TARGETED RACE: SD 17 IN THE PIEDMONT

Senate District 17 winds its way through six localities in the Piedmont region and is mostly rural, except for suburbs near Charlottesville and Fredericksburg. Two-term Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) is being challenged by Democrat Amy Laufer of Albemarle County. VPAP provides maps and charts showing the demographics, voter profile and partisan tendencies in the four most recent statewide elections.

TARGETED RACE: HD10 STRADDLES THE BLUE RIDGE

House District 10 starts in Frederick County in the Northern Shenandoah Valley, crosses the Blue Ridge Mountains and continues to the East into fast-growing Loudoun County. The race features a rematch between first-term Del. Wendy Gooditis (D-Clarke County) who two years ago defeated Republican Randy Minchew, who had represented the district for six years. To help people understand the race, VPAP has pulled together maps and charts that examine the district's demographic and voting trends.

GOP DEPLOYS JUSTIN FAIRFAX RAPE ALLEGATIONS IN 2019 ELECTION

The rape allegations made earlier this year against Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax are now an issue in the state’s legislative elections, with Republicans running a hard-hitting ad against Democrats who refused to listen to the accusations. One ad running in Northern Virginia’s suburbs begins with video from a CBS interview with two women describing Mr. Fairfax forcing them into sex acts in 2000 and 2004. ....In the ad running against Del. John Bell, a Democrat running for a Senate seat that covers parts of Loudoun and Prince William counties, his GOP opponent says Mr. Bell blocked a legislative hearing for the women, Vanessa Tyson and Meredith Watson, in the assembly.

SUBURBAN 10TH SENATE DISTRICT IN PLAY

Glen Sturtevant calls his diverse 10th Senate district a microcosm of the state of Virginia. It spans west from downtown Richmond into Bon Air, Midlothian and rural Powhatan County. That diverse demographic is also what makes the Republican incumbent particularly vulnerable this election to a challenge from Democrat Ghazala Hashmi. She’s a community college administrator who immigrated to the U.S. from India 50 years ago.

SENATE RACE PITS SEN. DAVID SUETTERLEIN AGAINST FLO KETNER

Republican Sen. David Suetterlein and Democrat Flourette “Flo” Ketner want to put more money in Virginians’ pockets. But they have different ideas for how to go about that.

MILDE AND COLE CLASH IN HIGH-STAKES BATTLE FOR 28TH DISTRICT HOUSE SEAT

Virginia's 28th House District has been sending Republicans to Richmond since 1982. In half of the general elections since then, Democrats didn't even field a candidate. When they did, their nominee was almost always routed. But this year, Democrats believe they have a chance

KAMALA HARRIS STUMPS FOR LATE-TERM ABORTION VIRGINIA DEMOCRAT AHEAD OF STATE ELECTIONS

Kamala Harris took a break from the 2020 campaign trail to gin up supporters of the Virginia state lawmaker who earlier this year introduced controversial late-term abortion legislation. The California senator and White House hopeful, 55, praised Del. Kathy Tran, who is seeking reelection on Nov. 5 when Virginians head to the polls for the state's slew of elections, at Tran's canvass launch on Sunday.

PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL AMY KLOBUCHAR CAMPAIGNS FOR DEL. HALA AYALA IN MID-COUNTY AREA

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar became the third 2020 presidential candidate to visit Prince William County Sunday when she rallied a group of about 50 Democratic candidates and supporters during an afternoon canvass launch in the mid-county area.

SCHOOLS, FOSTER CARE AND ABORTION AT CENTER OF HAMPTON-POQUOSON DELEGATE RACE

The race to succeed one of the best-loved members of the House of Delegates, retiring Del. Gordon Helsel, R-Poquoson, pits a long-time member of Hampton’s School Board against a conservative lawyer, concerned about Virginia’s foster care system, who is making her first run for public office.

REDRAWN DISTRICT, SIMILAR INTRIGUE

Last time, their hard-fought race for Newport News’ 94th House of Delegates district ended in a tie, with Del. David Yancey, R-Newport News, returning to Richmond thanks to a lucky lot-drawing. That kept Republicans in control of the House, 51-49. The rematch, in a district that’s been tweaked to lean even more Democratic, puts GOP maverick Yancey against Newport News School Board member Shelly Simonds,

KISER, WAMPLER SEEK VIRGINIA'S 4TH DISTRICT HOUSE OF DELEGATES SEAT

Two young professionals who’ve never held elected office are running for Virginia’s 4th District House of Delegates seat. Starla Kiser, a 35-year-old Coeburn physician who grew up on a Dickenson County farm, is the Democratic candidate. William Wampler III, 28-year-old grandson of a former congressman and son of a former state senator, who grew up in Bristol and now practices law in Abingdon, is the GOP selection.

ENVIRONMENT AND FLOODING ARE KEY ISSUES IN A VIRGINIA BEACH DELEGATE RACE

Running for a third term in office, Republican incumbent Jason Miyares is facing Democratic challenger and political newcomer Gayle Johnson to represent the 82nd District in the House of Delegates. The Virginia Beach district includes the North End, King’s Grant and Great Neck.

BROADBAND, HEALTH CARE AND EQUAL RIGHTS ARE THE TOP ISSUES IN A SPRAWLING RURAL HOUSE DISTRICT

A first-term Republican will face off against a Democratic newcomer this November to represent the 64th District in the Virginia House of Delegates, with rural access to broadband internet and health care the top concerns of their two campaigns. Incumbent Emily Brewer, a 35-year-old small business owner from Suffolk, replaced Del. Rick Morris two years ago to represent the largely agrarian, Republican-leaning district — which stretches from the Great Dismal Swamp to the outskirts of Petersburg

DELEGATES ELECTED LAST YEAR RUN AGAIN TO RETAIN SEATS IN ROCKBRIDGE AND ROANOKE COUNTY AREAS

Less than a year after joining the General Assembly, two Republican legislators from the region are running for reelection. Dels. Joe McNamara, R-Roanoke County, and Ronnie Campbell, R-Rockbridge, who won seats last year in special elections, are facing Democrats next month to earn their first full term in the House of Delegates. McNamara is opposed by Darlene Lewis, and Campbell has a rematch with Christian Worth on Nov. 5.

CANDIDATES IN LYNCHBURG-AREA DELEGATE CONTESTS OFFER COMPETING MESSAGES ON GUN REFORM

In a bright red shirt with a “Gun Sense Voter” button pinned to the front, David Zilles strolled down a quiet residential street on a recent weekend with his two young children while canvassing for votes. Zilles, a 46-year-old nuclear engineer and a Democrat, is mounting a campaign to wrestle away a House of Delegates seat that has been held by Republicans for more than a decade.

HOUSE DISTRICT 26 CANDIDATES DISCUSS KEY ELECTION ISSUES: PART II

The Virginia House of Delegates’ 26th District includes the entire city of Harrisonburg, along with the northwest portion of Rockingham County. The Citizen interviewed both candidates contesting this seat – Republican incumbent Tony Wilt and Democratic challenger Brent Finnegan – about some of the key issues in the race.

CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP CHALLENGES REJECTION OF GEORGE MASON STUDENT VOTER REGISTRATIONS

Elections officials have tossed the voter registrations of George Mason University students who used a general campus address in their applications, prompting complaints from voting rights advocates. The Fairfax County registrar rejected 171 registration applications last week, citing invalid residential addresses. The registrar, Gary Scott, said the students listed campus mailbox numbers and a general university address, making it impossible to know where they live and which county precinct, if any, they are eligible to vote in.

FIVE WAYS HEALTH CARE IS (AND ISN’T) SHAPING DEBATE IN THIS YEAR’S GENERAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION

This year’s General Assembly elections have led to sharp exchanges between Democrats and Republicans on health care, which poll after poll has shown voters view as a top issue. But with candidates on both sides of the aisle campaigning on promises to ensure access to affordable care, it’s not always easy to discern exactly what’s at stake when voters head to the polls on Nov. 5.

ERA ACTIVISTS ARE EYEING A WIN IN VIRGINIA. IS NOW THE TIME?

As Carol Jenkins sees it, a nearly 100-year push to add the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is closer to reality now than it’s ever been. That’s why there’s a “tremendous effort” underway to elect supporters of the long-stalled gender equality measure in Virginia’s elections next month, says Jenkins, co-president and CEO of the nationwide ERA Coalition.

NAVY SECRETARY SAYS 7 OF USS FORD'S ELEVATORS NOW WORK, SAYS CARRIER WILL DEPLOY BEFORE 2024

Ever since its commissioning more than two years ago, the USS Gerald R. Ford has been in the news, but, for all the wrong reasons. The $12.9 billion aircraft carrier most recently has been under fire for faulty weapons elevators.

GAME (ALMOST) ON: ROSIE’S 777 GETTING READY TO OPEN

Ninety-nine percent of players at Rosie’s historical horse racing centers use the “autohandicap” function, betting on the horses that the game identifies as the favorites, rather than using intuition, logic or numerical “systems.” So if the new Rosie’s 777, which opens Tuesday night in Hampton, is anything like those already in New Kent, Richmond and Vinton, the selling point will be atmosphere, action and the chance to win money.

KEEPING STRIDE WITH THE TIDES

In 30 years, high tides will be covering most of Carroll Place, a short street that partly runs along the banks of the Lafayette River in Norfolk’s Larchmont neighborhood. Thirty years later, those same high tides will be creeping into front yards of nearby homes. By 2100, entire yards will be in the high tide zone. On a daily basis.

INSIDE EPIC BATTLES FOR SCHOOL BOARD SEATS IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Half of the Fairfax County School Board members will retire or leave office at the end of the year, setting the stage for a fiercely partisan battle for the future of Virginia’s largest school system.

FAIRFAX COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ELECTION: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Next Tuesday, Fairfax County will hold transformative elections, with five open seats on the Board of Supervisors and a chance for the board to go completely blue for the first time in at least 50 years. That possibility has energized the races. With liberal passions high as local Democrats work to take control of the General Assembly in Richmond, left-leaning candidates in Virginia’s most populous jurisdiction have adopted aggressive stances on affordable housing, climate change and social equity.

SECOND SOLAR FARM PLAN APPROVED IN CHESTERFIELD

Plans for a large-scale solar farm in a rural part of southern Chesterfield County have been given the green light by county supervisors. The Board of Supervisors last week unanimously approved Cypress Creek Renewables’ proposal to build a 20-megawatt solar facility on 329 acres between Eppes Falls Road and River Road.

MAYOR: NO KNOWLEDGE OF HIRE’S RECORD

Mayor Jasmine E. Gore claims that city administration and one of her colleagues on City Council knew about criminal charges filed against a recently hired council assistant, but did not share that information with her or other councilors. Patrice Shelton is facing several felony charges in Buckingham County stemming back to September 2018 — about a year before council hired her — that involve delivery of drugs to a prisoner and bribery of a public official.

VIRGINIA BEACH REACHES DEAL WITH DEVELOPER ON HOW TO PAY FOR SURF PARK, ENTERTAINMENT VENUE AT OCEANFRONT

The Dome site developer and the city have come up with a plan to pay for a $325 million project that would transform three blocks at the Oceanfront into a surf park and entertainment venue. The financing deal involves creating an authority that would issue bonds for the planned development and reinvest taxes generated by the project.

AFTER DEROGATORY FACEBOOK POSTS, CITY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEMBER SAYS HE WILL RESIGN

LaKendrick El said he plans to resign at an upcoming Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission meeting after coming under fire for posts on his Facebook page. “I joined the Human Rights Commission to make a difference, not to cause discomfort or disappointment,” El said in a statement Saturday, “and the latter is sadly what’s taken place.”

REFERENDUM WORDING CAN INFLUENCE RESULTS

The odds could be against voters approving the pari-mutuel betting referendum in Danville, at least from the standpoint of how a single question is worded. Overall, most ballot initiative questions — regardless of their wording — are biased in favor of the opposition. “The ‘no’ side has an advantage,” said John Cluverius, assistant director of the Center for Public Opinion at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. “It’s because of people’s preference for the status quo. They think the ‘no’ side is the status quo.

WILL THE NEXT LEGISLATURE FIND A WAY TO PRESERVE GERRYMANDERING?

In the “Lord of the Rings,” the humble and unassuming hobbit Frodo Baggins is entrusted with carrying an evil ring into the hostile land of Mordor to cast it into the only place where it can be destroyed: The volcanic Cracks of Doom. As those who read the books (or watched the movies) know, in the end even Frodo is overtaken by temptation and cannot bring himself to throw the ring away. Power is corrupting, be it in fiction or in fact.

REDISTRICTING REFORM, NO MATTER THE NOV. 5 OUTCOME

On Nov. 5, Virginians will head to the polls to fill hundreds of local offices, decide dozens of local referendums and bond issues and elect all 140 members of the General Assembly — 100 members of the House of Delegates and 40 members of the state Senate. But there’s one issue that voters won’t be specifically voting on but will be underlying each race for the Assembly: the fate of redistricting reform in the commonwealth. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

WILL VIRGINIA’S CENTER HOLD IN ITS ELECTIONS?

Virginia is a politically moderate state whose recent tilt toward Democrats — no Republican has won a statewide race in a decade — owes as much to the GOP’s accelerating estrangement from centrist politics as to the growing diversity of the Old Dominion’s electorate.

HICKEY WOULD ADD NEW IDEAS TO THE HOUSE

For House of Delegates in the 59th District, let’s give Albemarle County resident Tim Hickey a chance. Mr. Hickey is another of the local teachers running for office. A former lawyer, he left that career to find a more fulfilling one in education.

FOR FAIRFAX COUNTY’S SCHOOL BOARD

In Virginia, school board positions are officially nonpartisan. That’s a fiction this year in Fairfax County, where a vitriolic, ugly debate has clouded the contests. Given how critical the schools are to the county’s future, voters need to sift through the noise to find the best candidates to deal with the complexities of Virginia’s largest school district.

REGULATING E-SCOOTERS CALLS FOR REGIONAL CONSISTENCY

Building a cooperative, dynamic and efficient system of mass transit is a difficult puzzle for most American communities to solve — and particularly intractable in Hampton Roads. Here, communities tend to act independently, without much concern for what their neighbors plan or do. The waterways which crisscross the region pose a daunting challenge to connectiveness. And there’s always a burden of cost, one that taxpayers are generally reluctant to shoulder.

DUVAL: VIRGINIA IS THE BEST STATE FOR BUSINESS, IF WE CAN KEEP IT

On July 10, Virginia deservedly regained its recognition as the best state in which to do business, according to CNBC. It is the fourth time that Virginia has achieved the top spot in CNBC’s business rankings, but the first time since the commonwealth was named No. 1 in 2011.

Barry DuVal is president and CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

PANICCIA: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, DEVELOPMENT CAN COEXIST

I read Susan Dickinson’s Oct. 13 Op-Ed column, “Ashville Park ridicule is both inaccurate and hurtful,” and was left wondering if she was talking about the same Ashville Park I know. As the executive director of the Back Bay Restoration Foundation, I penned a blog entitled “Why Ashville Park?” and we posted it on our website on May 23. In it, I explained, “Ashville Park is only partially developed. Ashville Park can serve as an example, proving ground and focus area for Virginia Beach to show how we use science to actually implement new policies.

Nadine Paniccia is a member of the Back Bay Restoration Foundation Board of Directors and a resident of Virginia Beach.

MERRITT : VIRGINIA’S MEDICAID WORK REQUIREMENTS ARE PURITANISM RUN AMOK

The debate over Virginia’s Medicaid work requirements has heated back up as Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and Republican legislative leaders butt heads over funding job-search services included in the original Medicaid expansion compromise. Meanwhile, a new analysis suggests that implementing work requirements could kick as many as 74,000 Virginians off the program’s rolls. Beyond the policy implications, I can attest from personal experience that the prospect of losing coverage because of these restrictions is terrifying.

Brent Merritt is a communications consultant at Metric Communications, focused on health care and medical research.

STURTEVANT: HOW TO END SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLING

Surprise billing for healthcare has become a real problem for Virginians and for patients across the country. Surprise billing occurs when there is a gap in a patient’s insurance, and they receive a bill they didn’t expect. Sometimes that is a very high deductible, sometimes it’s when the insurer denies coverage or, in the case of “balance billing,” it’s when the insurer pays the out-of-network doctor a rate that doesn’t come close to covering the cost of their service.

turtevant is a state senator who represents parts of Richmond, Chesterfield County and all of Powhatan County. He is a Republican

FARNSWORTH AND SELTZER: REDISTRICTING REFORM MUST CONTINUE

One of the biggest questions in Virginia politics these days is whether the proposed constitutional amendment to block partisan gerrymandering will ever get to the voters. If Republicans lose their narrow majorities in the House of Delegates and the Senate next month, Democrats will have complete control of drawing the lines for legislative districts following the 2020 Census. If that happens, would Democrats abandon efforts that seemed so appealing when they were in the minority?

Stephen J. Farnsworth directs the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington. Kate Seltzer is a research associate at the Center for Leadership and Media Studies.

MORSE: EDUCATION FUNDING, ONCE A PRIORITY, NEEDS A BOOST

I barely caught it. (There are ever so many political commercials on TV, you know.) But a candidate running for a seat in the General Assembly mentioned that she favored “full funding of public education.” Interesting. Wonder what she meant by that?

After writing editorials for The Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot in the 1980s, Gordon C. Morse wrote speeches for Gov. Gerald L. Baliles, then spent nearly three decades working on behalf of corporate and philanthropic organizations

ROWLEY: HISTORY, MEMORY AND THE (DE)MERITS OF MR. JEFFERSON

The past few decades have seen a resurgence of interest in our national history and the ways we write about and remember it. We have seen monuments of our racial history erected (e.g., the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in D.C.) and removed (e.g., Silent Sam in North Carolina). Included in discussions of our history are perennial debates about Thomas Jefferson.

Larry Lee Rowley, an alumnus of the University of Virginia (Curry School M.Ed. ’95, Ph.D. ’99), is co-founder of LBMC Associates, LLC.