Olivia Diaz, The Associated Press

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Democratic US Sen. Mark Warner launches bid for reelection

Democratic US Sen. Mark Warner launches bid for reelection

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Warner announced his bid for reelection on Tuesday, launching what will be a key campaign in a narrowly divided Senate.

Democrat Jay Jones wins race to be Virginia attorney general despite texts endorsing violence

Democrat Jay Jones wins race to be Virginia attorney general despite texts endorsing violence

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Democrat Jay Jones was elected Tuesday as Virginia attorney general, riding a wave of voter dissatisfaction with the White House to overcome the revelation that in 2022 he sent widely condemned texts embracing violence against a fellow state lawmaker.

Virginia gubernatorial candidates debate trans youth rights as LGBTQ+ voters weigh a fraught moment

Virginia gubernatorial candidates debate trans youth rights as LGBTQ+ voters weigh a fraught moment

SALEM, Va. (AP) -- Rene Harvey and her wife arrived at a Roanoke Valley pride celebration in October carrying deep-seated worries about all that could go wrong.

Obama will campaign with Spanberger and Sherrill in high stakes governor's races

Obama will campaign with Spanberger and Sherrill in high stakes governor's races

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Former President Barack Obama will campaign alongside Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill in the final stretch of their statewide campaigns for governor in Virginia and New Jersey.

Obama to campaign with Spanberger and Sherrill in high stakes governor's races

Obama to campaign with Spanberger and Sherrill in high stakes governor's races

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Former President Barack Obama will campaign alongside Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill in the final stretch of their statewide campaigns for governor in Virginia and New Jersey.

Obama to campaign with Spanberger and Sherill in high stakes governor's races

Obama to campaign with Spanberger and Sherill in high stakes governor's races

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Former President Barack Obama will campaign alongside Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill in the final stretch of their statewide campaigns for governor in Virginia and New Jersey.

Virginia AG candidates Jay Jones and Jason Miyares clash over violent rhetoric in feisty debate

Virginia AG candidates Jay Jones and Jason Miyares clash over violent rhetoric in feisty debate

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Virginia Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares and Democratic challenger Jay Jones squabbled over a host of lawyerly issues on Thursday in their first and only debate: criminal prosecutions, consumer protection and unlawful discrimination. But one matter overshadowed it all: Jones' leaked text messages endorsing political violence toward a former colleague.

Democrat James Walkinshaw wins US House special election in Virginia

Democrat James Walkinshaw wins US House special election in Virginia

Democrat James Walkinshaw, a politician with experience working on Capitol Hill, has won a special election to be the next U.S. House representative of the Virginia district home to the state's most populous county.

Virginians to choose late US Rep. Gerry Connolly's successor in special election

Virginians to choose late US Rep. Gerry Connolly's successor in special election

Virginia voters on Tuesday are set to choose their congressional candidate to succeed the late U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, filling a vacant seat to represent a deep-blue, Washington-area suburb in a closely divided House.

Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is on the defensive in Virginia's race for governor

Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is on the defensive in Virginia's race for governor

HOPEWELL, Va. (AP) -- Against an olive drab backdrop in a barbecue joint filled with the aroma of pulled pork and the sweat of a Virginia summer, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears told voters she was running her campaign for governor like a military-style operation.

Virginia judge bars Youngkin's university board appointments rejected by Senate Democrats

Virginia judge bars Youngkin's university board appointments rejected by Senate Democrats

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) -- A judge ordered that eight public university board members tapped by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin be removed from their posts in a victory for Virginia Senate Democrats who rejected the appointees in a June committee vote.

Democrats in Virginia have a big fundraising advantage in the race for governor this year

Democrats in Virginia have a big fundraising advantage in the race for governor this year

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Democrats in Virginia have built up a hefty fundraising advantage for their effort to reclaim the governor's mansion in a race seen as a bellwether for the party in power in Washington heading into the 2026 midterms.

Democrats in Virginia have a hefty fundraising advantage heading into November general election

Democrats in Virginia have a hefty fundraising advantage heading into November general election

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Democrats in Virginia have built up a hefty fundraising advantage for their effort to reclaim the governor's mansion in a November election that is seen as a bellwether for the party in power in Washington ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Ghazala Hashmi wins Democratic nomination for Virginia lieutenant governor

Ghazala Hashmi wins Democratic nomination for Virginia lieutenant governor

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The candidates for Virginia's lieutenant governor are set to make history after Sen. Ghazala Hashmi won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor on Wednesday.

Democrats squaring off in Virginia primaries say one name a lot: Trump
A Virginia Democrat hunts for votes in rural pockets where MAGA has strengthened its grip

A Virginia Democrat hunts for votes in rural pockets where MAGA has strengthened its grip

CULPEPER, Va. (AP) -- Democratic politics in rural Virginia are not of a bygone era, according to Abigail Spanberger.

Virginia GOP embraced a diverse ticket in this year's elections. Then things got complicated

Virginia GOP embraced a diverse ticket in this year's elections. Then things got complicated

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Republicans engaged in scrubbing the federal government of diversity, equity and inclusion programs are fielding a historically diverse ticket in Virginia in one of the only states holding elections this year.

Youngkin cuts $900 million from amended Virginia budget ahead of economic uncertainty

Youngkin cuts $900 million from amended Virginia budget ahead of economic uncertainty

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin said on Friday that he would trim Virginia's budget by $900 million in light of next year's tax revenue projections, which could decrease as the White House's reshaping of federal spending spurs economic uncertainty in the state.

Virginia GOP candidate for lieutenant governor says he won't exit race despite governor's push

Virginia GOP candidate for lieutenant governor says he won't exit race despite governor's push

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Republican John Reid said Friday he will continue his campaign to be Virginia's lieutenant governor and denied he had anything to do with a social media account containing sexually explicit photos that had prompted GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin to call for him to quit the race.

Virginia Democrats reap fundraising gains as they center campaigns around Elon Musk

Virginia Democrats reap fundraising gains as they center campaigns around Elon Musk

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Virginia Democrats vying to shield their statehouse majority and flip the governor's mansion in November raised millions of dollars more than Republicans in the first three months of 2025, according to newly released campaign finance reports, securing a cash advantage in their pursuit of voters frustrated with Republican tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Northern Virginia leaders plead for state's help amid federal job cuts

Northern Virginia leaders plead for state's help amid federal job cuts

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- Northern Virginia leaders urged lawmakers on Tuesday to enact emergency legislation to help stabilize their local economy as the White House cuts federal jobs, which they said has sharply impacted the dense cluster of government employees and contractors based in the suburbs of the nation's capital.

Virginia lawmakers buck Youngkin budget amendments in one-day session

Virginia lawmakers buck Youngkin budget amendments in one-day session

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Virginia lawmakers addressed scores of legislative vetoes and amendments from Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday, including the governor's 205 revisions to the state's budget bill that were decisively nixed by the Democratic-led General Assembly.

Governor amends Virginia's budget bill to increase rainy-day reserves over changes in Washington

Governor amends Virginia's budget bill to increase rainy-day reserves over changes in Washington

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin said on Monday that he hoped to bolster Virginia's rainy-day fund by $300 million in light of economic uncertainty surrounding the White House's overhaul of federal jobs and its impact on the state's workforce.

Earle-Sears has faced tough races before. Her campaign for Virginia governor is no different

Earle-Sears has faced tough races before. Her campaign for Virginia governor is no different

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is used to facing formidable obstacles in her political campaigns, and her bid to be Virginia's next governor is no exception.

Trump chops away at the government and the fallout is felt in the Virginia governor's race

Trump chops away at the government and the fallout is felt in the Virginia governor's race

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The Trump administration's aggressive push to cut government jobs is reverberating in the early stages of this year's race for governor in Virginia.

Virginia's Democratic-led House and Senate pass separate proposals for amending the state budget

Virginia's Democratic-led House and Senate pass separate proposals for amending the state budget

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Virginia's Democratic-led Senate and House of Delegates debated tax relief and economic stability Thursday before passing separate plans for amending the two-year state budget, laying the groundwork for negotiations by lawmakers on an eventual spending plan to send to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Spanberger and Earle-Sears want to make history in Virginia. But voters have election exhaustion

Spanberger and Earle-Sears want to make history in Virginia. But voters have election exhaustion

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Just weeks after former Rep. Abigail Spanberger left the U.S. House for good, she strolled onto the floor of a different political chamber: the Virginia House of Delegates. The three-term congresswoman, now vying to be the state's next governor, rubbed elbows with fellow Democrats and held someone's baby at her hip, a not-so-subtle reminder that statewide...

Virginia House passes resolutions protecting abortion, voting rights, marriage equality

Virginia House passes resolutions protecting abortion, voting rights, marriage equality

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The Virginia House of Delegates passed resolutions on Tuesday enshrining rights to abortion, voting and marriage equality in a critical step for Democrats hoping to amend the state's constitution next year.

Virginia elections signal no major shift in voter sentiment in a state watched closely for clues

Virginia elections signal no major shift in voter sentiment in a state watched closely for clues

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- There were no surprises in Virginia's three special elections this week, but that won't stop political observers from looking for clues about voter sentiment in the first official election since President Donald Trump's sweeping victories in November.

Virginia Democrats keep control of Statehouse in first elections after Trump win

Virginia Democrats keep control of Statehouse in first elections after Trump win

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Virginia Democrats preserved their Statehouse majority on Tuesday in the first test of voters' energy since President-elect Donald Trump's win in November, which left many party members across the country reckoning with their losses in federal elections.

Virginia Democrats retain their control of the Statehouse in special elections

Virginia Democrats retain their control of the Statehouse in special elections

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Virginia Democrats preserved their Statehouse majority on Tuesday after voters in the northern and central part of the state backed two Democrats to fill a vacancy in the state Senate and an open seat in the House of Delegates.

Virginia statehouse control hinges on 3 races that also offer gauge of voter moods after Trump win

Virginia statehouse control hinges on 3 races that also offer gauge of voter moods after Trump win

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Three special elections Tuesday to fill seats in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates will determine party control of the chambers and offer one of the first gauges of voters' moods since President-elect Donald Trump's win in November left many Democrats reckoning with the party's losses in federal elections.

Virginia's statehouse control hinges on 3 key special elections

Virginia's statehouse control hinges on 3 key special elections

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Three special elections taking place on Tuesday to fill seats in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates will determine whether Democrats or Republicans have control of the Statehouse in Republican Glenn Youngkin's final year as governor.

Two Virginia women who came to Congress on a mission prepare to leave at a critical moment

Two Virginia women who came to Congress on a mission prepare to leave at a critical moment

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic Reps. Abigail Spanberger and Jennifer Wexton roared into Washington six years ago as part of a record wave of women vying for House seats, many on a mission to push back against the politics of Donald Trump.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares will seek reelection, quelling talk of a gubernatorial bid

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares will seek reelection, quelling talk of a gubernatorial bid

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican who has embraced prosecutions against election fraud and other conservative causes, said Monday that he will seek reelection next year, dispelling speculation of a potential gubernatorial bid.

Former GOP Virginia lawmaker Matt Fariss pleads guilty to felony gun and drug charges

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- A former Virginia lawmaker has pleaded guilty to felony gun and drug charges and been sentenced to time already served in jail.

Virginia Democrats advance efforts to protect abortion, voting rights, marriage equality

Virginia Democrats advance efforts to protect abortion, voting rights, marriage equality

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Democrats who control both chambers of the Virginia legislature are hoping to make good on promises made on the campaign trail, including becoming the first Southern state to expand constitutional protections for abortion access.

Candidates line up for special elections to replace Virginia senators recently elected to US House

Candidates line up for special elections to replace Virginia senators recently elected to US House

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- One of two special elections was announced Monday to replace Virginia state senators who were recently elected to the U.S. House, and candidates are already lining up to take over the seats.

Longstanding US Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia says he is battling esophageal cancer

Longstanding US Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia says he is battling esophageal cancer

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Democrat representing Virginia's most populous county in Congress, said Thursday that he is battling esophageal cancer.

Two Virginia candidates for Congress say democracy is at stake. It's there the campaigns part ways

Two Virginia candidates for Congress say democracy is at stake. It's there the campaigns part ways

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- The candidates to represent Virginia's 7th Congressional District both say democracy is in trouble.

2 election officials in a rural Virginia city sue the state over ballot-counting machines

RICHMOND (AP) -- Two Republican election officials said in a recent lawsuit that they will not certify the results of the Nov. 5 election in a rural Virginia city unless the ballots are hand-counted, perpetuating a false notion that machines tallying the votes can be manipulated.

US Justice Department says Virginia is illegally striking voters off the rolls in new lawsuit

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Virginia election officials Friday that accuses the state of striking names from voter rolls in violation of federal election law.

Virginia House candidates debate abortion and affordability as congressional election nears

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- Nearly a month before election day, Republican Derrick Anderson and Democrat Yevgeny "Eugene" Vindman attempted to portray themselves as the candidate best fit for Congress on Wednesday in what is shaping up to be Virginia's most competitive race.

RFK Jr. sues North Carolina elections board as he seeks to remove his name from ballot

RFK Jr. sues North Carolina elections board as he seeks to remove his name from ballot

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is suing the North Carolina State Board of Elections in a last-ditch attempt to get his name removed the state's ballot ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Trump-backed Virginia state Sen. John McGuire defeats US Rep. Bob Good in GOP primary recount

Trump-backed Virginia state Sen. John McGuire defeats US Rep. Bob Good in GOP primary recount

GOOCHLAND, Va. (AP) -- Virginia state Sen. John McGuire, a former Navy SEAL who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, on Thursday defeated conservative U.S. Rep. Bob Good in a recount of the Republican primary results in Virginia's 5th Congressional District.

Recount to settle narrow Virginia GOP primary between US Rep. Bob Good and a Trump-backed challenger

Recount to settle narrow Virginia GOP primary between US Rep. Bob Good and a Trump-backed challenger

GOOCHLAND, Va. (AP) -- A Republican primary recount is being held Thursday to settle whether John McGuire, a state senator backed by former President Donald Trump, narrowly defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Bob Good, a conservative who chairs the hard-right House Freedom Caucus.

Daughter of late Supreme Court Justice Scalia appointed to Virginia Board of Education

Daughter of late Supreme Court Justice Scalia appointed to Virginia Board of Education

The daughter of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has been appointed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to serve on the Virginia Board of Education, drawing criticism from some Democrats who called the appointment politically motivated.