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Virginia and Alabama Voters Rejected Fear and Hate, Stand for Real American Principles

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Virginia voters stood up to Donald Trump and the Republican Party in November with the Democrats taking a clean sweep of the statewide elections. Alabama, on the other hand, was not looking to follow the same path yesterday.  Doug Jones (D) was facing Roy Moore (R) for the United States Senators’ seat left open by now Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Roy Moore was the clear favorite over Jones in the Republican stranglehold of Alabama. The last time they elected a Democratic Senator was 1992, and then-candidate Trump obliterated Clinton in 2016 with a spread of +28.

It appeared that this wouldn’t even be a race to watch, that is until we learned that Roy Moore repeatedly tried to seduce underage girls when he was in his 30s – one of those girls being 14 years old. Republican leaders eventually pulled their support, subsequently asking Moore to step down. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) discussed not seating Moore if he won and the Ethics Committee investigation Moore would face.  But Moore never budged and eventually, Trump endorsed Moore. Trump himself is facing accusations of sexual misconduct from 19 women – so is anyone surprised that he would still support a predator like Moore?

Failed Senate Candidate, Roy Moore

After Trump’s public support, Republicans began to reverse their position and threw support back behind Moore. The Republican National Committee decided to send hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Alabama GOP after initially refusing to give him any additional contributions or support.  The return of major Republican players made Moore the contender that Democrats feared. Republicans decided that having a Republican vote in the Senate was more important than denouncing a pedophile and refusing him a seat.

Trump endorsed Moore for the final time on the morning of the election, when he tweeted:

“The people of Alabama” did the “right things” and voted for Jones.

The Associated Press eventually called the race at 10:23 pm for the Democrat, Doug Jones. Why – when the leaders of his party repeatedly asked Moore to step down –would Trump stump for the embattled candidate?  Trump has been accused by at least 19 women of sexual harassment. He faced that criticism heavily in the months leading up to the 2016 election.

But that was before Harvey Weinstein, Louis C.K., Al Franken, Roy Moore, Glenn Thrush, Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer, Mario Batali, Ryan Lizza, along with name after name began to drop like flies – and the carnage still hasn’t stopped.

The tidal wave of firings and resignation letters soon followed. Hosts of morning shows had to address the nation just hours after finding out their coworker and friend lost their job due to sexual improprieties.  The wave began in the entertainment industry and private sector, but the waters started to shift towards D.C.

Multiple members of Congress have resigned, or are facing an Ethics Committee. Al Franken (D) resigned his seat in the Senate – John Conyers (D) and Trent Franks (R) have surrendered their seats in the House. Multiple other House members are facing accusations on their own and more accusations are expected. But Roy Moore was still fighting – his campaign was still alive – and he had an actual shot at winning.

That is until Alabama voted to send a Democrat to the Senate for the first time in 25 years. Enough people in Alabama believed that party affiliations don’t matter – being a moral and respectable human does. While the president can overlook all of the accusations made against Moore, the American people won’t allow it. Virginian’s displayed the same notion – just in more drastic contrast this November – when they refused to support the fear-mongering and race-baiting of Ed Gillespie’s campaign – one that was taken right out of Trump’s playbook.

Doug Jones, Senator from Alabama

The saving grace for the Democrats in this election was that if Moore would have won – they would have stuck him to every single Republican in the 2018 midterms. That, along with the rhetoric coming out of D.C. being so divisive and disruptive, would have given the Democrats something of a consolation prize.  But in 2017, good people continue to prosper – and gain a voice in a world that is full of voices from every part of the spectrum – while questionable characters sputter and fail to see any real success.

Thank You, Alabama from Virginias everywhere.

Opinion: Voting Democrat is Still the Lesser of Two Evils for Progressives

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I wasn’t enthusiastic about voting yesterday.

Although I took the day off because some of my professors canceled classes, I wasn’t in a rush to get to my polling place. After I spent my morning and early afternoon catching up on assignments, I headed out on that rainy, dreary day, ready to begrudgingly cast my vote for Ralph Northam and the other Democrats on the ballot. I felt hopeless. Gillespie had this election in the bag, at least I thought. Northam’s campaign had been underwhelming, to put it charitably, and I didn’t know anyone who was actually excited to vote for the Lieutenant Governor. Coming off of the surreal and deeply depressing 2016 Presidential election, I was bracing myself for the worst.

Thankfully, we now know that I was wrong. Northam defeated his Republican opponent Ed Gillespie by nine points, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. And in more riveting news, Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member Lee Carter defeated House Majority Whip Jackson Miller in the 50th district. Additionally, Democrat Danica Roem, an openly transgender candidate, defeated Republican and notorious bigot Bob Marshall in the 13th District. This effectively threw the longtime incumbent in the dumpster, where I’m sure he’ll angrily draft anti-transgender bills in silence for the rest of his days.

Although it’s important to acknowledge these victories and to celebrate them when they happen, it is equally important to acknowledge the failures of the Democratic Party, especially leading up to this election. After all, this election has been a nightmare for progressives, with Northam lacking in tangible progressive policies and values. Examining the flaws of Northam’s campaign, and the Democratic Party as a whole will help us understand the demands that people need make of the party going forward. And hopefully, by doing so, we can lessen our chances of having a “too close to call” situation between a racist, fear-mongering conservative and a milquetoast democratic candidate.

It is also important to acknowledge the fact that Northam isn’t a progressive. I don’t understand how anyone would consider someone who voted for George W. Bush twice, refuses to take a hard stance against the building of pipelines, and is willing to change his position on something as vital as immigration policy to be a progressive, let alone allow him to get away with branding himself as such.

Photo by David Streever

Admittedly, there are policies that Northam believes which separates him from Gillespie, such as his open support of reproductive rights and the LGBTQ community.

However, this gets at a key frustration I have with the Democratic Party: When I’m voting for a Democrat, I am often voting for my survival. In every election I have participated in, I’ve had to choose a politician who didn’t have any ideas on how to improve the lives of those struggling under capitalism, yet I supported them because they weren’t interested in taking my rights away. In Northam’s case, I voted for him due to the fact that he supports reproductive rights, and because I wanted one of my best friends to continue to safely transition as a trans woman.

Voting out of fear for the safety of a loved one is a terrible reason to want to vote for any politician. It’s cold, callous, and it proves that our “lesser of two evils” two-party system is broken. However, this fear plays right into the Democrats’ hands. The Democratic Party runs on fear. For the past couple of years, their platform has been the fact that they’re not as bad as the Republican Party. But by giving marginalized people no choice, and offering voters nothing but the security of their basic rights, Democrats are leaving us worse off. For example, single-payer health care is becoming an increasingly popular idea among progressives in the United States. However, establishment Democrats don’t want to embrace this fact, opting to die on the hill of the flawed Affordable Care Act instead. If Democrats want to look like they’re serving the interests of the people, they would consider an issue such as single payer, or at the very least, craft another healthcare solution that would serve more of its constituents.

Even if we buy into the fact that we must vote for Democrats simply because they will protect certain rights, there’s no way of knowing whether they’ll stay true to their word. After all, if Northam is willing to change his position on sanctuary cities, using the lives of undocumented immigrants as a bargaining chip, what else is he open to changing his mind about? More to the point, what other issues does Northam think he can compromise with Republicans on? Are we ever going to see an anti-transgender “compromise” in Virginia, similar to the one we saw in North Carolina?

As a young voter, the only time I felt like I was actually voting for someone I believed in was when I voted for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primary. With the Democratic Party undermining Sanders’ popularity and his more progressive policies ever since the primary, and with reports of corruption occurring within the party itself, it’s clear that the Democratic Party does not care about my opinions as a leftist person of color.

This is why we need to step up and make our voices heard. This is why pro-sanctuary city protesters interrupting Northam’s acceptance speech last night is not only important, but absolutely necessary. If we don’t push Democrats to care about progressive issues — which are issues that impact a majority of people in the United States — they won’t care about them. It is our job to challenge these politicians, to make it clear that they work for us, and not the other way around. In these tumultuous times, we cannot get caught resting on our laurels. There’s a lot more work that needs to be done, and the only way we’re going to make progress is by getting active, both inside the electoral system, and in progressive organizations outside out of it.

I’m glad Ralph Northam won the election. Now, it’s time to keep him in check.

Trump Tweets About Gillespie’s Election Loss

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Democrats swept today’s election in Virginia with an unprecedented victory for the Governorship, LT Governorship, and Attorney General seats, along with potentially picking up 12 delegate seats in the General Assembly. In addition, the first transgender woman, Danica Roem, was elected to the General Assembly unseating her anti-LGBTQ rival, Bob Marshall.

Even with the massive sweep by Virginia Democrats, President Trump was quick to blame his party’s failure on Ed Gillespie’s inability to embrace him. In a tweet posted 30 minutes ago, Trump said, “Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for. Don’t forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even bigger than before!”

Gillespie, while not outwardly embracing Trump during the campaign, embraced the president’s messaging strategies and tactics, using the politics of fear and race-baiting to paint Ralph Northam as someone who was weak on crime and supported MS-13 – the international criminal gang. Clearly, Virginians throughout the Commonwealth did not agree with Gillespie or Trump.

Northam Wins in Democratic Sweep of Virginia

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Following a blowout victory, Ralph Northam will be the next Governor of Virginia after a Democratic sweep of the Commonwealth. It’s the conclusion to a contentious race dominated by negative advertising and messaging, focused on anxieties about immigration, race, and crime. This tidal wave of blue across Virginia has not been seen since then-Senator Obama won the presidency in 2008.

A wide range of voter polls showed Northam with a sliver-thin advantage heading into the election, and Democrats feared the loss of another moderate candidate in a repeat of the Trump-Clinton race. Joining his victory are Justin Fairfax and Mark Herring, both of whom won their races for Lt Governor and Attorney General by similar margins. And in a surprising twist to the election, a slate of delegate candidates are now poised to flip the House of Delegates blue for the first time in 20 years.

Turnout was on par with expectations, with some areas reporting 50 percent of registered voters casting their ballots throughout the day. Down-ballot races and Democratic resentment of the Trump presidency were key factors for many voters, especially in Richmond, where 58,800 voters chose Northam to Gillespie’s 12,263.

Many media figures and progressive pundits predicted a low turnout for Northam, citing a perceived lack of enthusiasm among young voters, but VCU campus activists disagreed. “I voted for Northam in the primary, too,” said Molly Salavantis, who also volunteers with NextGen America. She was at VCU Commons with her sister and other volunteers handing out donuts and reminding students to vote. She was optimistic about turnout. “We registered 3,000 new voters at VCU alone.”

Christopher, reluctantly voted for Northam. Photo by Allison MacEwen

News outlets also predicted voter backlash against Northam for his mixed messages on sanctuary cities. This cost him the endorsement of Democracy For America, but didn’t particularly hurt his relationship with Latino Victory Fund, a group that attacked Gillespie in the last days of the campaign. “I voted for Northam, but I’m pissed off about [waffling on] Sanctuary Cities,” said Christopher, a voter originally from Appalachian Virginia who didn’t want to use his last name. “I was a [Tom] Perriello guy,” he said, referencing the progressive runner-up in the Democratic primary. “I liked him. I really like Justin Fairfax too, he opposed the pipeline.”

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline was a motivating factor for other voters. One of those voters was Paul Harvey, who cited the ACP as a factor in his vote for Cliff Hyra, the Libertarian candidate for Governor. Harvey also pointed to the negative ad campaigns as an influence driving him away from the Republican and Democratic candidates. “The guys on TV suck,” he said, referring to the back-and-forth ads, beginning with Gillespie’s ad invoking fear of immigrants through references to MS-13, the violent gang with ties to El Salvador.

Carli Viola wore her woman’s hat to the polls

Many voters cited opposition to Trump and the Republican agenda in influencing their vote. Early voter Carli Viola wore her pink crochet hat to her polling place at First Baptist Church on Monument Avenue, memorabilia from the Women’s March held last January. Kathryn Wirtz supported the Democratic slate, citing concerns for people who face discrimination. “This election really matters for a lot of people. It’s my duty to come out and vote to protect their rights.”

Elijah Morgano and Breanna Jones

Virginia Commonwealth University’s new polling place at Commons was overwhelmed with voters. Officials were unable to provide voter counts to reporters and lines were longer than at other polling stations throughout the day, even during the earliest shifts. Local activists Elijah Morgano and Breanna Jones were among many volunteers greeting visitors and directing them to the polls upstairs in the ballroom.

John DiJulio, a bike commuter. Photo by Allison MacEwen

One of the last voters at the Carver polling station was John DiJulio, a bike commuter who arrived just before the close at 7 pm. “I work out by the raceway,” he said, apologizing for being flustered from his rush home. He’d also supported Perriello in the primary, but thought the stakes were too high to be picky. “I’ll take any Democrat in the end,” he said, referring to a slew of policies and social issues that motivated his vote.

The race was called before 8 pm, with Northam’s lead nearing 3 percent less than an hour after polls closed, which is expected to grow as high as 10 percent before the end of the night. For Democrats it’s a welcome victory after a rough presidential election, and a show of unity for a party divided from debates dating back to the 2016 primary election.

Despite the victory, those divisions are likely to continue, with pundits and party leaders alike questioning the polling methodology and looking for lessons for future candidates and races.

*Caitlin Barbieri and Nidhi Sharma contributed to this report. Photos by David Streever or Allison MacEwen

 

Virginia Politics Sponsored by F.W. Sullivans

 

Richmond Turns Out for Governor’s Race

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RVA Mag hit the ground running at 6 a.m. this morning to take the temperature of Election Day throughout Richmond. Richmonders expressed strong support for Democrats and a great concern for the future of the Commonwealth.

“I think the Democrats have changed in a lot of ways with what they say and how they act,” said Church Hill resident, Gloria Nash-Allen. Standing outside of the East District Community Center, Nash-Allen and other community members endured the cold to inform voters on the candidates and show support for the Democratic Party.

Gloria Nash-Allen. Photo by Landon Shroder

Support for the Democratic candidate and sitting Lt. Governor, Ralph Northam, and the entire down-ballot ticket was consistent among the voters RVA Mag spoke with from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Commons all the way to the 4th Baptist Church in Church Hill.

“Gillespie ran an incredibly divisive campaign which completely disqualifies him from being a Governor for all Virginians,” said voter George Chieffo, who works for the administration of Governor Terry McAullife and was voting at Main Street Station.

Third party candidates have also played a role in this election, yet were received coolly by some voters. Libertarian Party candidate Cliff Hyra faced a tough reception at the First Baptist Church on Monument Avenue. “I don’t vote for Libertarians,” said Max Holland on his way to the ballot box. “They use cultural issues like marijuana and gun rights to bring voters in on an economic platform that hurts them.”

VCU students were early to the polls for the off-cycle election, showing support for Northam before their 8 a.m. classes. Student organizer Molly Salavantis said she voted for him in the primary, too, “Northam all the way — he’s going to be an amazing governor.”

Molly Salavantis and Friends. Photo by David Streever

By 9 am poll chiefs were reporting more than 200 voters at their various locations, reflecting a strong commitment to not only the state but also the city. “For a local election, this is a good turnout,” said Robert Hancock. “Whatever direction the government is going in, people want to see change.”

Robert Hancock. Photo by Landon Shroder

One thing which was clear is that voters want change at every level of government, with many voters pre-occupied with the Sheriff’s race. Most were eager to see Irving fill the position. “The Governor’s race is important but my number one thing is the city Sheriff,” said Vivian Green at the 31st Baptist Church. Green wasn’t alone in her concern for the Sheriff’s election. Voter Quiana McCormick felt the campaign for governor neglected to include voters like her. “They didn’t promote to me the way they should have,” she said. She came to the polls to vote for Irving, but when it came to the other candidates she knew very little.

“All I have to go off of is those [campaign] ads and they told me nothing,” said McCormick. “Last night I saw an ad for Vogel; it was dumb shit.”

Quiana McCormick and Her Daughter. Photo by Landon Shroder

Despite the negative ads and discussions of corruption, voters turned out because they believe they can make a difference. McCormick brought her 11-year-old daughter to the polls to teach her daughter the importance of fulfilling that civic duty.

VCU students also showed confidence in the democratic system, hoping that the true spirit of Virginia will shine through.“Virginia is a loving place, and we’re going to show that today,” said Salavantis. Her fellow campus organizers murmured in agreement.

 

Virginia Politics Sponsored by F.W. Sullivans

 

Opinion: Why Ralph Northam Should Win (And What it Means if he Doesn’t)

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Ralph Northam should win Tuesday’s election.

If you’ve paid any attention to local and national media, you probably have heard that this race has been tightening for weeks. This is understandable; mainstream media outlets are famously prone to horserace coverage, and a competitive race always makes for a better story. Plus, Northam has had some hiccups lately. He recently clarified his opposition to the idea of sanctuary cities; this is not, as Republicans have claimed, a “flip-flop,” but his position has not been welcomed by progressive Dems. And Northam has been blamed, fairly or not, for an inflammatory television ad from the Latino Victory fund that showed immigrant kids dreaming of Gillespie supporters running them down in a truck.

(By the way, the amount of pearl clutching over this ad by Republicans, after Gillespie’s campaign has essentially blamed Northam for arming Latino gang members and pedophiles, is almost stunning in its hypocrisy. Almost.)

Despite all these problems, Northam is actually in good shape; however, the “tight race” narrative may be underestimating his chances for victory. In fact, there are three key structural factors underlying the race that should give Northam a victory, even a comfortable one.

1. Blue Virginia

I’m far from the first to point this out, but more and more of Virginia is voting Democratic. The growth of the Northern Virginia suburbs and the increasingly cosmopolitan urban corridor from Washington DC through Richmond to Hampton Roads has led to Democrats dominating statewide races over the past few election cycles. Hillary Clinton won the state last year by over five percentage points.

Both major party candidates in the Governor’s race have recognized this demographic change. Northam, wisely or not, has essentially blown off the Southwest part of the state; Gillespie is taking his support there for granted. That region of Virginia feels so ignored that the Bristol Herald Courier actually refused to endorse either candidate.

Northam’s Obama Rally in Richmond. Photo by Landon Shroder

Still, voter turnout in state elections is typically different – and way lower – than a presidential one. This is especially true in Virginia’s “off-off-year” election cycle, where there isn’t even a Congressional mid-term election to drive turnout. Northam cannot count on all those Hillary voters to turn out just for him. But that’s where the other two factors come in.

2. The #Resistance

While the media story is that the race for Governor is tightening, the polls actually tell a different tale; they have tended to fluctuate wildly from a slight Gillespie lead to a huge Northam victory. Much of this has to do with polling techniques; but these different methodologies are all trying to get at one thing: taking a sample of opinions and using it to predict voter turnout. And here’s the thing: no one has any idea who a “likely voter” is in post-Trump America.

If this were a normal year, Gillespie would have a significant advantage in turnout, which typically skews older and more conservative in non-Presidential years. But there’s nothing normal about politics these days. Virginia progressives are just as riled up about Trump as the rest of the country, and many Democrats hope their anger at Trump will translate into a political victory here in Virginia.

It’s not clear how persistent the effects of Trump’s Presidency are or how extensively antagonism towards Trump affects local politics. Nonetheless, Democrats have to be encouraged by the limited data available on special elections since Trump’s victory last fall. Democrats haven’t picked up many seats in either Congress or state legislatures, but the swings in turnout have favored Democrats, sometimes by huge margins.

If Northam can get a similar kind of bump from anti-Trump voters, he’s in good shape this week. But it’s not just Trump’s direct effect on voter turnout; there’s one more, a related factor that’s possibly overlooked in Tuesday’s election: legislative races.

3. Looking Down-Ballot

It has been widely reported that Democrats this year were able to field a record-breaking number of challengers for seats in the House of the Delegates. Many of these candidates were “inspired” by Trump’s victory to get into politics. Despite their enthusiasm, most of these challengers will not win against entrenched Republican incumbents; and so Democrats are unlikely to break the tight (and largely gerrymandered) hold that Republicans have on the state legislature. But what these challengers will do is bring Democrats to the polls.

For example, in House District 73, my Randolph-Macon colleague Deb Rodman is running a strong campaign against incumbent John O’Bannon. The Republican is still favored to win here, although it’s no slam-dunk for O’Bannon. But even if Rodman falls short, she can turn out hundreds, if not thousands, of Dems who might otherwise stay home. These Rodman supporters will almost surely add to the vote total for Northam, not to mention other statewide candidates Justin Fairfax and Mark Herring. Similar bumps in another 20 or 30 House districts can add up quickly.

So: all of these factors point directly to a Northam win. The national political environment, combined with increasingly favorable state demographics, should deliver the Governor’s mansion to the Democrats for another four years, ensuring a progressive check on the Republican legislature’s more conservative policy proposals of the past few years.

But what if Northam loses?

Even Gillespie can’t possibly expect a Republican landslide. But he could eke out a narrow win. If the “tightening race” story has more truth to it than I’m allowing here, and Gillespie achieves the political upset he came so tantalizingly close to achieving in his last statewide race, what does it mean?

Photo by Ed Gillespie for Governor

Gillespie started his campaign as a centrist, establishment Republican focusing on economic issues. He has ended it by resorting to xenophobic fearmongering and pandering to neo-Confederates. Since Gillespie was almost beaten in the primary by the right-wing blowhard Corey Stewart, he has strategically and emphatically embraced Stewart’s agenda and tactics in order to shore up support among the Republican base. Northam’s entire campaign strategy has been to tie Gillespie to Trump – and Gillespie is essentially leaning into the curve. He’s clearly gambling on the Trump formula to win in Virginia.

If it works, and Gillespie wins on Tuesday, it validates his rightward turn and locks in the Republican strategy nationwide for the foreseeable future. (Republicans may rely it on anyway; after Trump laid waste to the rest of the party’s elites in the Presidential primaries, it might be all they know how to do.) A Gillespie win would show that Trump is no aberration – that it wasn’t just Trump’s peculiar mix of outrageous charisma, wealth and white supremacy that led to his victory. It will show that conservatives can win on white backlash anytime and anywhere.

Ralph Northam should win on Tuesday. If he loses, then we’ve lost a lot more than an election.