant governor who said internal sabotage cost him a spot on the primary ballot, announced Monday he is re-entering the race — this time as a GOP-aligned write-in.
“Today, I am announcing my WRITE-IN campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia as a Republican,” Curran said in a statement. “My decision is not to split the ticket but to save it.”
Curran’s announcement reignites tensions in an already turbulent race following his exit in April, when he failed to qualify for the ballot despite claiming to have far surpassed the 10,000-signature requirement.
“Unfortunately, a person(s) associated with my campaign conspired to steal most of my signatures and then attempted to extort money for them,” Curran wrote in a Facebook post after the filing deadline passed. “Disappointingly, the Virginia Department of Elections and the Republican Party of Virginia did nothing to correct this wrong.”
Mark Peake, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, dismissed Curran’s write-in bid as entirely unofficial, distancing the party from his campaign.
“He is not running under the GOP banner whatsoever,” Peake said. “We have a GOP candidate, and that’s John Reid.”
Peake pointed out that Curran never qualified for the Republican primary, despite claiming to be a contender. “He failed to get enough signatures to get on the ballot,” he said. “He is 100% not a Republican candidate in this upcoming election.”
And Andrea Gaines, a spokeswoman for the department, said in an email that since write-in candidates do not appear on the ballot, “they do not have party affiliation.”
Political observers say Curran’s surprise reentry raises more questions than answers.
“It is difficult to know what to make of John Curran’s announcement,” said David Richards, a political science professor at the University of Lynchburg. “As a write-in candidate, it seems like the sore loser law might not apply, but it also might limit his campaigning. Regardless, the whole thing seems odd.”
Curran said in his statement that his campaign is fueled by “grassroots organizations, religious and family groups, and collegiate groups” and not designed to divide the party. But by positioning himself as an alternative to Reid, the GOP’s official nominee, he risks deepening an already visible rift within the party.
“Is Curran running to offer an alternative to John Reid? While that might seem a likely scenario, it has the danger of splitting the party,” Richards noted. “And the GOP has already been wrestling with Reid’s candidacy.”
Reid, a conservative commentator and longtime Richmond radio host, became the GOP’s nominee by default after Pat Herrity, a longtime member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, dropped out for health reasons.
Late last month, Virginia’s GOP turmoil escalated when Reid accused Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC of attempted extortion, claiming the group offered to make damaging attacks disappear if he dropped out. Reid said the threats came after Youngkin personally urged him to quit over concerns tied to a controversial social media account.
Reid, the first openly gay statewide candidate in Virginia history, called the situation “bigotry and ugliness,” warning that the pressure from party leaders has only intensified.
Curran alluded to those dynamics Monday, emphasizing that his concern is not Reid’s personal background, but the process that installed him as nominee.
“This issue is not about my opponent being gay; it is about Virginia deserving the ability to choose who represents them as the Republican candidate,” he said.
When asked for comment about Curran’s renewed bid, a campaign spokesman for Reid texted back, “Who?”
Curran is now betting that Virginia conservatives will rally around a write-in candidacy — a historically uphill battle. “Write-in campaigns are notoriously difficult to pull off,” Richards said, pointing to the failed 2024 effort by Bob Good supporters to mount a last-ditch write-in bid after his congressional primary defeat.
“Only a few hundred wrote in Good’s name. This time it is a candidate himself announcing the write-in campaign. Maybe he will gain some traction, but it will take a tremendous shift in the GOP vote to make a difference.”
Curran’s platform touches on a range of issues — from housing and disaster recovery in Southwest Virginia to opposing abortion and improving adoption services.
“Virginia faces real issues that require strong leadership,” he said, portraying himself as a principled outsider wronged by the system. “It is time for common sense and strength, for someone who will fight for everyone.”
Still, his decision could prove costly for Republicans in November.
“Every write-in for Curran will mean a vote taken away from Reid,” Richards said. “That opens the lead for whoever wins the Democratic primary in June.”
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Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The content primarily discusses John Curran’s re-entry into Virginia’s lieutenant governor race as a GOP-aligned write-in candidate, outlining tensions within the Republican Party. The tone is relatively neutral, focusing on the internal conflict between Curran and the GOP’s official nominee, John Reid. However, there are subtle criticisms of party dynamics and the political process, such as Curran’s allegations of sabotage and the challenges of a write-in campaign. These elements suggest some skepticism toward the party’s leadership and processes, but the article avoids overtly promoting a particular political ideology, maintaining a more factual and balanced tone overall.
