VA Demo Memo Weekly Update featuring episode three of the True Blue Podcast and more
True Blue Podcast Episode Three: Jon Macks
Jon Macks, long-time political consultant, and award-winning entrainment producer/writer is the Chairwoman’s special guest on this episode of the True Blue Podcast– during the show, Chairwoman Susan Swecker and Jon discuss his long, adventurous career in both politics and entertainment, some of his funniest campaign stories through the years, and the bright future of the Virginia Democratic Party. Listen below.
Governor Northam Launches Application for Second Cohort of Virginia Management Fellows
Governor Ralph Northam today announced the application launch for the second Virginia Management Fellows (VMF) cohort. The program is an initiative of the Commonwealth of Virginia developed in partnership with Virginia Tech to meet the state’s needs for future leaders. Recent (or May 2019) undergraduate, Master’s, or Ph.D. graduates who are dedicated to serving the citizens of Virginia are eligible to apply.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that applications for the second class of Virginia Management Fellows are now open,” said Governor Northam. “Virginia is fortunate to have a smart and dedicated state workforce that is recognized for its excellence across the nation, and we are committed to cultivating the next generation of public servants to grow our leadership capacity. Knowing the strengths of the current Virginia Management Fellows, I look forward to the many contributions that this second cohort will bring to the Commonwealth as they work, learn, and serve during their fellowship.”
The Virginia Management Fellows application can be found here. The deadline to complete the online application is December 7, 2018.
‘Rise of deadly hate demands action’ by Attorney General Mark Herring
We must make it absolutely clear that white-supremacist and extremist violence will not be tolerated in Virginia.
And we need to do more than just say it. We have to pair our words with action. We must give our law enforcement agencies the tools they need to identify and preempt acts of violence and threats to the safety of our communities, and we must make it clear to vulnerable communities that they will be protected and cared for because they are important parts of our Virginia family.
In the past few years, I have asked the General Assembly for a long-overdue update to the state’s hate crimes law, the authority to prosecute hate crimes and bills to better protect our citizens from violence and intimidation by white-supremacist militias, gangs and organizations. Every single measure was defeated, sometimes without so much as a hearing.
That tells me that too many people in Virginia’s General Assembly are still complacent about the growth of white-supremacist violence and hate crimes and are not taking the threat nearly as seriously as they should.
This session, I will reintroduce legislation to better protect Virginians, and I will again make the case that an attack on one of our Virginia brothers or sisters truly is an attack on us all.
Under new leadership, Richmond Democrats begin accepting new members (RTD)
Following the surprise election of Donald Trump to the White House in 2016, Democratic committees in Virginia reported significant increases in membership and monthly meeting attendance. But the Richmond City Democratic Committee capped membership at 231 under its bylaws.
This summer, 322 people applied for the 231 spots to be members of the party in Richmond.
Under the new rules, city Democrats will allow up to 501 members. To ensure representation from across the city, that means 40 people per City Council district plus 75 at large, said Jamie Nolan, leader of the city Democrats and a political fundraiser who has been involved with the local party since 2010.
“We have been receiving a good amount of applications, and we expect to be able to vote on those at the upcoming December meeting,” she said. “As a longtime Democrat and active committee member, we saw, and I saw, more growth post-2016 across Virginia than I’ve seen in my time being involved.
A House full of (Democratic) warrior women (RTD)
Even with a few races still undecided, the number of women elected to the House of Representatives in the midterms hit a historic high. Among the new members to watch, David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report said at a presentation last week in Washington, is Abigail Spanberger of Virginia’s 7th District.
These are young, energetic, well-educated, formidable women with serious experience in military service and geopolitical policy — and, meaning no disrespect to their opponents in their respective races, we should be encouraged by their presence in Washington.
Special Election in Senate District 33
Jennifer Boysko| SD-33| Website
The special election will be held on Tuesday, January 8, 2019.
Special Election in House District 24
Christian Worth | HD-24 | Website
The special election will be held on Tuesday, December 18, 2018.
Virginia Democrats shared what they were thankful for this Thanksgiving
Upcoming Events
To get your event added to the DPVA website and the newsletter, email digital@vademocrats.org with event details!
11/28: Virginia State Capitol Official Tree Lighting | 5pm
11/28: Executive Mansion Holiday Open House | 5:30–7:30pm
12/3: King George Democratic Committee Monthly Meeting
12/5: Pulaski Democrats Monthly Meeting
12/17: Gloucester County Democratic Committee Monthly Meeting
12/20: Montgomery County Democratic Committee Monthly Meeting
