www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-05-28 13:58:00
Over 75,000 Democratic voters have cast early ballots ahead of Virginia’s June 17 primary, with the highest turnout in competitive Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia districts. Republican turnout is much lower, with just over 7,000 ballots statewide, and no statewide Republican primaries this cycle. Both major party gubernatorial nominees run unopposed: Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger. The most competitive race is the six-way Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, led by former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney. Early voting continues through June 15, with mail ballot requests due by June 7.
(The Center Square) – Over 75,000 Democratic voters have cast early ballots ahead of Virginia’s June 17 primary, with turnout the highest in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia districts holding competitive races.
House Districts 81, 80 and 93 — covering parts of Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Newport News —eachreported over1,400 ballotsas of May 27, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Republican turnout remains much lower, with just over 7,000 ballots returned statewide.
There are no statewide Republican primaries this cycle, and both major party nominees for governorare already set. Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is running unopposed and recently released a 30-second ad focused on her military service and values.
“If you want another typical politician, look to Washington,” she says. “But if you want a United States Marine who will always fight for Virginia, I’m Winsome Earle-Sears.”
Democrat Abigail Spanberger is also unopposed and remains active on the trail. Sheis runningon a policy agenda focused on lowering drug prices, improving public education and addressing cost-of-living issues. Her campaign has raised over $16.3 million.
The most competitive statewide primary is the six-way Democratic race for lieutenant governor. Sen. Ghazala Hashmi is airing a new ad tying her platform to reproductive rights and her 2019 Senate flip.
“I ran in what was the heart of the Confederacy to take on Trump, and I flipped the State Senate,” she says.
Former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney leads in fundraising with over $1.4 million and was endorsed last week by actor and education advocate LeVar Burton.
Del. Aaron Rouse has raised $1.18 million and is highlighting his votes to defend abortion rights and cut taxes for seniors. He’s also positioned himself as a direct counter to Trump’s influence in Virginia.
Other Democrats in the race include Babur Lateef, Victor Salgado and Alex Bastani. Republican John Reid is unopposed on the ballot, though John Curran is mounting a write-in campaign after failing to qualify.
Early voting runsthrough June 15. The last day to request a mail ballot is June 7.
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 content primarily reports factual information about early voting turnout, candidate profiles, campaign activities, and fundraising figures in Virginia’s upcoming primary elections. It highlights details about both Democratic and Republican candidates without using loaded or emotive language that favors one side. The article presents direct quotes from candidates on each side, maintaining a neutral tone and focusing on campaign facts rather than endorsing or criticizing any party or ideology. Overall, the piece adheres to straightforward, balanced reporting by covering relevant electoral details without promoting a specific ideological stance.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-05-29 11:25:00
Virginia will hold a special election to fill the 11th Congressional District seat after the death of Democrat Rep. Gerry Connolly, who served since 2009. Connolly, 75, died of cancer after announcing he wouldn’t seek reelection. The governor must issue a writ to trigger the election, which cannot occur within 55 days of other federal elections but can coincide with a general election. Five Democrats have filed to run, with the nomination decided in a special primary; no Republicans have filed yet. The winner will complete Connolly’s term ending January 2027. The election date remains unannounced.
(The Center Square) – Virginia will hold a special election to fill the 11th Congressional District seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Democrat who had represented the Northern Virginia district since 2009.
Connolly, 75, died after a battle with cancer. He announced in April that he would not seek reelection, setting up a competitive primary before the race shifted into a special election process.
A spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Elections confirmed that the governor must issue a writ of election to trigger the special vote. The election cannot be held within 55 days of a primary or general election, but it can be scheduled on the same day as a general election. Virginia also requires 45 days of early voting for federal elections.
As of Thursday, the governor had not announced a date.
Constituent services will continue through Connolly’s existing staff with oversight from the Clerk of the U.S. House, but no one can vote or introduce legislation on behalf of the district until a successor is sworn in.
The 11th District, which includes most of Fairfax County and parts of Prince William County, has been a Democratic stronghold for over a decade. Connolly won reelection in 2024 with 67% of the vote.
Five Democrats have filed to run in the special election, according to state and federal records: James Walkinshaw, Stella Pekarsky, Candice Bennett, Joshua Aisen and Leopoldo Martinez.
The Democratic nomination will be decided in a special primary, but the date and method have not yet been announced.
No Republican candidates had publicly filed for the seat as of Thursday.
It remains unclear whether the special election will be held separately or aligned with Virginia’s primary or general election schedule. The winner will serve out the remainder of Connolly’s term, which ends in January 2027.
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 primarily provides a straightforward report on the logistics and context surrounding a special election in Virginia, focusing on factual details such as the background of the vacancy, election rules, candidates who have filed, and the political landscape of the district. It includes information on the deceased representative’s tenure and electoral history without using language that promotes a particular ideological stance or political agenda. The tone is neutral, avoiding loaded or partisan terminology, and the coverage of candidates is limited to listing names without evaluative commentary. Therefore, the content adheres to neutral, factual reporting by describing the situation and the parties involved without contributing a discernible political bias itself.
Richmond, Virginia, lifted its three-day boil water advisory after two consecutive rounds of clean water tests, ending a disruption caused by low water pressure linked to clogged filters at the treatment plant. The city experienced a sudden pressure drop Tuesday, prompting emergency conservation and boil orders in several neighborhoods. Mayor Danny Avula pledged to address the aging infrastructure issues exposed by the incident. This follows a previous system-wide failure in January deemed “completely avoidable.” The city distributed bottled water to vulnerable populations and is working on new maintenance protocols amid calls for systemic upgrades totaling over \$63 million.
Richmond’s boil water advisory has officially been lifted after two consecutive rounds of water tests came back clean, city officials announced Thursday afternoon, ending a three-day disruption that once again exposed vulnerabilities in the city’s aging water system.
At 2:30 p.m., Mayor Danny Avula announced that the Virginia Department of Health had cleared the city’s water as safe for consumption following negative results from required compliance samples.
“I’m deeply grateful to the residents and businesses for enduring this unexpected boil water advisory,” Avula said. “Residents and businesses expect better, and I am as committed as ever to finding the problems and fixing them. Doing this work requires being honest about what’s working and what’s not and I pledge my ongoing commitment to doing just that.”
Testing began Tuesday night after a sudden drop in water pressure across large parts of the city led to emergency conservation measures and boil orders for neighborhoods served by the Ginter Park tank.
The first samples were taken at 7 p.m. Tuesday and came back negative by Wednesday evening. A second round collected late Wednesday morning also cleared, with final results received Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
“I’m encouraged that the first round of water sample results has come back with a negative result,” Avula had said Wednesday evening. “Some parts of Richmond are still under a boil water advisory as we await the second sample test, but this is very promising. We’re hopeful for full clearance soon and are so grateful for everyone’s patience and care.”
Residents and businesses across impacted areas — including the Fan, Byrd Park, Carytown, Brookland Park, Jackson Ward, Oregon Hill, and parts of Southside — can now resume normal water use. Food service operations are being directed to state guidance on how to safely reopen.
“This is a sign that we must reevaluate and improve our processes to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” City Council President Cynthia Newbille said, praising the city’s emergency response but calling for systemic improvements.
The boil advisory was triggered by an operational failure early Tuesday morning when clogged filters at the city’s water treatment plant led to low or no pressure across the system.
Internal records obtained by WTVR indicate that a May 12 maintenance request to clean plate settlers — filters that remove sludge — was postponed two days later because operations staff said “this was not a good time.”
“These plates are critical,” engineer Joel Paulsen told the station. “If they’re not cleaned, sediment overwhelms the system and clogs the filters.”
City officials have confirmed high turbidity was to blame for this week’s filter failure but have not addressed whether the maintenance delay was a factor. Interim utilities director Scott Morris told city council Wednesday that a full root cause analysis will take several weeks and that new maintenance protocols are in development.
This week’s boil advisory followed a cascading system-wide failure in January that left large parts of Richmond and surrounding counties without reliable drinking water for several days. That event prompted a damning investigation by the Virginia Department of Health, which found the incident “completely avoidable” and cited “a long chain of preventable failures.”
In response to this week’s pressure drop, the city quickly resumed coordination with state health officials and ramped up emergency responses. This time, unlike in January, the city began delivering bottled water to nine high-priority populations — including hospitals, senior homes, public housing complexes, and childcare providers — distributing roughly 140,000 bottles since Tuesday.
Still, the incident is likely to draw renewed scrutiny to Richmond’s aging infrastructure and emergency preparedness. A 314-page report released in April identified more than $63 million in needed upgrades on top of $60 million already allocated in the city’s capital improvement plan. Among the recommendations: modernized electrical systems, automated emergency protocols, and a complete redesign of the clearwell overflow system.
That overhaul is now under a state-mandated corrective action plan following a second formal notice of violation tied to the January breakdown.
In the current situation, the city said it reached out early Tuesday morning to water customers in Chesterfield and Henrico counties to reduce pressure on the shared system. Avula noted that public alerts were issued later in the day because the city first had to assess the scope of the issue and coordinate a response.
Morris, the city’s interim Department of Public Utilities director, added that the coordination with surrounding counties “allowed us to have more time to recover the facility and then make a plan of action to move forward.”
Still, some residents expressed confusion as city messaging shifted throughout the day. An initial 9 a.m. statement downplayed the impact on drinking water, only for a full boil advisory to be issued a few hours later.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that the boil water advisory in Richmond was officially lifted on Thursday, May 29, at 2:30 p.m., following two rounds of negative test results.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
SUPPORT
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 article provides a factual and balanced report on the water outage in Richmond, Va., focusing on the event timeline, responses by city officials, and the infrastructure challenges faced. It includes statements from various city representatives, highlights official investigations, and notes calls for systemic improvements without adopting a partisan tone. The coverage neither explicitly criticizes nor defends a particular political ideology but centers on accountability and public service issues common to local governance.
www.youtube.com – 12 On Your Side – 2025-05-29 06:28:16
SUMMARY: Morning clouds and fog will dominate today, with a 40% chance of scattered afternoon showers mainly around 3 to 4 p.m. The rain from yesterday totaled 2 inches, well above normal for May 28, raising monthly and yearly rainfall totals. Tomorrow will be more productive with more sunshine, but a strong to severe thunderstorm threat exists late afternoon into evening between 5 and 10 p.m., including potential wind, hail, and possibly tornado warnings. Temperatures will reach near 80 degrees. Saturday brings afternoon showers with a 50% chance and highs in the mid-70s, followed by a dry, hotter pattern next week.
Morning clouds and fog, with a few afternoon showers
