Dear John,

The election is less than 40 days away. It is your most important opportunity to voice an opinion about candidates and issues that will impact your day-to-day life.

Choices:

Presidential Candidates - The very first thing you must do to make your voice heard is VOTE. Vice President Harris will fight for our values and protect our freedoms. She has policies that will increase the supply of housing, help first-time home buyers, subsidize child care, and create an economy that provides everyone with opportunities to succeed. Moreover, Vice President Harris will work to ensure that every woman, regardless of where she lives in the U.S., will be able to enjoy reproductive freedom. The choice in this election is a no-brainer.

When you think about the freedoms that women will continue to lose if Donald Trump gets elected, the tax breaks the ultra-rich will enjoy under a Trump presidency, and his disregard for our beloved constitution, it is clear that every one of us must do what we can to elect the Harris/Walz ticket.

Down-Ballot Candidates -  It is critical to elect Democrats not just for the presidency, but in our down-ballot races as well. A Democratic president cannot get much done without a Democratic Congress, which is why we must ensure that Tim Kaine and Don Beyer are re-elected. They are committed to creating a strong economy that lifts up the middle class, improving our environment, passing important gun safety measures, and respecting a woman’s right to choose. 

We must also elect Democrats to local offices, which are the positions that have the most impact on our day-to-day lives. JD Spain will be a voice for equity and advance our progressive values on the Arlington County Board. Zuraya Tapia-Hadley and Kathleen Clark will bring important perspectives to the Arlington County School Board and will push for policies that ensure every student has the chance to succeed. Your vote will go a long way in securing the election of this dynamic ticket.

Easy Voting:

Voting Schedule - I voted on September 20th to emphasize how important this election is and to ensure that this important task was completed as soon as possible. There is plenty of time to cast your ballot. If you live in Arlington, click here to see early in-person voting options and here to see the timelines for mail-in ballots. If you live outside of Arlington, click here for that information.

The deadline to register to vote online is October 15th. However, remind your young adults and others who may miss this deadline that Virginia has same-day voter registration. In other words, individuals may register or update their name and address in person during early voting or at their polling place on Election Day. They should bring an acceptable form of identification, which can include a student ID from a university or community college, or other forms of identification. Click here for a full list of acceptable identification.

Concerning News: 

Polling in the Swing States - According to a poll published by the Washington Post on September 29th, Vice President Harris is ahead in three of the seven swing states by very slim margins. She is slightly ahead in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Nevada is dead even and Trump is ahead in Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina.

Pundits say Trump is leading on the issues of inflation and border security while Harris is leading on reproductive freedom, fitness to hold office, and the ability to be a change agent. This election will be a nail biter and the results may not be available until days after November 5th.

What You Can Do:

Beyond Arlington - The Arlington Democrats are organizing phone banks, text messaging efforts, and canvass trips - all aimed at turning out the vote in the purple parts of Virginia and in the swing states. Go to the Beyond Arlington Facebook to sign up for an activity. Now is the time to prioritize this election. 

Virginia’s Swingiest District - The 2nd Congressional District, located in the Virginia Beach area, is the swingiest seat in the country. Our candidate, Missy Cotter Smasal, is in a dead heat against the Republican incumbent, Jen Kiggans. Analysts tell us that if the 2nd district votes Democratic, the House of Representatives will flip to Democratic control. It’s exciting to think that Hakeem Jeffries could be the next Speaker of the House. Make calls to friends in the Virginia Beach area, write postcards, and donate to Missy.

My Senate Updates:

In addition to doing whatever I can to help the electoral outlook for the Harris/Walz ticket, I am diligently participating in my study commission meetings and attending to other state Senate-related duties.

Behavioral Health Commission:

Community Services Board Visit - This past month, I visited a Community Services Board Behavioral Health Center in Radford, a city in Southwest Virginia. It was fascinating to see how seamlessly this center cared for folks suffering from substance use disorders and mental health conditions on an outpatient basis. One takeaway from this visit was the need to make certain drugs affordable and available so patients can self-regulate and rebuild their lives. I will be submitting a bill in the upcoming session that directs the Virginia Board of Pharmacy, working with healthcare providers and insurance carriers, to develop recommendations for the creation of a comprehensive list of therapeutic interchange drugs, not just in the behavioral health space, but in other high-need areas as well. Therapeutic interchange medications are alternative medications that are therapeutically equivalent to a prescribed drug and can be substituted for that drug with provider approval. Creating a list of these drugs will help provide additional options to patients and providers if a prescribed drug is not available, not affordable, or not convenient.

Neurocognitive Disorders - I spend a lot of time thinking about how to improve the safety of individuals suffering from neurocognitive disorders and/or behavioral health conditions when they interact with law enforcement. Too often, an individual with a solo diagnosis of a neurocognitive or neurodevelopmental disorder is placed in a state psychiatric facility. These facilities are often overcrowded and not equipped to help them. A bill I passed last year requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to convene a workgroup to come up with a plan for establishing appropriate treatment placements for these individuals, so they do not have to be treated in state psychiatric facilities. I have been engaged with this workgroup over the past few months and I am looking forward to receiving its recommendations.

Behavioral Health Services in Jails - I am also expecting a report from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services on how local and regional jails are using a behavioral health grant program I established last session. This program is designed to fund jail-based substance use disorder treatments as well as transition plans to ensure that previously incarcerated people successfully re-enter society.

Children and Youth:

Special Education Dispute Resolution -  Once again, I am chairing the Commission on Youth (COY), and our study docket for this commission is very exciting. We are developing a survey to learn about Virginia’s Special Education Dispute Resolution process with the hopes of passing needed changes in the 2026 legislative session. 

Relief of Custody -  In August, the COY received a briefing about the recent increase in the “relief of custody” proceedings, which is when parents petition a court to permanently terminate their parental rights. I chaired the Northern Virginia roundtable on this issue, where we heard from Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations (JDR) judges and human service providers about how Fairfax helps avoid these outcomes by intervening early in cases where children are displaying severe behavioral issues and families need support services. It is clear that Fairfax has an impressive model for effective coordination among school counselors, child protective services, and JDR family coordinators. I will be working to help implement the Fairfax model statewide.

Environmental Causes:

Agriculture and the Chesapeake Bay - I’m excited to say that the House and Senate Committees on Agriculture and Natural Resources hosted a joint committee meeting in Harrisonburg this past week. We learned about the science of environmentally sound farming, heard farmers applaud the benefits of relinquishing patches of land to solar farms, and received an update on how Virginia is progressing towards implementing the Chesapeake Bay Action Plan.

Thank You:

It is an honor and privilege to represent you in Richmond. Visit my website to view session updates and connect with my senate office. We also have a dynamic social media presence through Facebook and X. I hope you’ll follow my work using one or both of those platforms.

Sincerely,

Barbara Favola

Representing District 40