Dear John,

As you are probably aware, this past week, my colleagues and I convened in Richmond for a Special General Assembly Session. We met to initiate a possible redistricting process for congressional seats to counter Trump’s demand that Republican states create more Republican representation in Congress. More details on this topic are noted further down in the newsletter.

Town Hall on November 6th

Next week, I am hosting a town hall with special guest Flannery O'Rourke, Unemployment Insurance Program Director for the National Employment Law Project, to discuss the government shutdown and resources for federal employees impacted by reductions in force. Join me on Thursday, November 6, from 6:00-8:00 pm in the Hickory Room at Lubber Run (300 N. Park Dr., Arlington, VA, 22203). You may register here.

Election Day is November 4th

Election Day is this Tuesday, November 4th! If you have not yet mailed in your ballot, please drop the ballot off in the appropriate drop box or hand the ballot to a worker in the Registrar’s Office.  Mailed-in ballots must be received by noon on the third business day after the election.  Given the unreliability of timely mail delivery, the drop boxes are a good option. Locations of the drop boxes can be found here.

Polls will be open from 6:00am to 7:00pm on Tuesday. If you are in line by 7:00pm, you will be able to vote. To find your polling place, click here.

Democratic Candidates: 

Statewide Candidates -The Democratic candidates running for statewide offices in the Commonwealth and those running for House of Delegates seats, starting with Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, are fighting to create an affordable Virginia. They are pushing back on Trump’s draconian policies. In addition to Abigail Spanberger, Senator Ghazala Hashmi is a good choice for Lt. Governor. A lifelong educator, Ghazala will create the workforce training opportunities necessary to help Virginians transition to good jobs and grow the economy. 

Additionally, we need a Democratic Attorney General who has the skills and commitment to fight Trump’s policies in the courts. I know the recently revealed texts by Jay Jones are hurtful and inexcusable, but I have served with Jay, and those texts do not represent the person I have come to know. Moreover, our constitutional rights are too important to trust to a Trump ally.

The positions of our Democratic candidates stand in stark contrast to the leadership of Governor Youngkin, Lt. Governor Winsome Sears, Attorney General Jason Miyares, and the Republican candidates running for Delegate seats. The Republican candidates have embraced Trump’s policies even though unemployment in Virginia has continued to rise, over 800,000 Virginians are about to lose their SNAP benefits, thousands of Virginians face insurance premiums they cannot afford, and all of us will be paying higher insurance costs because of increased usage of emergency rooms. The choice in this election could not be more clear or more compelling.

Local Candidates - On the local level, Delegates Hope, McClure, and Lopez bring Arlington values to the General Assembly. They are dedicated and competent lawmakers with a desire to pass laws that would make the Commonwealth a more fair and just society. Takis Karantonis is running for re-election to the Arlington County Board. Takis is a good listener, a progressive leader and someone who works hard at building consensus.  Moe Bryant will be a good addition to the School Board. She connects with many constituencies who frequently feel left out of the process.

Now is the time for you to make your voice heard. Please remember to vote.

Special Session and Redistricting

As you know, my colleagues and I spent the past week in Richmond in a Special Session. We successfully passed HJ6007, which gives the General Assembly the option to allow voters to decide if lawmakers should redistrict congressional seats if another state participates in partisan midterm redistricting. I was happy to support and advocate for the passage of HJ6007.

I spoke in depth about what is at stake in our current political climate on the Senate floor this week – you can watch my full speech here. Channel 7 picked up parts of my speech and also highlighted some of the arguments presented by my Republican colleagues, which you can watch here. I hope this gives you a sense of the debate we had on the floor.

For the record, I supported Virginia’s current non-partisan redistricting amendment, but the partisan redrawing of congressional districts that Trump has called for and several Republican states have already undertaken undermines our democracy.  Many of Trump’s policies are extremely unpopular and will force many families to trade off healthcare so they can pay the rent or put food on the table.  Yet, Trump and his Republican allies do not want to be held accountable. Their effort to ensure that voters who disagree with them are silenced undermines democracy. 

Passage of HJ6007 is the first step in a potential redistricting process. Now that we have opened this option, the next step would be to pass the resolution through the General Assembly a second time in the 2026 Regular Session. If that is successful, the ballot measure would then be presented to Virginia voters in a special election in the spring of 2026.  This timeline would allow the General Assembly to redraw the districts in time for the 2026 primaries and the November election. The Governor has no role in the constitutional amendment process.

It is an honor and a privilege to represent you in Richmond.

Sincerely,

Barbara Favola

Representing District 40