Meet Jack Kiraly, the new Executive Director of Fairfax County Democratic Committee. As FCDC’s only paid employee, Jack is in charge of making the complex machinery of this large (900+ members) volunteer organization run smoothly. With elections every year, FCDC is constantly planning or executing on strategies to contact, register and educate voters, to get out the vote on election…
By Brad Swanson: More than 70 high school students helped orient voters and sign up volunteers in Mt. Vernon District during the Super Tuesday Democratic presidential primary on Mar. 3, in which Fairfax County turnout surged. (Blue View story on primary results here ). For the Mt. Vernon District Democratic Committee members staffing the information tables it was a much-needed…
By Susan Laume: Fairfax County voters turned out in large numbers for Super Tuesday’s Democratic primary vote, and decisively supported Joe Biden. Biden won 49% of the almost 250,000 votes cast, followed by Bernie Sanders with 23%. Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bloomberg trailed with 12% and 11% respectively. Countywide, 34% of registered voters cast ballots. Turnout far exceeded the 2016…
By Paul O’Shea: A leading figure in the Virginia anti-death penalty movement called for the abolition of “this barbaric remnant of previous centuries” in a talk recently at Little River United Church of Christ in Annandale. Dale Brumfield, field director of Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, told parishioners on Feb. 23 that the death penalty fails to serve…
Editor’s Note: Another in our series of personal statements of support from readers for Democratic presidential candidates. While she is far behind in the polls, Tulsi Gabbard has not suspended her campaign and will appear on the ballot in the Super Tuesday primary vote Mar. 3. By Sandra Allen: I am reaching out because of the lack of diversity in…
By Susan Laume: With Super Tuesday’s critical primary vote looming, Bernie Sanders drew an overflow audience in Springfield on Saturday, Feb. 29, as he called for a “political revolution” to create “a government of love and compassion, not greed and lies.” Standing in parallel lines, cheering volunteers waved Bernie signs as participants entered and gathered near the stage on the…
By Marcus Motta: The Fairfax County Democrats have a secret weapon against Donald Trump and the Republicans in November. No, it’s not Cambridge Analytica, Vladimir Putin, voter suppression or the Koch organization. It’s Emma Salas and the George Mason University Young Democrats! Salas, president of the organization, was born and raised in Ft. Collins, Colorado, where her family has resided…
By Todd Thurwachter: Want more volunteers? A Democratic Primary is the best place to find and engage dedicated Democrats, but asking Democratic voters at the polls to help organize or volunteer doesn’t get many signups. Why? Even dedicated Democrats won’t commit to volunteer work in a few seconds. They’ll smile and say, “Sure, I’ll think about it” and walk on…
Editor’s Note: Another in our series of personal statements of support from readers for Democratic presidential candidates. By Jane Miscavage: For the first time in my life a presidential candidate motivated me to jump in early and give all I’ve got to her primary campaign. I’d like to introduce you to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the candidate described in the Washington Post…
By Suzanne Le Menestrel: You may be shocked to learn that in Northern Virginia, one of the nation’s most prosperous areas, 1 in 5 children are economically disadvantaged, and in the state as a whole, one-third. These numbers – from Voices for Virginia’s Children, a not-for-profit independent child advocacy organization that oversees Virginia’s KIDS COUNT data collection – should concern…
By Susan Laume: Those who live in the Washington D.C. metro area often forget that national news makers also are often neighbors. This includes Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who was abruptly removed from his position at the National Security Council, and escorted out of his office, after testifying in the impeachment investigation of President Trump. Vindman became a national figure…
Editor’s Note: Another in our series of personal statements of support from readers for Democratic presidential candidates By Mike Sandler: The media and the top 1% wish Sen. Bernie Sanders would just go away. He doesn’t seem to follow the rules. He has a dedicated following; some would say too passionate. But no matter how you feel about him, at…
Ten million tons of carbon would be added to Virginia’s carbon footprint annually if the Virginia legislature approves a bill to permit two new gas-fired power plants in Charles City County, southeast of Richmond. The bill, SB 992, would greenlight the largest fossil-fueled electrical plant in Virginia ever, the Chickahominy Plant, producing 1,600 MW and costing a proposed $1.6 billion.…
By Mary Paden: Mike Bloomberg came in first, followed by Amy Klobuchar and then Pete Buttigieg at a straw poll conducted by the Mt. Vernon District Democratic Committee on Sunday, Feb. 16. The straw poll was taken at the committee’s annual Mardi Gras themed fundraiser, attended by 170 people including many local Democratic officials. Surrogates for each candidate gave short…