AFP InDepth | A ‘strategic quiet’ on the LGBT front

Chris Graham

You don’t need to go as far as gay marriage. A candidate can win the support of the LGBT community by advocating legislation that would allow employees to include gay and lesbian partners in group life-insurance policies. Indeed, it doesn’t take much to break through what Jay Fisette, the Arlington County Board of Supervisors member…

GOP, for the most part, dominating local House money races

Chris Graham

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…

Wagner TV ad hits at Bolling on meeting attendance

Chris Graham

The Virginians for Wagner campaign released the second advertisement of the general-election campaign on Tuesday. The 30-second spot, “Work,” will run on broadcast stations in the Charlottesville, Norfolk, and Richmond media markets, as well as on cable in the Northern Virginia markets. Wagner’s first ad, “Experience,” will remain on the air.

Curren raises issue with Bell vote on funding for Staunton golf course

Chris Graham

A new fire station, or $600,000 on the public golf course at Gypsy Hill Park? 20th District Democratic candidate Erik Curren is trying to link the two votes cast by Republican opponent Dickie Bell in his tenure on Staunton City Council to raise issue with Bell’s priorities. “Firefighters and other first responders risk their lives…

Spiders rally late, hold on for 21-17 win at JMU

Contributors

Richmond drove for the go-ahead score midway through the final quarter and forced a fumble as James Madison was driving with one minute to go to pull out a 21-17 Colonial Athletic Association football win on Saturday afternoon at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field. UR improved to 5-0 on the season and 3-0 in the CAA…

Restaurants are going smoke-free Dec. 1

Contributors

With just about 50 days to go before the Commonwealth’s landmark smoking ban goes into effect, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine is joining dining patrons and community leaders across Virginia today to highlight restaurants that have already gone smoke-free. The new law—called “monumental” in one of the nation’s biggest tobacco-producing states—takes effect Dec. 1 and will…

The Pulse | What Will Saxman Do?

Chris Graham

I can hardly make it a day without somebody asking me a variation of that question. It’s known on both sides of the political fence that soon-to-be-former Republican State Del. Chris Saxman and I are bipartisan birds of a feather, in a manner of speaking. “So surely, Chris, you’d know, if anybody would, what Chris…