GOP candidate in 26th raises issue with process
Edited by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
The 26th District Republican Committee will meet on April 13 to discuss possible changes to the nomination process that will be used to determine a candidate in the upcoming special House of Delegates election in the district encompassing the City of Harrisonburg and a swath of Rockingham County. Read more
Race in 26th beginning to take shape
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
The race for the soon-to-be-open seat representing Harrisonburg and a swath of Rockingham County in the Virginia House of Delegates is starting to take shape.
“I’ve made the decision. I’m not going to run this year. I may do something again in the future, but 2010 is not going to be the year for me,” said Gene Hart, the Democratic Party nominee in the 26th District in 2009, opening the door for Harrisonburg Mayor Kai Degner to have a clear path to the Democratic nomination. Read more
Degner to announce in 26th
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Harrisonburg Mayor Kai Degner is throwing his hat into the ring for the soon-to-be-open 26th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.
“At a time when the General Assembly’s decisions are so severely impacting local government budgets, be it in education, transportation, law enforcement, environmental security, social services and more, we need a delegate from the Shenandoah Valley that will stand and represent the people, services, and local businesses who stand to lose,” said Degner, who was elected to Harrisonburg City Council in 2008 in a Democratic sweep of the three open seats on City Council that year. Read more
Republicans sweep local House races
Not much to say about the four contested House of Delegates races in the AFP reader area. The Democrats got pantsed.
Jeff Price’s 28.8 percent showing in his 24th District challenge to Republican Ben Cline was actually the best showing of the four, if you can believe that. And Price wasn’t even able to get what a Green Party candidate, Eric Sheffield, was able to do in 2005 in the 24th against Cline.
Erik Curren got 28.3 percent of the vote against Staunton City Councilman Dickie Bell in the 20th District, even falling short in Staunton by 59.8 percent-to-40.8 percent margin. To put the defeat in Staunton in perspective, Barack Obama won the Queen City last fall. Read more
Chris Graham | Where I am on local elections
I explained in a column today on our new sister website, VirginiaPoliticsToday.com, how much I loathe making endorsements.
That said, I get it that some of our readers are at the least interested in knowing where I am on local elections, assuming that since I do news and analysis for a living I might have some insights into what’s going on.
So … here goes. Read more
AFP Focus | Breaking down some campaign money numbers
Dickie Bell had a busy Oct. 1-21 campaign period, raising $13,375 for his 20th District campaign, but Bell also ended the period with $13,635.03 in debts remaining unpaid, according to a report on campaign activity filed with the State Board of Elections this week.
The Bell campaign reported having a balance of $31,200.50 in cash on hand as of Oct. 21. Accounting for the debts remaining unpaid, the campaign would actually have available funds of $17,824.50. Read more
GOP, for the most part, dominating local House money races
26th District Democrat Gene Hart is giving Republican incumbent Matt Lohr a run for his re-election money, literally. Aside from Hart, though, Democratic candidates contending for seats representing the Central Shenandoah Valley in Richmond are struggling to keep pace with their Republican counterparts.
Hart actually outraised Lohr in the Sept. 1-30 reporting period, according to reports both filed with the State Board of Elections this week. Hart took in $9,974.04 in the month of September, while Lohr raised $4,040 in the period.
Of Lohr’s total, $1,500 came from political action committees – the Altria Corporate Services PAC, the Virginia Coal Association PAC and the Virginia Hospital Association PAC. Hart did not receive any PAC monies in the period. Read more
