By DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press
Virginia voters will get to cast ballots on a congressional redistricting plan benefiting Democrats while a court battle plays out over the legality of the effort.
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With Virginia expected to adopt a new Congressional map later this year, many potential candidates are shifting around their future plans.
The so-called “10-1” map proposed last week by Democrats in Virginia’s General Assembly would shift the boundaries of the state’s Congressional districts in hopes of expanding the party’s presence in Congress — a move that opponents have decried as unconstitutional gerrymandering even as Republican-led states make similar moves.
A potential statewide special election on mid-decade redistricting could put further stress on Fairfax County’s elections office, which has already been stretched thin over the past six months.
For now, however, the county’s election officials say the situation remains under control.
Virginia Democrats released their long-awaited redistricting proposal yesterday (Thursday) in a bid to expand the party’s presence in Congress while countering similar gerrymandering attempts by Republicans.
Party leaders rolled out a map that’s projected to give Democrats an advantage in 10 of Virginia’s 11 Congressional districts, and as expected, much of that comes at the expense of Northern Virginia — the bluest part of the state.
A capacity crowd filled a church in Reston yesterday (Thursday) to remember two U.S. citizens recently shot and killed by federal immigration officers in Minnesota.
Rep. James Walkinshaw, who helped organize the vigil, was joined by local religious and human rights leaders at United Christian Parish to commemorate the lives of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, along with others who have recently died in the custody of or during encounters with federal immigration agencies.
Former Space Force Col. Bree Fram (D) hopes to become the second transgender member elected to Congress in the upcoming midterm elections, but she’s not sure yet which district she would represent.
Last week, Fram filed to run in the strongly Democratic 11th Congressional District that currently covers a significant portion of Fairfax County. However, her campaign is monitoring whether a mid-decade redistricting push by Virginia Democrats would move her Reston home to the Democrat-leaning 10th Congressional District or even another district currently represented by a Republican.
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By MARY CLARE JALONICK and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — As a partial government shutdown looms at week’s end, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has laid out a list of demands for the Department of Homeland Security, including an enforceable code of conduct for federal agents conducting immigration arrests and a requirement that they identify themselves to the public.
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An earlier version of this article said the campaign will be in the 10th or 11th Congressional District, but redistricting leaves open a third option of running in another district.
A former Space Force colonel who was forced to retire due to the Trump administration’s ban on transgender people serving in the military is seeking to represent part of Fairfax County in Congress.
County supervisors on Tuesday (Feb. 13) honored Fairfax County Police Department personnel for providing support at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“We can’t forget the people who were wearing the uniform that day, defending democracy,” Board Chair Jeff McKay said at the presentation, which honored the police personnel from the county who responded when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
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The Senate advanced a resolution Thursday that would limit President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela, sounding a note of disapproval for his expanding ambitions in the Western Hemisphere.
Democrats and five Republicans voted to advance the war powers resolution on a 52-47 vote and ensure a later vote for final passage. It has virtually no chance of becoming law because Trump would have to sign it if it were to pass the House. Still, it was a significant gesture that showed unease among some Republicans after the U.S. military seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid.