By Stephanie Witt Sedgwick: State Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D-33) faced off against Rep. Barbara Comstock (R- 10) on Sept. 21 for the Congressional candidates’ only debate so far in the campaign. In a discussion restricted to business issues, Wexton attacked the GOP-led tax act for benefiting the top 1% and decried the erosion of bipartisanship under the leadership of a…
By Todd Thurwachter: Early voting is key to maximizing Democratic turnout nationwide because many of our voters can’t easily vote on election day. But Virginia doesn’t have early voting – at least not technically. To vote early, Virginians must first qualify to vote absentee. The Fairfax County Democratic Committee has a long, successful program to mail applications for absentee ballots…
By Karen Kirk: Virginia’s candidates for U.S. Senate Tim Kaine and Republican Corey Stewart have different takes on climate change: Sen. Kaine believes that human activity is causing significant climate change and we have an obligation to do something about it. Stewart believes the climate has cycles and we can’t change it. Both Sen. Kaine and Stewart, Chairman of Prince…
By Brad Swanson: Fairfax Democrats looked inward on Wednesday night – and were not too happy with what they saw. About 60 members of the Fairfax Democratic Committee (FCDC) attended a Racial Equity Workshop and most gave their party low grades on a self-evaluation for racism. Nevertheless, the Dems ended the evening on an upbeat assessment, recognizing that the first…
The climate crisis is bringing together Sen. Tim Kaine and his Republican rival for the Senate, Corey Stewart, for a discussion on climate change — with a focus on Virginia — on Tues. Sept. 18 in Vienna, Va. The Virginia Climate Crisis Forum takes place against a backdrop of rising temperatures — not just globally but here at home. Days…
By Jessica Swanson: A training program for Democratic women preparing to run for office is making a big impact in northern Virginia. As of now, there are at least seven elected officials in Fairfax County who are alumnae of the program, called Emerge Virginia. State-wide, Emerge Virginia is building a strong win record, with 27 of 48 candidates who ran…
By Holly Hazard: PHILADELPHIA — Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu gave a rousing speech urging Democrats to reclaim the mantle of patriotism from the Republican Party this past weekend at The Arena Summit, a symposium designed to train progressive grassroots activists and political candidates that several Fairfax Democrats attended. Landrieu said it’s the Democrats who support workers, children, community,…
By Karen Kirk: About 40 Hunter Mill District canvassers hit the ground running Saturday after a rousing reminder from U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly about the importance of getting a majority of Democrats elected to the House on Nov. 6. Connolly told canvassers who gathered at former FCDC Chair Sue Langley’s home that with a majority, House Democrats will aggressively investigate…
By Brad Swanson: Celebrated author Nancy MacLean visits our region on Wed. Oct. 3 for a free presentation on her prize-winning book “Democracy in Chains:The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America ” . MacLean’s book has won prestigious awards and she has earned national prominence — including this recent appearance with Bill Maher — for exposing an organized campaign by radical…
By Sheldon Friedman: A district court judge has blocked, for now, a gut-punch delivered by the Trump administration to federal workers in the form of a trio of harsh executive orders (read them here, here and here). These executive orders curbed the appeal rights of disciplined or discharged employees, radically restricted availability of “official time” relied upon by union representatives…
By Todd Thurwachter: Volunteers from FCDC and the Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia (DAAV) reported the strongest positive engagement yet at this year’s Vietfest held in August. They found a great deal of support and enthusiasm, particularly among young voters, and recommended trying to recruit more young volunteers for next year’s Vietfest. Most important, they identified and built up an army of volunteers…
By Susan Laume: Virginia’s vote could be the last state vote needed to allow the United States Congress to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would become the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. VAratifyERA Sunday — Women’s Equality Day — kicked off a campaign to press Virginia lawmakers to approve the amendment in January by holding screenings around Virginia…
By Sean Perryman: Following the election of Donald Trump, the Democratic Party at both the local and national level continues to grapple with race and the role it should or shouldn’t play in its platform and organizing. In that vein, on September 12th, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) will hold a Racial Equity Workshop for its membership. The workshop…
By Diane Weeks: A new memorial in southern Fairfax County celebrating the courage of suffragists under brutal treatment by prison guards at Occoquan Workhouse (later known as Lorton Reformatory) is halfway to its funding goal, and on track for completion by August 2020 – the 100 year anniversary of women’s voting rights in the USA. The Turning Point Suffragist Memorial…